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Heat-resistant chocolate is rather waxy and not tasty
Whether grape nut, strawberry yoghurt or plain whole milk - with sweet tooth, sweet toothed cats can not say "no". Nevertheless, the manufacturers complain about a significant decline in sales in the summer. The rising temperatures are to blame because chocolate does not stand up to them. The summer heat turns them into a brown porridge nobody wants to eat anymore. For years, manufacturers have been researching a heat-resistant chocolate variant. The results are so far, however, not convincing. Because if chocolate does not run in the sun, it will not melt in your mouth anymore.
Manufacturers are experimenting with higher melting point chocolate
With the rising temperatures, the sales of chocolate manufacturers are falling. Because in the heat the goods often already on the way from the supermarket to home. Experience has shown that chocolate sales are only rising again at temperatures below 15 degrees.
Melt-free chocolate tastes more like wax. (Image: BillionPhotos.com - fotolia) Until then, many manufacturers rely on special "summer varieties" with less chocolate and more filling, which taste good when chilled. But even these chocolate variants can not absorb the summer sales low. The confectionery industry has been working to solve this problem for years - with limited success.
A heat-resistant chocolate would be the dream of all manufacturers. This could also be exported to the expanding markets in Asia and Africa. But the so-called "tropical chocolate" has so far tasted little. "The topic is a perennial favorite for the industry", explains food researcher Wolfgang Danzl, who is investigating the manufacturing processes for chocolate at the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering in Freising near Munich, in an interview with the news agency "dpa"..
"Tropical chocolate "with loss of taste
Although the "tropical chocolate" has been researched for decades, there has not yet been a breakthrough. Only the melting point of chocolate, which is normally around 36 degrees, could be increased by higher melting fats. Unfortunately, this is to the detriment of the taste, because if chocolate does not dissipate in heat, it does not melt in the mouth. It has to be chewed and has little to do with the usual "chocolate experience". "This leads to a waxy mouthfeel," says Danzl.
In Brazil, a heat-resistant chocolate was launched on the market, but also tasteless little convincing. "Tranig", so the verdict of the researcher. "The pleasure goes back."
Heat resistant chocolate for China
A product that can withstand even high temperatures could be the breakthrough in chocolate production. For while chocolate consumption in Germany has stagnated at nine to ten kilograms per person per year for years, demand in the Far East is rising. "Growth comes exclusively through exports," says a spokeswoman for the Federal Association of the German Confectionery Industry to the news agency. The appetite for chocolate is steadily increasing worldwide.
In view of the growing prosperity of the population, China is particularly interesting for German chocolate manufacturers. In very warm regions with continuous cold chains to the business, the trade is already recording good sales, as the Swabian manufacturer Ritter Sport reports. But in countries like India, the lack of infrastructure still causes problems. Of course no-one wants to buy goods in circulation, "a company spokesman told the news agency. The Fraunhofer Institute therefore regularly receives inquiries from companies about more heat-resistant packaging for chocolate.
No more white spots on the chocolate
Danzl's team was able to record a success at least in the "Fettreif". The term "fat bloom" refers to the white spots on the chocolate, the surface of which is often covered. They are caused by prolonged storage and are often mistaken by the customer for mold, although they are unthinkable. Researchers have discovered that the formation of white spots can be prevented by changes in the manufacturing process. (Ag)