Chocolate Viscosity Control via Beta StOSt Seeding
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Chocolate mix viscosity increases over time, affecting handling properties, especially in chocolate-covered food products, due to crystallization of oil and fat, leading to poor bloom resistance and melt-in-the-mouth properties.
Innovation Solution
Adding a β form StOSt crystal as a seeding agent to the chocolate mix at a temperature of 32 to 40°C, with a holding time of 10 minutes or more, and maintaining the chocolate mix at this temperature to prevent viscosity increase, while using 0.05 to 5% of the StOSt crystal by mass relative to the oil and fat content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the seeding method using a crystal is applied to the chocolate mix having such a temperature, viscosity of the chocolate mix increases over time, which is known to deteriorate the handling property of the chocolate mix
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter of the chocolate mix from the conventional 30°C to 32-40°C. This parameter change prevents the seeding agent crystal from melting while maintaining stable viscosity and good handling properties throughout the coating process and storage period.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a seeding agent comprising a stable crystal (such as StOSt or BOB crystal) as an intermediary substance. This seeding agent promotes stable crystal formation in the chocolate mix, improving bloom resistance without causing viscosity increase when used at the elevated temperature of 32-40°C.
2Reliability
If a BOB crystal is added as a seeding agent to chocolate mix at a high temperature, if an added amount is small, the BOB crystal melts and loses its function as a seeding agent. Therefore, it is necessary to use a large amount of BOB crystal
Solution Approach 1:
The patent selects seeding agent crystals (StOSt or BOB) with melting points suitable for the elevated temperature range of 32-40°C. This parameter selection ensures the seeding agent maintains its crystalline structure and seeding function without melting, allowing effective use at lower addition amounts.
3Ease of operation
If the temperature of chocolate mix is increased to prevent viscosity increase, it is necessary to use a heat-resistant seeding agent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies particular seeding agent types (StOSt crystal or BOB crystal) with defined melting points that are resistant to the elevated temperature of 32-40°C. This targeted selection of heat-resistant seeding agents simplifies the process while maintaining good handling properties and bloom resistance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method effectively maintains chocolate mix viscosity at a stable level, enhancing heat resistance, bloom resistance, and melt-in-the-mouth properties, ensuring efficient production of chocolate-covered food products with improved handling and storage qualities.
Implementation Method 1
A tempering operation is an operation to generate a crystal core of a stable crystal in chocolate mix in a melted state, in order to solidify cocoa butter which can take various crystal structures as a stable crystal
Implementation Method 2
chocolate mix in a melted state at a temperature of 40 to 50° C. is cooled down to the temperature of about 27 to 28° C. and, then, heated again up to about 29 to 31° C.
Data Source
AI summary
Features of the present disclosure provide a chocolate with good heat-resistance, bloom resistance and melt-in-the-mouth property, disclose a production method by which a chocolate-covered food product coated with the chocolate is produced, and disclose a method for preventing an increase in the viscosity of chocolate mix. Disclosed is a method for producing a chocolate comprising an addition step for adding a seeding agent containing at least β-StOSt crystal to chocolate mix in a melted state, wherein the fat content of the chocolate mix is 26 to 70 mass % StOSt (where StOSt is 1,3-distearoyl-2-oleylglycerol).