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Antioxidant Brief
Chocolate: Bean to Bar
Chocolate vs Compound
Health & Wellness Prebiotics Fiber
Health & Wellness Probiotics
Omega 3
Tempering Chocolate

ANTIOXIDANTS
Antioxidants scavenge free radicals (reactive oxygen species) and thus help the body fight against aging and a multitude of diseases, such as Cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease as well as reducing the risk of heart disease; the number one killer of men and women in the United States.

The bad guys are the oxidants (free radicals) and the anti-oxidants bind with them so that they are no longer “free” to attack our systems. Free radicals have a cumulative effect and can be found in our exposure to the sun, foods, toxins and stress.

ANTIOXIDANTS & COCOA
The antioxidants in cocoa can help reduce the main contributors to cardiovascular disease by helping to reduce inflammation of blood vessels, reduce blood pressure and reduce overall cholesterol.

Studies have also indicated that antioxidants increase the blood flow to the brain which can help protect against memory loss and protect against Alzheimer’s disease by protecting against amyloid plaque damage.

There are many antioxidants of which polyphenols and the subclass flavanols are one type. Cocoa is particularly rich in monomeric flavanols, specifically epicatechin and catechin.
Cocoa bean handling and processing can affect the amount and type of flavonoids in finished cocoa and chocolate products. Several factors can have an impact, including cultivar type, geographical origin, agricultural and post-harvesting practices and processing.

Carbohydrate content, such as sugar, has been shown to improve flavanol absorption. Protein interaction has also come into question. Researchers concluded that the presence of milk in cocoa and chocolate products does not counteract the absorption or biological activity of flavanols.

Antioxidant levels can be directly measured for overall polyphenol content or for particular flavanols, such as the catechins and epicatechins. Another way is to measure the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity). This measures the activity or bioavailability of the antioxidants.

RELATIVE AMOUNTS
Antioxidants are housed in the solids portion of cacao products (from low to high)
Cocoas
Natural process cocoa (most)
Red cocoas
Black cocoa
Chocolates
High cacao solids dark chocolate (most)
Dark chocolate with alkali
Milk chocolates

ON THE FARM
Chocolate bars start out as beans, and those beans begin as a tree: the theobroma cacao tree. These trees grow 20° north and south of the equator. Approximately 70% of the world’s crop of cocoa beans comes from West Africa. It takes 5-8 years for a tree to reach maturity and grow usable pods. These pods each contain 20-50 beans which are coated in a white fruit, called mucilage. The pods are harvested by hand twice a year. The pods are left for a few days to cure before being split open, also by hand.

Once removed from the pods, the beans, coated in mucilage, are placed in heaps or boxes to ferment. Over several days, the bacteria and yeasts which were naturally present on the pods go to work on the beans. Fermentation is a very important step in turning cocoa beans into chocolate. It helps to remove the mucilage from around the beans, kills the bean so that it cannot germinate, and allows for enzymatic reactions necessary for flavor development.

Next the beans are dried. This is most often done by spreading the fermented beans out in the sun. This step removes water so that the beans can be safely transported without spoiling. The beans are put onto the holds of boats and shipped to the United States.

IN THE FACTORY
Once the beans reach a chocolate factory, they are cleaned to remove any foreign material, and then they are roasted. Roasting makes the beans safe to eat by killing any bacteria on them. More importantly, roasting is essential to flavor development. Once they are roasted, the beans are winnowed. “Winnowing” refers to the process in which the beans are cracked and the inedible shell portion of the bean is removed, leaving only the edible portion, or nib.
The next step is grinding the nibs into chocolate liquor. Grinding releases the fat naturally present in the cocoa beans, known as cocoa butter. The heat generated the process liquefies this fat. While warm, chocolate liquor remains a liquid.

At this point, the liquor may be pressed. Pressing separates the cocoa butter from the cocoa solids, creating cocoa powder. Cocoa powder is made from grinding the resulting cake, and contains about 10-12% fat. The pressing process results in approximately equal portions of cocoa powder and cocoa butter. Cocoa powder is used in many applications, including beverages, bakery items, and compound coatings. Cocoa butter can be used in pharmaceutical and beauty products, and is used to make white chocolate. White chocolate contains no cocoa mass, only cocoa butter which is combined with milk, sugar, vanilla, and lecithin (an emulsifier). Cocoa butter also goes into most chocolate, since there isn't enough cocoa butter present in the liquor to make a smooth, pleasant chocolate.

Now that the liquor has been ground sugar and dried milk (in the case of milk chocolate) are added. This resulting paste is now refined. Refining crushes all the pieces into small uniform particles.

It now goes to the conche. Here additional cocoa butter is added, as well as lecithin and flavor. The product is kept warm and mixed or kneaded for several hours. This is known as conching, and important step in improving the eating quality of chocolate. It allows any off flavors to be released. It also distributes the cocoa butter evenly between all of the particles, which gives the chocolate a smoother, creamier mouthfeel.

The chocolate must now be tempered. Tempering means heating and cooling the chocolate to specific temperatures in order to promote correct crystal formation. This is essential so that once the chocolate is formed it is smooth and shiny. The tempered chocolate is deposited into bars.

PROBIOTICS
Probiotic literally translates to “for life” and are a good type of bacteria that naturally resides in the intestinal tract that may confer positive health benefits for those that consume them. They keep the gut’s natural micro flora flourishing while impeding the growth of potential pathogenic bacteria such as E. Coli. Keeping the micro flora in balance is particularly important during times of stress, compromised immune systems and while taking antibiotics; probiotics may reduce the risk of gastro-intestinal distress and diarrhea during these times. A further advantage for GI health is that probiotics can have positive effects on inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s. Probiotics have also been clinically tested to positively modulate immune functions. They have been clinically shown to reduce the risk of contracting disease as well as reducing the length of time with an illness; this is accomplished by increasing the activity of the body’s natural kill cells and by preventing pathogens from residing in the intestines.

A recent study has been released showing chocolate to be a superior carrier for probiotics over the typical dairy products. It is suggested that chocolate provides a stable anaerobic environment for the probiotics to move through the digestive track and deliver them to the intestines where they are needed. Chocolate is an exciting and improved way to deliver probiotics to the gut.

Because probiotics are bacteria, it is important to discuss its impact on plate count, which is a test we do for each lot of chocolate produced. The plate count tests for aerobic bacteria, which is an indicator of overall cleanliness in the plant. Probiotics are strict anaerobes, which means that they do not show up in a plate count. We did multiple blinded tests at three independent labs and the probiotics did not affect plate count or other standard tests. There are no cases of adverse health effects for bifidobacteria (the one we have been working with) and it is well tolerated even in people with compromised immune systems.

Blommer has partnered with Danisco to complete a 12 month shelf life study of Howaru Bifido probiotics in 4 different Blommer chocolates. Because the results were so encouraging, Blommer has decided to expand and repeat the trials in duplicate using a third-party lab. Upon the conclusion of the study, Blommer intends on releasing the results.

OMEGA 3’S
Omega-3s (n-3) are essential fatty acids that have been implicated in having various positive health benefits. “Essential” fatty acid means they cannot be made by the body and must be obtained through the diet to maintain health. Some other names for n-3 are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which can be found in fish (EPA/DHA) and plant (ALA) oils.

The most significant contribution of n-3 is its association to heart health/cardiovascular function perhaps due to the fact that is an anti-inflammatory agent. It may reduce risk of heart disease, reduce blood triglycerides, and VLDL (bad cholesterol). Studies have shown that people who take n-3 on a regular basis (5 days a week) have reduced risks of developing heart disease and sudden cardiovascular-related deaths. The FDA has approved an EPA/DHA supplement to treat high serum triglycerides. Since chocolate has also been shown to have positive effects on cardiovascular functions, it would seem that n-3 and chocolate are a natural fit.

Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to have an effect on cognitive function; children who have high n-3 perform better on tests.

After testing multiple types and brands of Omega-3 (n-3) products, Blommer has found a fish-based n-3 product that has no flavor impact and went through a shelf life and stability test with great results. The fish-based n-3 has EPA and DHA fatty acids that were present at constant levels even after the manufacturer’s 6-month shelf life. We also have an acceptable flax-based n-3 product that contains ALA fatty acids in case of allergen issues from fish-based ingredients.

TEMPERING
The tempering of chocolate can be defined as the time-temperature process used to manipulate fat to develop the correct fat crystal type and size. The result is a product with better heat resistance, touch stability, glossy appearance, snap and release from moulding versus poor or non-tempered chocolate. Additionally, poorly tempered chocolate can form a white powdery substance called fat bloom.

We at Blommer also understand that tempering encompasses both skill and science. This information should be used as a guide for tempering chocolate, but each formulation is different and therefore parameters need to be created for each product.

TRIGLYCERIDES
Cocoa Butter is comprised of various triglycerides, but mainly they are stearic-oleic-stearic (SOS), stearic-oleic-palmitic (SOP) and palmitic-oleic-palmitic (POP). Composition varies based on growing location with origins closer to the equator contain higher levels of saturated fat which will lead to harder cocoa butter.

The most important aspect of tempering is the packing of the triglycerides into crystalline structure. In total there are 6 different crystal structures, but we are mainly concerned with alpha, beta prime and beta. Each structure is created at different temperatures, but formation of beta crystals are most desired. Its these beta crystals that will act as building blocks we want to replicate during tempering because they produce a more heat stable product. They have a melt point of about 93° F. They pack tighter and the result is a product with good contraction. Additionally the quantity and size of the crystal is very important. Too many crystals or "seeds" can result in product that is over-tempered and not as shiny. Under-tempered product lack the amount of crystals and it may take too long to set up if at all. crystals formed during tempering the better compacting of the crystals results in a better snap and contraction.

There are many different ways to temper chocolate, but the end goal is always the same- create the correct crystals (beta) in the correct size and quantity. The following will describe a couple of different methods to temper both milk and dark chocolate. It’s important to realize that milk chocolate has a higher level of milk fat to contribute to the overall fat matrix. We recommend cooling and reheating milk chocolates 1.0-2.0°F lower than dark chocolates to compensate for this difference. Milk fat is somewhat liquid at room temperature and thus lowers the melt point of the product.

COOLING THE CHOCOLATE
Cooling of the chocolate is another important aspect in tempering. It should be done gradually as to not shock the chocolate. Shocking can cause the wrong cocoa butter crystal to replicate and the finished product will not have the same qualities as stated above. Most systems incorporate a cooling tunnel and should be set up as such.

The beginning of the cooling tunnel should have low air velocity on the product and temperatures in the range of 65° F. The second zone will typically be in the 45° F temperature range with more air being blown on the product. The third zone should be higher (65-68° F) to prevent condensation on the finished product.

The other important piece is the dwell time of the product in the cooling process. The amount of required cooling time is dictated by the quantity being cooled and it can be in the range of 10-30 minutes. Finally, it can take chocolate 24 to 48 hours to full solidify so the way the product is packaged and stored needs to be considered.