Going guilt-free: redefining chocolate

STATISTICS show that total global consumption of chocolate has been on an upward trend with an estimate of 8.5 million tonnes of chocolate expected to be consumed in 2020¹.

However, with consumers being increasingly concerned about maintaining a healthy weight, is it possible to re-formulate chocolate recipes that offer less sugar, fat and calories but the indulgence experience consumers are seeking?

In this article, Christian Philippsen, Managing Director, BENEO Asia Pacific, discusses selected functional ingredients that make a difference to healthy chocolate recipes.

Rich chocolate fillings with less fat

Rice starch can help to reduce fat in products that convey a creamy texture and mouthfeel in fat-based systems such as pralines and baked goods. With a small granular size that is comparable to fat globules (2-8 µm), the ingredient allows for a mouthfeel, structure and texture of a full-fat filling. Rice starch binds liquid fat and perfectly mimics the experience of a full-fat version while giving improved stability and creaminess.

Less sugar, more fiber in your chocolate treat

Chocolate products are commonly found with high sugar content while containing little fiber. With consumers increasingly looking to include fiber in their diet and manage their weight, using functional fibers such as inulin and oligofructose enables food manufacturers to produce chocolate treats that are sugar-reduced and high in fiber.

Inulin and oligofructose are produced from chicory root fibers via a gentle hot water extraction which makes them a naturally derived ingredient in comparison to other dietary fibers. Being soluble and having a mild sweet taste yet with only half the calories of sucrose, they are ideal for reducing sugar and calories while maintaining taste and texture. In chocolate applications such as milk chocolate for instance, adding a 15 percent serving of inulin and lowering sucrose content enables improvements in the nutritional profile. According to national legislation they can be claimed “reduced sugars” and “high in fiber”. Moreover, recently BENEO received a proprietary health claim by EFSA confirming that chicory inulin contributes to normal bowel function by increasing stool frequency.

Food manufacturers can also look to isomalt – the only sugar replacer derived from beet sugar – for sugar-free or sugar-reduced benefits. With it chocolate products maintain their sweetness, but do not contain as much calories as the traditional products with sucrose. Manufacturers who use isomalt in their chocolate products are authorized in most markets to label their products with “low calorie”, “sugar-reduced” or even, if no lactose is contained, “sugar-free”.

By using isomalt and chicory root fibers to lower the sugar content in chocolate applications, food producers will also find that blood glucose response is also lowered. Leading experts agree that a low glycaemic nutrition contributes to weight management.

(Photo courtesy of BENEO)

The tooth-friendly chocolate

Studies have shown that a steady diet of food and drinks containing highly fermentable carbohydrates is detrimental to oral health. Chocolate makers now can tap on ingredients like the next generation sugar Palatinose™ (isomaltulose) to create chocolate that are kind to our teeth.

Derived from beet sugar, Palatinose™ is a toothfriendly sugar. Due to its high microbiological stability, it cannot be split by the bacteria present in the mouth, hence tooth-damaging acids, which cause tooth decay, are not produced. The non-cariogenicity of Palatinose™ has been confirmed by pH-telemetry tests. Being fully digestible yet toothfriendly, Palatinose™ is an ideal alternative to sucrose, glucose and other highly fermentable carbohydrates. Its toothfriendly benefits have been proven as health claim by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Also in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the health claim ‘does not promote tooth decay’ for Palatinose™. Manufacturers can also label chocolate products that have been proven kind to teeth with the “Toothfriendly” logo from “Toothfriendly International” – a real added value that consumers actively look for.

What’s next for chocolate?

Today’s consumers are more knowledgeable and sophisticated when it comes to food choices. Their demands have evolved where they seek a balance of both taste and nutrition in their diet.

Innovative manufacturers will thus increasingly look into solutions that maintain the sweet taste and indulgent texture but also meet consumers’ demands for healthier choices. By taking small steps and making slight alterations, recipes can be significantly enhanced with nutritional benefits including calorie, fat and sugar reduction. This is an approach that is compulsory in a world in which non-communicable diseases such as obesity, diabetes well as gut-related disorders are growing in prevalence.

[1] History (2014), The sweet history of chocolate

[1] Statistica (2015), Total consumption of chocolate worldwide from 1999 to 2020 (in million tons)