Chocolate not easy to soften as well as preparation method and application thereof

Abstract

The invention provides chocolate difficult to soften as well as a preparation method and application thereof. The chocolate comprises a chocolate core and a colloid layer coating at least part of the outer surface of the chocolate core, the colloid layer comprises sodium alginate and further comprises at least one of carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjaku flour and xanthan gum. The chocolate not easy to soften provided by the invention has the characteristic that the chocolate not easy to soften in water-containing food is not easy to soften.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of food engineering and relates to a chocolate chip jam, its preparation method, and its application. Background Technology

[0002] Yogurt, a dairy product with high nutritional value, is beloved by consumers for its rich content of live lactic acid bacteria and easily digestible high-quality protein. In recent years, with the rise of healthy eating trends, consumer demand for yogurt products has gradually shifted from traditional flavors to functional and innovative options. Against this backdrop, innovative yogurt products combining different flavor ingredients have attracted widespread market attention. Among these, combining chocolate with yogurt not only satisfies consumers' health needs but also enhances the product's taste and flavor, becoming an important direction for yogurt innovation and development.

[0003] Most chocolate yogurt products on the market currently achieve this by adding chocolate mixed with fruit jam. However, this technology has the following main problems: First, in existing technologies, the combination of chocolate and yogurt is mostly in the form of finely chopped chocolate or powder, resulting in insufficient hard and crisp texture of the chocolate and failing to provide consumers with the rich experience of real chocolate. Second, due to the high moisture content of the yogurt base, the chocolate pieces easily absorb moisture and soften, causing changes in the texture of the product during storage and affecting the overall taste.

[0004] Therefore, developing a type of chocolate that does not easily soften in water-containing foods such as yogurt has become a research direction. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a chocolate that is not easily softened, and this chocolate has the characteristic of not easily softening in water-containing foods.

[0006] The present invention also provides a method for preparing chocolate that does not soften easily, which is characterized by its simple operation.

[0007] The present invention also provides a chocolate jam, which has the characteristic that chocolate does not soften easily.

[0008] The present invention also provides a method for preparing chocolate jam, which is characterized by its simplicity.

[0009] The present invention also provides a Greek yogurt containing chocolate, which has the characteristic that chocolate does not soften easily.

[0010] The present invention provides a chocolate that is not easily softened, comprising a chocolate core and a colloidal layer covering at least a portion of the outer surface of the chocolate core;

[0011] The colloidal layer includes sodium alginate, and also includes at least one of carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, and xanthan gum.

[0012] The chocolate that does not soften as described above, wherein the fat content of the chocolate core is 15-20 wt%.

[0013] The chocolate that is not easily softened as described above, wherein the chocolate core comprises, by weight percentage, 50-60% chocolate, 2-4% honey, 15-25% skim milk powder, 5-15% whole milk powder, and 6-8% white sugar.

[0014] The chocolate that does not soften as described above, wherein the colloidal layer includes gluten, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, xanthan gum and sodium alginate;

[0015] In the colloidal layer, the mass ratio of carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, xanthan gum and sodium alginate is (1-2):(1-2):(1-2):(1-2):(1-2):(2-3).

[0016] The present invention also provides a method for preparing a non-softening chocolate, which can be used to obtain any of the above-mentioned non-softening chocolates, comprising the following steps:

[0017] A mixture of chocolate, honey, skim milk powder, whole milk powder, and white sugar is ground, and the resulting ground mixture is refined to obtain chocolate syrup.

[0018] The chocolate syrup is cooled and crushed to obtain the chocolate core;

[0019] The chocolate core is immersed at least once in a colloidal aqueous solution containing sodium alginate to obtain the non-softening chocolate.

[0020] The method for preparing non-softening chocolate as described above, wherein the colloidal aqueous solution includes carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, xanthan gum, and sodium alginate;

[0021] The total mass fraction of carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, xanthan gum, and sodium alginate in the colloidal aqueous solution is 2.5-3.5%, and / or...

[0022] The temperature of the colloidal aqueous solution is 55-65℃.

[0023] The method for preparing non-softening chocolate as described above, wherein the particle size of the grinding system is 20-30 micrometers; and / or,

[0024] The chocolate core has a particle size of 4-6 mm; and / or,

[0025] It also includes pressing the product obtained from the refining process, wherein the pressing process is carried out at a pressure of 550-650 bar.

[0026] The present invention also provides a chocolate jam, comprising any of the above-mentioned non-softening chocolates, and further comprising syrup;

[0027] The syrup comprises sugars and gellan gum, with a sugar content of 40-45%.

[0028] This invention also provides a method for preparing chocolate jam, which can produce any of the above-mentioned chocolate jams, comprising the following steps:

[0029] The sugar, aqueous raw material, and gellan gum are mixed to obtain the syrup;

[0030] The syrup is mixed with any of the above-mentioned types of non-softening chocolate to obtain the chocolate jam;

[0031] The mass fraction of gellan gum in the syrup is 3-5‰;

[0032] The aqueous raw material is selected from at least one of water and fruit juice.

[0033] The present invention also provides a Greek yogurt containing chocolate, wherein the chocolate comprises any of the above-mentioned non-softening chocolates, and also comprises a Greek yogurt base.

[0034] The chocolate provided by this invention is designed to resist softening by using a colloidal layer to isolate the chocolate from the external water-containing environment. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below. The specific embodiments listed below are merely descriptions of the principles and features of the present invention, and the examples are only for explaining the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0036] In existing technologies, the application of chocolate chip jam in yogurt systems suffers from the drawback of the chocolate chips softening easily, resulting in a loss of their crisp texture. The inventors speculate that this may be because the chocolate chips easily absorb water and soften in high-moisture environments, and the insufficient protective layer causes them to quickly lose their original texture upon contact with the base. Therefore, reducing the water absorption capacity of the chocolate chips in high-moisture environments would solve the aforementioned problem.

[0037] Based on this, the first aspect of the present invention provides a chocolate that is not easily softened, the chocolate comprising a chocolate core and a colloidal layer covering at least a portion of the outer surface of the chocolate core; the colloidal layer comprises sodium alginate and at least one of carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, and xanthan gum.

[0038] The chocolate core comprises chocolate. This invention does not limit the other ingredients in the chocolate core, as long as the requirement that the chocolate core includes chocolate is met. In one embodiment, to improve the flavor of the chocolate core, it may also include sweeteners, milk powder, or other ingredients.

[0039] This invention does not limit the shape of the chocolate core; the shape of the chocolate core can be selected according to actual needs. For example, the chocolate core can be in the form of flakes or granules. When the chocolate core is in the form of granules, specific shapes include, but are not limited to, olive-shaped, spherical, triangular, cashew-shaped, etc.

[0040] A colloidal layer is a coating layer composed of colloids, wherein the colloids include sodium alginate, and at least one of carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, and xanthan gum. That is, the colloids may include sodium alginate and carrageenan, or sodium alginate, carrageenan, and gellan gum, or simultaneously sodium alginate, carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, xanthan gum, and so on.

[0041] More specifically, the colloidal layer covers at least a portion of the outer surface of the chocolate core; that is, the colloidal layer may cover a portion of the outer surface of the chocolate core or it may cover the entire outer surface of the chocolate core, preferably the colloidal layer covers the entire outer surface of the chocolate core. The present invention does not limit the thickness of the colloidal layer, as long as it meets the requirement that the colloidal layer covers at least a portion of the outer surface of the chocolate core.

[0042] The chocolate provided by this invention is characterized by its resistance to softening in a moist environment. The inventors believe this is due to the key role played by the colloidal layer coating the chocolate core. Specifically, the colloidal layer is composed of sodium alginate and at least one of carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, and xanthan gum. These colloidal materials exhibit excellent moisture-barrier properties in a moist environment. First, the structure of the colloidal layer effectively isolates the chocolate core from direct contact with external moisture, reducing the penetration of moisture into the chocolate through capillary action, thus preventing softening. Second, the gel-like substance formed by the colloidal layer under the influence of moisture possesses high mechanical strength, further stabilizing the physical morphology of the chocolate core. The synergistic effect of these factors allows the chocolate provided by this invention to maintain excellent physical and sensory properties even in high-moisture foods.

[0043] In order to make the chocolate provided by the present invention less prone to softening also less prone to bloom, in one embodiment, the fat content of the chocolate core can be controlled to be 15-20 wt%.

[0044] Blooming refers to the appearance of a thin white or grayish-white layer on the surface of chocolate due to fat migration and recrystallization. This phenomenon affects the appearance, texture, and taste of the chocolate. The inventors believe that blooming may be related to excessively high fat content in the core of the chocolate. When the fat content is too high, free fats in the chocolate are more likely to migrate to the surface and crystallize, especially in a water-containing environment, where the presence of moisture accelerates fat migration.

[0045] The fat in the chocolate core can come from the chocolate itself or from other ingredients such as whole milk powder or other dairy products. The fat in chocolate refers to the fats in the chocolate components, such as cocoa butter, milk fat, and vegetable oils. The main fat in traditional chocolate is cocoa butter. To reduce bloom, this invention controls the fat content in the chocolate core within the range of 15-20 wt%, effectively reducing the risk of fat migration while preserving the chocolate's hard, crunchy texture and flavor. This fat content range ensures that the chocolate core is less prone to bloom while also avoiding the dry texture or fragile structure caused by excessively low fat content.

[0046] This invention is not limited to a method for controlling fat content within the aforementioned range. In one embodiment, some fat can be removed by pressing the raw materials used to prepare the chocolate core.

[0047] To enhance the flavor of the non-softening chocolate provided by this invention, in one embodiment, the chocolate core can be controlled to include, by weight percentage, 50-60% chocolate, 2-4% honey, 15-25% skim milk powder, 5-15% whole milk powder, and 6-8% granulated sugar. This appropriate ratio of chocolate provides a rich cocoa flavor and an ideal crisp texture. The addition of honey not only enhances the natural sweetness and flavor profile of the chocolate but also improves its smoothness, resulting in a smoother texture and preventing an overly dry mouthfeel. Skim milk powder provides the chocolate with abundant protein and a creamy aroma while reducing fat content, avoiding unpleasant taste and structural instability caused by excessive fat. Whole milk powder provides the necessary milk fat to the chocolate core, further enhancing its creamy aroma and smoothness, ensuring an ideal texture. The addition of granulated sugar effectively regulates the sweetness of the chocolate, ensuring a balanced flavor.

[0048] In addition, by properly controlling the fat content, this formula helps prevent fat migration and bloom, enhances the stability of chocolate when stored in high-moisture environments (such as yogurt), and ensures the chocolate's crisp texture and good flavor in yogurt.

[0049] This invention does not limit the specific choice of chocolate, and commonly used chocolates in the art can be used. In one embodiment, dark chocolate with a fat content of 60-65 wt% can be selected.

[0050] In one embodiment, the colloidal layer includes carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, xanthan gum, and sodium alginate; the mass ratio of carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, xanthan gum, and sodium alginate in the colloidal layer is (1-2):(1-2):(1-2):(1-2):(1-2):(2-3). Sodium alginate is the main component of the colloidal layer, possessing excellent hydration properties and the ability to form a stable gel. It can effectively coat the chocolate core, forming a strong protective film to prevent the chocolate from absorbing moisture and softening in a high-moisture environment, thereby maintaining its hard and crisp texture and stable consistency. Carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, and xanthan gum serve as auxiliary components, enhancing the structural stability of the colloidal layer and improving its water resistance. Specifically, carrageenan and gellan gum enhance the gel strength of the colloidal layer, allowing the chocolate to maintain strong mechanical strength and a pleasant texture when mixed with water-containing foods such as yogurt. Pectin further improves the emulsifying properties of the colloidal layer, ensuring uniform distribution of the chocolate within complex matrices. Konjac flour and xanthan gum help improve the rheological and adhesive properties of the colloidal layer, enhancing its stability and reducing structural damage to the chocolate chips. Through the synergistic effect of these components, the protective layer of the chocolate core becomes more uniform and robust, preventing fat migration and bloom, thus ensuring the stability of the chocolate in high-moisture environments such as yogurt and extending its shelf life.

[0051] A second aspect of the present invention provides a method for preparing chocolate that does not soften easily, the method comprising the following steps:

[0052] A mixture of chocolate, honey, skim milk powder, whole milk powder, and white sugar is ground, and the resulting ground mixture is refined to obtain chocolate syrup.

[0053] The chocolate syrup is cooled and crushed to obtain the chocolate core;

[0054] The chocolate core is immersed at least once in a colloidal aqueous solution containing sodium alginate to obtain chocolate that does not soften easily.

[0055] The selection of chocolates is the same as described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0056] The mixture of chocolate, honey, skim milk powder, whole milk powder, and granulated sugar is ground to ensure uniform mixing and refinement of the ingredients. This process improves the texture of the chocolate paste, making it smoother and more delicate, and enhances the uniformity and stability of the material, avoiding a coarse texture caused by excessively large particles. The refining process further refines the submerged grinding system using a refining machine after grinding, and treats it at an appropriate temperature to promote the full integration of cocoa butter with other ingredients, resulting in a more uniform and stable paste. This invention does not limit the grinding precision; commonly used precision in the art can be used. The refining process can also use commonly used conditions in the art; in one embodiment, refining can be carried out at 65°C to 85°C for 6 to 8 hours.

[0057] After the refined chocolate paste is cooled, it is crushed to obtain the chocolate core. The range of shapes that can be selected for the chocolate core is the same as that described above.

[0058] The colloidal aqueous solution uses water as a solvent and includes sodium alginate, as well as at least one colloid selected from carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, and xanthan gum. The total mass fraction of colloids in the colloidal aqueous solution is the ratio of the total mass of all colloids in the colloidal aqueous solution to the mass of the colloidal aqueous solution. This invention does not limit the total colloid concentration of the colloidal aqueous solution; in one embodiment, the total mass fraction of colloids is 1-5 wt%.

[0059] The immersion process refers to immersing the chocolate core in a colloidal aqueous solution. Performing at least one immersion process means immersing the chocolate core in the colloidal aqueous solution at least once. When the immersion process involves multiple immersions, after the chocolate core is first immersed in the colloidal aqueous solution, it is removed from the solution and then immersed again. During this process, the colloids in the colloidal aqueous solution adhere to the chocolate core, forming a colloidal layer covering at least a portion of the outer surface of the chocolate core, thereby obtaining the non-softening chocolate provided in the first aspect of the invention.

[0060] The method for preparing non-softening chocolate provided by this invention can achieve the characteristic of not softening in water-containing foods using simple methods and raw materials.

[0061] In one embodiment, the colloidal aqueous solution includes carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, xanthan gum, and sodium alginate; the total mass fraction of carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, xanthan gum, and sodium alginate in the colloidal aqueous solution is 2.5-3.5%. Appropriate colloid selection can form a more robust colloidal layer, effectively preventing moisture penetration; the aforementioned total mass fraction range ensures that the colloidal aqueous solution has sufficient viscosity and gel strength to form a uniform and stable coating layer on the surface of the chocolate core, thereby effectively preventing moisture penetration and preventing the chocolate from softening in a high-moisture environment. Secondly, controlling the colloid concentration within this range allows the colloidal layer to have good adhesion and film-forming properties during wetting and rapid cooling, avoiding uneven coating due to excessively thin colloids, or operational difficulties and increased energy consumption due to excessively concentrated colloids. Furthermore, the mass ratio of carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, xanthan gum, and sodium alginate can be controlled to be (1-2):(1-2):(1-2):(1-2):(1-2):(2-3) to obtain a product with more prominent non-softening characteristics.

[0062] In one specific embodiment, the temperature of the colloidal aqueous solution is 55-65°C. Within this temperature range, the colloid can fully dissolve and rapidly form a stable gel structure, ensuring that the colloidal layer uniformly coats the chocolate core. This avoids problems such as incomplete dissolution due to excessively low temperatures, or colloid failure or over-dilution due to excessively high temperatures. Secondly, a suitable temperature helps improve the fluidity and permeability of the colloidal aqueous solution, allowing it to better penetrate and uniformly cover the chocolate core, forming a strong and uniform protective layer that prevents the chocolate from softening or undergoing fat migration in high-moisture environments.

[0063] To achieve a more uniform texture and smoother mouthfeel in the resulting non-softening chocolate, the particle size of the grinding system can be controlled to 20-30 micrometers. Furthermore, to ensure better palatability, the particle size of the chocolate core can be controlled to 4-6 mm. When the chocolate core is in sheet form, its thickness is 1-3 mm and its side length is 4-6 mm.

[0064] Furthermore, to ensure that the resulting non-softening chocolate is less prone to bloom, one embodiment further includes pressing the refined product at a pressure of 550-650 bar. A suitable pressing pressure can remove the fat portion from the refined product. Since the chocolate core is obtained by cooling and crushing the pressed chocolate liquor, when the desired fat content of the chocolate core is 15-20 wt%, pressing can also be used to reduce the fat content of the resulting chocolate liquor to 15-20 wt%.

[0065] A third aspect of the present invention provides a chocolate jam comprising the non-softening chocolate provided in the first aspect of the present invention, and further comprising syrup;

[0066] Syrups consist of sugars and gellan gum, with a sugar content of 40-45%.

[0067] The sugars are selected from at least one of white sugar, steviol glycosides, monk fruit sugar, xylitol, and maltitol. The sugar content refers to the mass percentage of sugars in the syrup. For example, if the syrup has a mass of 100g and contains 50g of sucrose, then the sugar content of the syrup is 50%. If it contains other sugar alcohols or sweeteners, the sugar content is calculated and added together according to their respective sweetness levels.

[0068] The syrup also contains gellan gum, which absorbs water and forms a gel structure. In the syrup, gellan gum interacts with water and sugars to form a jelly-like gel, making the chocolate jam thicker and more stable.

[0069] The inventors discovered that when the non-softening chocolate provided in the first aspect of this invention is directly added to Greek yogurt, the chocolate has the defect of being difficult to disperse evenly in the yogurt. Therefore, the inventors mixed the non-softening chocolate with syrup to make a chocolate jam. This jam not only provides sweetness but also allows the chocolate to be evenly dispersed in the yogurt, improving the product's appearance.

[0070] A fourth aspect of the present invention provides a method for preparing chocolate jam, the method comprising the following steps:

[0071] Sugars, aqueous ingredients, and gellan gum are mixed to obtain syrup;

[0072] In the syrup, the mass fraction of gellan gum is 3-5‰;

[0073] The syrup is mixed with the non-softening chocolate provided in the first aspect of the present invention to obtain chocolate jam;

[0074] The aqueous raw material is selected from at least one of water and fruit juice.

[0075] Specifically, during the mixing of sugars, water-containing raw materials, and gellan gum, the mixing temperature can be controlled at 65-75°C. After mixing, the temperature is quickly lowered to 40-45°C. Chocolate that is not easily softened is added, and the mixture is slowly stirred for 5-10 minutes. Then, it is sterilized at 75-85°C for 15-30 seconds and stored under cold conditions.

[0076] The aqueous ingredient can be water or fruit juice, as long as it contains water. Using fruit juice can add a unique flavor to chocolate jam.

[0077] The method for preparing chocolate jam provided by this invention is characterized by its simplicity.

[0078] A fifth aspect of the present invention provides a Greek yogurt containing chocolate, the Greek yogurt comprising the non-softening chocolate provided in the first aspect of the present invention, and a Greek yogurt base. This chocolate-containing Greek yogurt has the characteristic that the chocolate does not soften easily.

[0079] This invention does not limit the preparation method of Greek yogurt base. It can be prepared using methods commonly used in the art. For example, fermentation can be carried out by adding fermentation bacteria to raw milk and removing part of the whey from the fermented yogurt to obtain Greek yogurt base.

[0080] The Greek yogurt containing chocolate provided by the present invention includes the non-softening chocolate provided in the first aspect of the present invention. Specifically, it can be obtained by mixing a Greek yogurt base with the non-softening chocolate provided in the first aspect of the present invention, or by mixing a Greek yogurt base with the chocolate jam provided in the third aspect of the present invention.

[0081] The following will provide a detailed description of the anti-flocculation matcha powder, its preparation method, and its application provided by the present invention, with reference to specific embodiments.

[0082] The preparation method of Greek yogurt base is as follows:

[0083] Using raw milk as the raw material, it is heated at 85-90℃ for 30 minutes for high-temperature short-time sterilization to kill harmful microorganisms and increase the denaturation degree of milk proteins. Then, it is cooled to 43-45℃. It is inoculated with Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus starter cultures, stirred evenly, and fermented at 42-45℃ for 4-6 hours until the pH value drops to approximately 4.6. After fermentation, it forms a uniform gel. After fermentation, the milk is stirred to break the emulsion, and the whey is filtered out using a whey separator to concentrate the yogurt, obtaining the Greek yogurt base.

[0084] Example 1

[0085] This embodiment uses the following method to prepare Greek yogurt containing chocolate:

[0086] 1) Mixing: The mixture including 54 parts by weight of dark chocolate with a fat content of 65%, 4 parts by weight of honey, 25 parts by weight of skim milk powder, 10 parts by weight of whole milk powder and 7 parts by weight of white sugar is finely ground using a roller mill until the average particle size is 25 microns. The finely ground material is then refined at 65°C for 8 hours.

[0087] 2) Pressing process: The mixture obtained from the refining process is pumped into a hot tank at a temperature of 80°C, and then pumped from the hot tank into the feed tank of a horizontal cocoa liquor press. The feed valve is closed, and a pressure of 600 bar is applied to press out some of the oil, so that the fat content of the mixture is 18%, and chocolate liquor is obtained.

[0088] 3) Molding: Pour the chocolate mixture into a mold, let it cool, and cut it into chocolate cores with a diameter of 6mm;

[0089] 4) Preparation of the colloidal solution: Carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, xanthan gum and sodium alginate are dissolved in water to obtain a colloidal aqueous solution with a total colloidal concentration of 2.5%, wherein the mass ratio of carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, xanthan gum and sodium alginate is 1:1:1:1:1:3.

[0090] 5) Chocolate chip impregnation: The chocolate core is rapidly and repeatedly impregnated in a colloidal aqueous solution at 60°C 5 times, and then rapidly cooled and shaped at 4°C to obtain chocolate that does not soften easily.

[0091] 6) Jam preparation: Mix granulated sugar, water, and gellan gum at 75°C to obtain a syrup with a sugar content of 40%; the mass fraction of gellan gum in the syrup is 5‰; cool the syrup to 45°C, mix it with non-softening chocolate, stir slowly for 10 minutes, sterilize at 75°C for 30 seconds, and refrigerate to obtain chocolate jam; the mass fraction of non-softening chocolate in the chocolate jam is 40%.

[0092] 7) Preparation of yogurt: Mix chocolate jam with Greek yogurt base to obtain Greek yogurt containing chocolate; the mass fraction of chocolate jam in Greek yogurt is 18%.

[0093] The particle size of the fine grinding system can be detected using an Anton Paar laser particle size analyzer, and the fat content of the mixture can be detected using the detection method provided in the national standard GB5009.6-2016. The detection methods for the other embodiments and comparative examples are the same.

[0094] Example 2

[0095] This embodiment uses the following method to prepare Greek yogurt containing chocolate:

[0096] 1) Mixing: The mixture including 60 parts by weight of dark chocolate with a fat content of 65%, 4 parts by weight of honey, 15 parts by weight of skim milk powder, 15 parts by weight of whole milk powder and 6 parts by weight of white sugar is finely ground using a roller mill until the average particle size is 25 microns. The finely ground material is then refined at 85°C for 6 hours.

[0097] 2) Pressing process: The mixture obtained from the refining process is pumped into a hot tank at a temperature of 80°C, and then pumped from the hot tank into the feed tank of a horizontal cocoa liquor press. The feed valve is closed, and a pressure of 550 bar is applied to press out some of the oil, so that the fat content of the mixture is 20%, and chocolate liquor is obtained.

[0098] 3) Molding: Pour the chocolate mixture into a mold, let it cool, and cut it into chocolate cores with a diameter of 6mm;

[0099] 4) Preparation of the colloidal solution: Carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, xanthan gum and sodium alginate are dissolved in water to obtain a colloidal aqueous solution with a total colloidal concentration of 2.5%, wherein the mass ratio of carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, xanthan gum and sodium alginate is 1:1:1:1:1:3.

[0100] 5) Chocolate chip impregnation: The chocolate core is rapidly and repeatedly impregnated in a colloidal aqueous solution at 65°C 5 times, and then rapidly cooled and shaped at 4°C to obtain chocolate that does not soften easily.

[0101] 6) Jam preparation: Mix granulated sugar, water, and gellan gum at 65°C to obtain a syrup with a sugar content of 45%; the mass fraction of gellan gum in the syrup is 3‰; cool the syrup to 40°C, mix it with non-softening chocolate, stir slowly for 10 minutes, sterilize at 75°C for 30 seconds, and refrigerate to obtain chocolate jam; the mass fraction of non-softening chocolate in the chocolate jam is 40%.

[0102] 7) Preparation of yogurt: Mix chocolate jam with Greek yogurt base to obtain Greek yogurt containing chocolate; the mass fraction of chocolate jam in Greek yogurt is 18%.

[0103] Example 3

[0104] This embodiment uses the following method to prepare Greek yogurt containing chocolate:

[0105] 1) Mixing: The mixture including 54 parts by weight of dark chocolate with a fat content of 65%, 4 parts by weight of honey, 25 parts by weight of skim milk powder, 10 parts by weight of whole milk powder and 7 parts by weight of white sugar is finely ground using a roller mill until the average particle size is 25 microns. The finely ground material is then refined at 65°C for 8 hours.

[0106] 2) Pressing process: The mixture obtained from the refining process is pumped into a hot tank at a temperature of 80°C, and then pumped from the hot tank into the feed tank of a horizontal cocoa liquor press. The feed valve is closed, and a pressure of 400 bar is applied to press out some of the oil, so that the fat content of the mixture is 30%, and chocolate liquor is obtained.

[0107] 3) Molding: Pour the chocolate mixture into a mold, let it cool, and cut it into chocolate cores with a diameter of 8mm;

[0108] 4) Preparation of the colloidal solution: Carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, xanthan gum and sodium alginate are dissolved in water to obtain a colloidal aqueous solution with a total colloidal concentration of 1.5%, wherein the mass ratio of carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, xanthan gum and sodium alginate is 1:1:1:1:1:3.

[0109] 5) Chocolate chip impregnation: The chocolate core is rapidly and repeatedly impregnated in a colloidal aqueous solution at 75°C 5 times, and then rapidly cooled and shaped at 4°C to obtain chocolate that does not soften easily.

[0110] 6) Jam preparation: Mix granulated sugar, water, and gellan gum at 65°C to obtain a syrup with a sugar content of 40%; the mass fraction of gellan gum in the syrup is 1‰; cool the syrup to 30°C, mix it with non-softening chocolate, stir slowly for 10 minutes, sterilize at 75°C for 30 seconds, and refrigerate to obtain chocolate jam; the mass fraction of non-softening chocolate in the chocolate jam is 40%.

[0111] 7) Preparation of yogurt: Mix chocolate jam with Greek yogurt base to obtain Greek yogurt containing chocolate; the mass fraction of chocolate jam in Greek yogurt is 18%.

[0112] Example 4

[0113] This embodiment uses the following method to prepare Greek yogurt containing chocolate:

[0114] 1) Mixing: The mixture including 54 parts by weight of dark chocolate with a fat content of 65%, 4 parts by weight of honey, 25 parts by weight of skim milk powder, 10 parts by weight of whole milk powder and 7 parts by weight of white sugar is finely ground using a roller mill until the average particle size is 40 micrometers. The finely ground material is then refined at 65°C for 8 hours.

[0115] 2) Pressing process: The mixture obtained from the refining process is pumped into a hot tank at a temperature of 80°C, and then pumped from the hot tank into the feed tank of a horizontal cocoa liquor press. The feed valve is closed, and a pressure of 400 bar is applied to press out some of the oil, so that the fat content of the mixture is 30%, and chocolate liquor is obtained.

[0116] 3) Molding: Pour the chocolate mixture into a mold, let it cool, and cut it into chocolate cores with a diameter of 8mm;

[0117] 4) Preparation of the colloidal solution: Carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, xanthan gum and sodium alginate are dissolved in water to obtain a colloidal aqueous solution with a total colloidal concentration of 1.5%, wherein the mass ratio of carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, xanthan gum and sodium alginate is 1:1:1:1:1:3.

[0118] 5) Chocolate chip impregnation: The chocolate core is rapidly and repeatedly impregnated in a colloidal aqueous solution at 60°C 5 times, and then rapidly cooled and shaped at 4°C to obtain chocolate that does not soften easily.

[0119] 6) Jam preparation: Mix granulated sugar, water, and gellan gum at 75°C to obtain a syrup with a sugar content of 40%; the mass fraction of gellan gum in the syrup is 1‰; cool the syrup to 30°C, mix it with non-softening chocolate, stir slowly for 10 minutes, sterilize at 75°C for 30 seconds, and refrigerate to obtain chocolate jam; the mass fraction of non-softening chocolate in the chocolate jam is 40%.

[0120] 7) Preparation of yogurt: Mix chocolate jam with Greek yogurt base to obtain Greek yogurt containing chocolate; the mass fraction of chocolate jam in Greek yogurt is 18%.

[0121] Example 5

[0122] This embodiment uses the following method to prepare Greek yogurt containing chocolate:

[0123] 1) Mixing: The mixture including 54 parts by weight of dark chocolate with a fat content of 65%, 4 parts by weight of honey, 25 parts by weight of skim milk powder, 10 parts by weight of whole milk powder and 7 parts by weight of white sugar is finely ground using a roller mill until the average particle size is 35 microns. The finely ground material is then refined at 65°C for 8 hours.

[0124] 2) Pressing process: The mixture obtained from the refining process is pumped into a hot tank at a temperature of 80°C, and then pumped from the hot tank into the feed tank of a horizontal cocoa liquor press. The feed valve is closed, and a pressure of 600 bar is applied to press out some of the oil, so that the fat content of the mixture is 18%, and chocolate liquor is obtained.

[0125] 3) Molding: Pour the chocolate mixture into a mold, let it cool, and cut it into chocolate cores with a diameter of 6mm;

[0126] 4) Preparation of the colloid solution: Carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, xanthan gum and sodium alginate are dissolved in water to obtain a colloid aqueous solution with a total colloid concentration of 4%. The mass ratio of carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, xanthan gum and sodium alginate is 1:1:1:1:1:3.

[0127] 5) Chocolate chip impregnation: The chocolate core is rapidly and repeatedly impregnated in a colloidal aqueous solution at 60°C 5 times, and then rapidly cooled and shaped at 4°C to obtain chocolate that does not soften easily.

[0128] 6) Jam preparation: Mix granulated sugar, water, and gellan gum at 75°C to obtain a syrup with a sugar content of 40%; the mass fraction of gellan gum in the syrup is 5‰; cool the syrup to 45°C, mix it with non-softening chocolate, stir slowly for 10 minutes, sterilize at 75°C for 30 seconds, and refrigerate to obtain chocolate jam; the mass fraction of non-softening chocolate in the chocolate jam is 40%.

[0129] 7) Preparation of yogurt: Mix chocolate jam with Greek yogurt base to obtain Greek yogurt containing chocolate; the mass fraction of chocolate jam in Greek yogurt is 18%.

[0130] Example 6

[0131] This embodiment uses the following method to prepare Greek yogurt containing chocolate:

[0132] 1) Mixing: The mixture including 54 parts by weight of dark chocolate with a fat content of 65%, 4 parts by weight of honey, 25 parts by weight of skim milk powder, 10 parts by weight of whole milk powder and 7 parts by weight of white sugar is finely ground using a roller mill until the average particle size is 25 microns. The finely ground material is then refined at 65°C for 8 hours.

[0133] 2) Pressing process: The mixture obtained from the refining process is pumped into a hot tank at a temperature of 80°C, and then pumped from the hot tank into the feed tank of a horizontal cocoa liquor press. The feed valve is closed, and a pressure of 450 bar is applied to press out some of the oil, so that the fat content of the mixture is 26%, and chocolate liquor is obtained.

[0134] 3) Molding: Pour the chocolate mixture into a mold, let it cool, and cut it into chocolate cores with a diameter of 6mm;

[0135] 4) Preparation of the colloidal solution: Carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, xanthan gum and sodium alginate are dissolved in water to obtain a colloidal aqueous solution with a total colloidal concentration of 2.5%, wherein the mass ratio of carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour, xanthan gum and sodium alginate is 1:1:1:1:1:3.

[0136] 5) Chocolate chip impregnation: The chocolate core is rapidly and repeatedly impregnated in a colloidal aqueous solution at 55°C 5 times, and then rapidly cooled and shaped at 4°C to obtain chocolate that does not soften easily.

[0137] 6) Jam preparation: Mix granulated sugar, water, and gellan gum at 75°C to obtain a syrup with a sugar content of 40%; the mass fraction of gellan gum in the syrup is 1‰; cool the syrup to 35°C, mix it with non-softening chocolate, stir slowly for 10 minutes, sterilize at 75°C for 30 seconds, and refrigerate to obtain chocolate jam; the mass fraction of non-softening chocolate in the chocolate jam is 40%.

[0138] 7) Preparation of yogurt: Mix chocolate jam with Greek yogurt base to obtain Greek yogurt containing chocolate; the mass fraction of chocolate jam in Greek yogurt is 18%.

[0139] Example 7

[0140] This embodiment is basically the same as Embodiment 1, except that the total colloidal concentration of the colloidal aqueous solution in step 4) is 2.5%, including carrageenan and sodium alginate, and the mass ratio of carrageenan to sodium alginate is 1:3, ultimately producing chocolate jam and Greek yogurt containing chocolate.

[0141] Example 8

[0142] This embodiment is basically the same as Embodiment 1, except that step 2) pressing is not performed, and the mixture with a fat content of 45% obtained in step 1) is directly used in step 3), finally producing chocolate jam and Greek yogurt containing chocolate.

[0143] Comparative Example 1

[0144] This comparative example is basically the same as Example 1, except that steps 4) and 5) are omitted, and the chocolate core obtained in step 3) is directly used in step 6) to mix with syrup, ultimately producing chocolate jam and Greek yogurt containing chocolate.

[0145] Comparative Example 2

[0146] This comparative example is basically the same as Example 1, except that the raw materials used in step 4) for preparing the adhesive solution are different. Specifically:

[0147] 4) Preparation of the colloidal solution: Carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour and xanthan gum are dissolved in water to obtain a colloidal aqueous solution with a total colloidal concentration of 2.5%, wherein the mass ratio of carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac flour and xanthan gum is 1:1:1:1:1.

[0148] The final product is chocolate jam and Greek yogurt containing chocolate.

[0149] Test case

[0150] 1. Sensory evaluation of the taste and flavor of the chocolate jams prepared in each example and comparative example was conducted. The main evaluation items included: texture, color, flavor, and mouthfeel. A total of 45 participants conducted sensory evaluations of the products from Examples 1-8 and Comparative Examples 1-2. The sensory scoring criteria are shown in Table 1, and the experimental results are summarized in Table 2.

[0151] Table 1

[0152]

[0153] Table 2

[0154]

[0155] The above evaluation process revealed that the chocolate chips in Examples 1-2 were intact and free of bloom, and maintained a stable texture after being mixed with Greek yogurt, while retaining a hard and crisp texture. In Examples 3-8, the chocolate chips softened slightly after being mixed with Greek yogurt, resulting in a weaker texture and the appearance of some bloom. In Comparative Examples 1 and 2, the chocolate chips softened significantly after being mixed with Greek yogurt. This may be because Comparative Example 1 did not have a colloidal layer covering the chocolate core, while Comparative Example 2, although covered with a colloidal layer, lacked the core ingredient sodium alginate, thus failing to protect the chocolate core.

[0156] 2. Shelf-life stability tests were conducted on the chocolate-containing yogurts prepared in each embodiment and comparative example. Specifically, the products were stored in a 4°C refrigerator, and the product condition was observed every 7 days. The changes in the taste of the chocolate chips were also observed. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0157] Table 3

[0158]

[0159] Based on sampling and testing of the chocolate-containing yogurts prepared in each embodiment and comparative example, it was found that the products prepared in Examples 1-2 remained stable during their shelf life with virtually no changes, and the chocolate chips remained stable; the chocolate in the products prepared in Examples 3-8 showed slight softening after 14 days; the comparative examples all showed significant softening, affecting the taste; and the chocolate in the products prepared in Comparative Examples 1 and 2 showed significant softening after 7 days.

[0160] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A chocolate which is not susceptible to softening, characterized in that, The chocolate core, and a colloid layer covering at least part of the outer surface of the chocolate core; The colloid layer comprises sodium alginate, and at least one of carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac powder, and xanthan gum.

2. The non-meltable chocolate according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fat content of the chocolate core is 15-20 wt%.

3. The non-softening chocolate according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The chocolate core comprises, by mass percentage, chocolate 50-60%, honey 2-4%, skimmed milk powder 15-25%, whole milk powder 5-15%, and white granulated sugar 6-8%.

4. The non-meltable chocolate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The colloid layer comprises carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac powder, xanthan gum, and sodium alginate. In the colloid layer, the mass ratio of carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac powder, xanthan gum, and sodium alginate is (1-2):(1-2):(1-2):(1-2):(1-2):(2-3).

5. A process for the preparation of the not-softening chocolate according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The method comprises the following steps: Grinding a mixture comprising chocolate, honey, skimmed milk powder, whole milk powder, and white granulated sugar, and refining the obtained grinding system to obtain chocolate paste; Cooling and crushing the chocolate paste to obtain the chocolate core; At least once, immersing the chocolate core in an aqueous colloid solution comprising sodium alginate to obtain the chocolate that is not easy to soften.

6. The process for the preparation of a non-softening chocolate according to claim 5, characterized in that, The aqueous colloid solution comprises carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac powder, xanthan gum, and sodium alginate. In the aqueous colloid solution, the total mass fraction of carrageenan, gellan gum, pectin, konjac powder, xanthan gum, and sodium alginate is 2.5-3.5%, and / or The temperature of the aqueous colloid solution is 55-65℃.

7. The process for the manufacture of a non-softening chocolate according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The particle size of the grinding system is 20-30 microns; and / or The particle size of the chocolate core is 4-6 mm; and / or Further comprising squeezing the product obtained by the refining, and the processing pressure of the squeezing is 550-650 bar.

8. A chocolate sauce, characterized in that The chocolate that is not easy to soften according to any one of claims 1-4, further comprising a sugar syrup. The sugar syrup comprises a sugar substance and gellan gum, and the sugar degree is 40-45%.

9. A process for the preparation of a chocolate sauce, characterized in that, The method comprises the following steps: Mixing a sugar substance, an aqueous raw material, and gellan gum to obtain the sugar syrup; Mixing the sugar syrup with the chocolate that is not easy to soften according to any one of claims 1-4 to obtain the chocolate jam; In the sugar syrup, the mass fraction of gellan gum is 3-5 ‰; The aqueous raw material is selected from at least one of water and fruit juice.

10. A Greek yogurt containing chocolate, characterized in that, The chocolate that is not easy to soften according to any one of claims 1-4, further comprising a Greek yogurt base.

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