Stability of Filled Chocolates

Stability of Filled Chocolates

Author: Lisa-Marie Rauschendorfer

Cocoa butter is the main component of chocolate and determines the characteristic melting behavior, surface gloss, and texture of chocolate. Among other factors, the triacylglycerol (TAG) composition significantly affects the crystallization of cocoa butter. However, fillings, such as whole or chopped nuts, nougat or marzipan, often contain a different TAG composition, which can merge with the chocolate during production and storage and might cause an eutectic effect.

Isabell Rothkopf and Wolfgang Danzl, Frauenhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Freising, Germany, used time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (TD-NMR) to investigate the crystallization behavior of chocolate blended with different amounts and types of fillings, and hence different TAG composition. The results showed that the amount of lipids in the chocolate filling is most critical for the crystallization process.

Additionally, the team found that products with butterfat fillings are particularly susceptible to partial crystallization if the cooling is insufficient. Coconut oil based fillings are less affected and chocolate products with hazelnut oil are the least critical ones.


 

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