Guilt free chocolate pleasure!

Well, almost, chemists from the University of Warwick have developed a new method of making chocolate that is sure to bring a smile to the faces of chocoholics everywhere.

Dr Stephan Bon from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Warwick, conducted the study which was published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry, and looked into ways of reducing the fat content of chocolate.

Dr Bon said “Everyone loves chocolate but unfortunately we all know that many chocolate bars are high in fat. However it’s the fat that gives chocolate all the indulgent sensations that people crave, the silky smooth texture and the way it melts in the mouth, but still has a snap to it when you break it in your hand."

This new healthier method of making chocolate replaces up to 50 per cent of the fat content in chocolate with fruit juice. However the chemists at the University of Warwick claim that “the new bar will still appeal to chocoholics after spending months perfecting it’s mouthfeel and say it even feels like chocolate.”

The researchers removed much of the cocoa butter and milk fats that go into chocolate bars, and then they substituted them with tiny droplets of juice measuring under 30 microns in diameter. They then infused orange and cranberry juice into milk, dark and white chocolate using what is known as the Pickering method.

Interestingly it was found during the research that the sugar or fat bloom, the white residue that sometimes appears on chocolate that has been stored for some time, did not present itself on the chocolate made with fruit juice.

Dr Bon went on to say “our study is just the starting point to healthier chocolate, we’ve established the chemistry behind this new technique, but now we’re hoping the food industry will take our method to make tasty, lower fat chocolate bars.”

Unfortunately the final product will have a fruity taste to it, however there is an option to use water and a small amount of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) instead of juice to maintain a chocolatey taste.
The really good news is that the team behind the research plan to allow the food industry to use the technique to create healthier chocolate bars, and for people who love chocolate but still want to watch their weight that has to be good news.