[FOOD SAFETY & QUALITY]

by Neil H. Mermelstein

Chocolate Quality Testing

C
hocolate appears in many banana leaves, and left to fer- cooling and heating it to provide
forms and as an ingredi- ment for up to 9 days, during a glossy sheen and ensure that
ent in many confectionery which flavor and aroma com- the chocolate will melt properly.
and non-confectionary prod- pounds are formed. The seeds The tempered chocolate can be
are then dried in the sun or in molded or poured over flavored
dryers for about a week, packed centers (enrobing) or used as
into burlap bags, and shipped a filling in other confections.
to manufacturing plants. There To make baking choco-
they are mechanically cleaned late and candy bars, chocolate
to remove dried pulp and debris, liquor is further processed
sorted, and roasted to release with sugar and other ingredi-
the flavor and aroma compounds. ents. Chocolates can vary in
The roasting also deepens the amounts of cocoa particles,
brown color of the beans. cocoa butter, sugar, and other
The beans are then lightly ingredients such as emulsi-
crushed, and the husks are blown fiers and dairy products.
away in a process called win- The U.S. Food and Drug
nowing, leaving dark chips called Administration (FDA) has estab-
nibs whose cells contain about lished standards of identity for
53% fat (cocoa butter) and 47% cacao-derived products. Milk
solids. The nibs are then crushed chocolate contains cream or
or ground in mills that generate other dairy products and sugar
enough friction and heat to liq- and must contain at least 10%
uefy the nibs into a thick paste chocolate liquor. Dark, bitter-
called chocolate liquor. Some of sweet, or semisweet chocolate
the chocolate liquor is placed in must contain at least 35% choco-
a hydraulic press that squeezes late liquor but generally contains
out the cocoa butter, and the 50%55% with the rest being
Chocolate has many forms and is an ingredient ucts. The December 2010 issue remaining solid cocoa is pul- sugar. High-percentage choc-
in many products. of Food Technology contains an verized into cocoa powder. olates contain even more
Photo iStockphoto.com/FotografiaBasica
overview of the chocolate con- The chocolate liquor can also chocolate liquor and conse-
fectionery market. This article be poured into molds to harden quently more cocoa particles
focuses on the production and into unsweetened chocolate, and cocoa butter than regular
quality testing of chocolate. which contains 100% choco- chocolate. Couverture, used for
late liquor. To produce dark, coating, contains more cocoa
Chocolate Production semisweet, and bittersweet butter so that it is more free-
Cacao trees produce pods chocolates, nibs are ground flowing when melted. White
throughout the year, but large with sugar to reduce the par- chocolate contains no choco-
harvests occur twice annually. ticle size. The resulting paste is late liquor but instead consists
Workers harvest the pods then kneaded in a process called of cocoa butter, sugar, dairy
by hand, hack open the shells, conching to further smooth the products, and flavorings; it must
scoop out the pulp and seeds, texture. Aerating during con- contain at least 20% cocoa but-
and discard the husks. The ching creates a well-rounded ter and no more than 55% sugar.
pulp and seeds are placed into flavor. The conched chocolate Title 21, Part 163, of the Code
boxes or piles, covered with is then tempered by repeatedly of Federal Regulations details

pg 66 02.12 www.ift.org
the FDAs requirements for standard- Chocolate, and Confectionery fermented beans are cut in half and
ized cacao products, specifically Research Group, which conducts the fraction that is off color is noted.
cacao nibs, chocolate liquor, break- pertinent collaborative research The color of the beans changes
fast cocoa, cocoa, low-fat cocoa, on cocoa, chocolate, and confec- during fermentation; properly fer-
cocoa with dioctyl sodium sulfos- tionery science and technology mented beans are brown while
uccinate for manufacturing, sweet and presents seminars and short purple and slate-colored beans are
chocolate, white chocolate, milk courses. Gregory Ziegler, Professor considered defects. A small sample
chocolate, buttermilk chocolate, skim of Food Science at Penn State, who of beans may also be cleaned and
milk chocolate, mixed dairy product specializes in research on the influ- roasted to make chocolate liquor,
chocolates, sweet cocoa and veg- ence of processing on chocolate which is then taste-tested. If the
etable fat coating, sweet chocolate quality, said that quality tests are taste is off, the roasting conditions
and vegetable fat coating, and milk conducted on chocolate at vari- can be adjusted. The beans might
chocolate and vegetable fat coating. ous stages of manufacture. also be checked for moisture con-
To determine whether beans have tent by Karl Fischer titration or by
Quality Testing been properly fermented, inspec- infrared or microwave methods.
Penn State University has a Cocoa, tors conduct a cut test. A number of Other important quality tests

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[FOOD SAFETY & QUALITY]

Chocolate Quality Testing continued...

include determination of fat con- content of beans and liquor, Gloss is also important and is
tent in seeds, nibs, and liquor. Ziegler said, since there have determined using a gloss meter.
The fat content in seeds needs been concerns about the quality Blommer Chocolate Co.
to be known to be able to formu- of beans from West Africa. The (www.blommer.com) is the larg-
late products correctly, Ziegler free fatty acid content is gener- est roaster of cocoa beans in
said, and knowledge of the mois- ally determined by wet chemistry North America. The company
ture content is needed to make techniques at this point, he sells bulk chocolate, chocolate
liquor, cocoa butter, and cocoa
The color of the beans changes during fermentation; properly fermented beans powder as well as all kinds of
chocolate products: milk choc-
are brown while purple and slate-colored beans are considered defects. olate, semisweet chocolate,
high-cocoa-mass chocolate,
sure the beans were roasted added, but it would be interesting chocolate chips, confectionery
correctly. Among the stan- to have faster analytical tech- coatings, color coatings, panned
dard quality tests for chocolate niques such as chromatographic products, and products mar-
liquor and finished chocolate methods. Flavor is important, and keted as organic, sugar-free,
are moisture content, again gen- there is no substitute for sen- kosher, kosher pareve, kosher
erally by Karl Fischer titration. sory evaluation panels, Ziegler for Passover, traceable, Fair
Solid fat content may also be said, adding that the electronic Trade, and Rainforest Alliance.
conducted since it is a determi- nosesuch as that manufac- Marlene Stauffer, Director of
nant of cocoa butter hardness, tured by Alpha-MOS (www. Quality and Regulatory, said
a formulation consideration. alpha-mos.com)has been that licensed graders at the
There is also interest in shown to be of use in evaluat- port of entry cut open a sam-
determining the free fatty acid ing chocolate aroma but may ple of beans to inspect the nibs
not be being used routinely. for evidence of mold and infes-
For chocolate liquor and tation and to determine by
finished chocolate, the par- color whether the beans have
ticle size and distribution are been properly fermented.
important because they are At the processing plant, tests
related to viscosity and yield conducted on chocolate liquor
value. For chocolate liquor, how include moisture content, fat
much free fat is liberated from content, free fatty acid content,
seed cells is related to cost. particle size, viscosity, color,
In the final product, the par- and flavor. Instruments used for
ticle size is related to viscosity these tests include micrometers,
and yield value in the molten particle size analyzers, colorim-
state. For the finished prod- eters, viscometers, titrators, and
uct, temper is important. This is fat analyzers. The company also
determined by a temper meter, monitors for heavy metals, pesti-
which uses thermal analysis to cides, and extraneous material.
determine whether the choco- The temper of the final choc-
late has achieved the proper olate is important, Stauffer said,
cocoa butter crystals. Among as manufacturers want the prod-
the available temper meters are uct to be tempered properly,
the Model 530 Chocolate Temper have a good snap when broken,
Meter from Tricor Systems Inc. and look smooth without a lot of
(www.tricor-systems.com) and aeration or honeycombing. The
the MultiTherm TC combined company uses experienced oper-
cocoa butter measuring system ators, temper meters, and visual
and temper meter from Buhler inspection to determine whether
(www.buhlergroup.com). The this has been accomplished.
latter provides a cooling curve, Roasting is the kill step in
from which the analyst can tell cocoa bean processing, she said,
what form of crystallization has killing pathogens (particularly
occurred and whether the sam- Salmonella), and microbiologi-
ple has been properly tempered. cal testing is conducted on the

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final chocolate. Flavor testing is abso- instruments require extensive calibra-
lutely critical in roasting and helps tion to maintain, she said, so it would
determine the degree of roast, Stauffer be great to have rapid methods for fat
said. Every operator is trained in sen- and moisture determinations as well as
sory testing, and they look for off-notes rapid microbiological methods. Testing
right after roasting and after choco- for yeast and mold takes five days, but
late liquor grinding. Sensory panels the product needs to be out the door
check all final chocolate products. faster, she said. Blommer outsources
Another final test of deposited microbiological and chemical test-
products is determining the count ing to independent laboratories. Most
per pound. Chocolate chips for bak- labs provide a 10-day turnaround for
ing are typically sized for grocery chemical testing, but two days is pref-
store sales as 1,000 count per pound, erable. Sugar testing can take up to
but the company also provides counts eight days. The alternative is to have
of 2,000, 4,000, and 10,000, depend- testing equipment in house and have
ing on what its customers in the technicians do the testing, she added,
baking, confectionery, dairy, and but thats an additional expense.
functional foods industries want. Stauffer pointed out that there is
a need for standardization of meth-
Challenges Ahead & Research Needed ods for testing chocolate. Temper,
Stauffer said that she would like to see she said, is always difficult to mea-
rapid methods for determining fat and sure quickly and constantly, viscosity
Chocolate is created from the pulp and seeds of pods from cacao trees.
moisture content and automatic titra- measurements vary among techni- Photo iStockphoto.com/JackJelly
tions to determine fat quality. Current cians and plants, and the equipment
[FOOD SAFETY & QUALITY]

Chocolate Quality Testing continued...

Organizations Related to Chocolate Retail Confectioners International (www.retailconfectioners.org).

Founded in 1917, RCI is a trade association of chocolate makers, con-
National Confectioners Association (www.candyusa.com). fectioners, and industry suppliers. It provides a forum for
Founded in 1884, NCA is a trade association of confectionery compa- confectioners to meet, network, share ideas, solve mutual problems,
nies. Its Chocolate Council was founded in 2008 by member companies and develop their candy-making and entrepreneurial skills. It presents
that process cocoa and make chocolate. It focuses on educating the short courses for retailers, including Chocolate Boot Camp. RCIs
public about chocolate. NCAs Sweets & Snacks Expo will be held May 2012 Annual Convention & Industry Exposition will be held June 1115,
810, 2012, in Chicago, Ill. 2012, in San Francisco, Calif.
American Association of Candy Technologists (www.aactcandy. International Confectionery Association (www.international-con-
org). AACT is a professional organization of individual technologists, fectionery.com). ICA, formerly the International Office of Cocoa,
operations personnel, educators, students, business staff, and others Chocolate and Sugar Confectionery, is an organization of chocolate
dedicated to the advancement of the confectionery industry. AACTs and confectionery manufacturers and suppliers of ingredients,
2012 National AACT Technical Seminar will be held October 13, 2012, machinery, packaging materials, and services to the industry. It facili-
in Lincolnshire, Ill. tates, coordinates, and communicates international scientific,
PMCA (www.pmca.com). Founded in 1907 as the Pennsylvania regulatory, and public affairs information while promoting and repre-
Manufacturing Confectioners Association, PMCA is a trade associa- senting the interests of the global confectionery industry.
tion of confectionery manufacturers and companies in related World Cocoa Foundation (www.worldcocoafoundation.org). WCF
industries. Its 66th Annual Production Conference will be held April is an organization of manufacturers, processors, supply chain manag-
30May 2, 2012, in Hershey, Pa. PMCAs Research Committee directs ers, ports, and allied industries and trade associations that works to
basic and applied research in the science of chocolate and confection- promote sustainable cocoa production and improve the well-being of
ery at several universities. PMCA also presents short courses in cocoa farmers through economic and social development and environ-
confectionery technology. mental stewardship.

can be difficult to calibrate.Particle-size

measuring systems can also show varia-
tion.The main issue, she said, is that there is
not always a standard method for the choco-
late industry to follow. Companies around the
world have their own ways of measuring and
their own types of equipment. As a result,
Blommer uses four different fat analyzers.
Ziegler said that finding a way to visualize
the fat crystal network in chocolate, including
the size and distribution, could provide more
information about bloom stabilityresis-
tance to oil and moisture migrationand
lead to a way to predict bloom in chocolate
and chocolate-filled confections. He said
that Penn State researchers are studying
chocolate structure and its effect on sensory
quality. There is also a correlation between
mouthfeel and flavor, and changing the vis-
cosity has dramatic effects on mouthfeel.
Besides particle size, there is also interest
in studying the shape of all the particles in
chocolate, not only the cocoa but also the
sugar and milk solids, he said. If products with
the same particle size dont behave quite the
same, some other factor must be involved. FT

Neil H. Mermelstein, a Fellow of IFT, is Editor

Emeritus of Food Technology
nhmermelstein@comcast.net

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