Chocolate-like Product Composition Using Carob and Grape Seed Flour
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional chocolate production contributes to high CO2 emissions and ethical concerns due to cocoa and palm oil sourcing, and existing alternatives differ significantly in taste and texture from traditional chocolate.
Innovation Solution
A chocolate-like product composition comprising vegetable fat, grape seed flour, and carob powder, which is free of cocoa and palm oil, combined with optional milk substitutes and sweeteners, to create a texture and taste similar to conventional chocolate while reducing environmental impact and avoiding stimulating substances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional chocolate production using cocoa and palm oil is used, then delicious taste and widespread acceptance are achieved, but high CO2 emissions and ethical concerns arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the compositional parameters by substituting cocoa-based ingredients with carob powder and specific fat combinations (cocoa butter substitutes with specific melting points 20-35°C), altering the chemical composition while maintaining sensory properties. This allows reduction of harmful factors (CO2 footprint by eliminating cocoa transport) while preserving taste acceptance through careful parameter selection of alternative ingredients.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system combining carob powder (for chocolate-like flavor without cocoa), vegetable fats (for texture and mouthfeel), and optional cocoa butter substitutes. This composite approach allows achieving desired sensory properties through synergistic combination of ingredients, replacing the traditional cocoa-palm oil system with a locally-producible alternative that reduces CO2 emissions.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If carob powder is used instead of cocoa powder, then stimulants such as caffeine and theobromine are eliminated, but taste and texture differ significantly from conventional chocolate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adjusts the particle size parameter of carob powder to D90 ≤ 200 μm (optimally D90 ≤ 100 μm), which significantly improves texture and mouthfeel compared to conventional carob products. This parameter optimization allows carob-based products to achieve chocolate-like smoothness while maintaining the stimulant-free benefit.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines carob powder with specific vegetable fats and optional cocoa butter substitutes in optimized ratios to create a composite that mimics chocolate's sensory properties. The fat matrix compensates for carob's naturally different texture, creating a synergistic effect that achieves taste similarity while eliminating stimulants.
3Productivity
If cocoa butter is eliminated, then pre-crystallization and tempering processes are eliminated improving production efficiency, but texture and melting properties may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent selects vegetable fats and cocoa butter substitutes with specific melting point ranges (20-35°C) that replicate cocoa butter's functional properties. By controlling the melting point parameter, the composition achieves proper mouthfeel, snap, and melting behavior on the tongue without requiring traditional tempering processes, thus improving productivity while maintaining texture quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive and process-intensive cocoa butter with more economical vegetable fats that can be used directly without pre-crystallization or tempering. This substitution eliminates complex processing steps while achieving comparable functional results, improving production efficiency and simplifying the manufacturing process.
Data Source
AI summary
Composition of a chocolate-like product comprising at least vegetable fat, grape seed flour and carob powder.