influence the rheology differently from batch to batch. To achieve effective results, accurate rheological measurements must be taken to establish the chocolate’s workability when working with different processes such as moulding, enrobing, panning, spinning and shell moulding. It is crucial to know both the force required to start the flow (Casson yield value) and the force required to maintain the flow (Casson plastic viscosity). Cocoa butter helps manufacturers create a “normal” rheology, with higher concentrations generally resulting in a lower yield value and plastic viscosity. This makes the chocolate more fluid and easier to work with and helps manufacturers achieve the right texture, consistency and overall quality.
Without sufficient cocoa butter in the formulation, the chocolate may not set properly and can become thicker and more viscous, making it difficult to mould, enrobe or coat products effectively. This can lead to the final product becoming dry, gritty or crumbly.
How AMP can help
For the best part of a century, manufacturers have relied on emulsifiers to allow them to cut down the cocoa butter content in their chocolate. Emulsifiers have a strong effect on flow behaviour, enabling manufacturers to reduce cocoa butter while maintaining “normal” rheology.
Lecithin has been widely used since the 1930s, but it does have drawbacks. It reduces the yield value and plastic viscosity when used at the optimal dosage of around 0.35%-0.4%. Above the optimal dosage levels, though, lecithin causes the Casson yield value to increase, which can have a negative impact on the flow and consistency of the chocolate mass during production. As such, further reductions in cocoa butter are not feasible. Furthermore, lecithin is renowned for its potential to introduce off-flavours and odours to the end product. It can also create a yellowish appearance in white chocolate. AMP emulsifiers enable manufacturers to achieve even greater cocoa butter reductions without the drawbacks. Suitable for all chocolate applications, they were first developed in the 1960s as an alternative to lecithin with better organoleptic properties. They have no impact on taste or odour and do not produce discolouration in white chocolate.
KennedysConfection.com
Unlike lecithin, AMP will reduce both the yield value and the plastic viscosity even at higher dosage levels. It can be used of dosages up to 1% in the EU and 0.7% in the US. Taking the examples of our sunflower-based Palsgaard® AMP 4455 and rapeseed-based Palsgaard® AMP 4458, the optimal dosage to achieve the desired viscosity reduction is 0.4%. They generally need 2-4% less cocoa butter than lecithin to achieve “normal” rheology, allowing for significant cost savings.
added alone to the chocolate mass and needs to be used in combination with a “basic” emulsifier such as AMP to benefit rheology. When used together, the PGPR lowers the yield value in an extremely effective way and makes it possible to achieve virtually any value required. This helps manufacturers take control over their chocolate’s rheology, bringing benefits such as easier flow, easier distribution in moulds, less need for vibration, better coating of inclusions, and the avoidance of air bubbles. It also allows for a reduction in overall emulsifier usage, helping to cut costs further, and is particularly useful for applications such as moulding, spinning and coatings. Palsgaard offers four types of PGPR for chocolate and compounds. They are free from any off-flavours or bad castor oil odour and do not contain any palm oil.
Recipe optimisation
The exact amount of cocoa butter that may be reduced will vary depending on the application. Chocolate coatings used on a wafer or bar require a high level of fat to adjust the desired grammage and desired coating thickness. As the level of fat is high, this provides scope for the cocoa butter to be reduced by as much as 4%. Some applications, such as solid chocolates, will have much lower fat content so the potential reductions will be lower. Nonetheless, even a 0.5% reduction in the cocoa butter might mean significant savings for manufacturers with large sales volumes.
PGPR benefits
AMP emulsifiers can be used on their own or in combination with PGPR. As a co- emulsifier, PGPR does not work well when
Chocolate manufacturers need an urgent solution to the cocoa butter price spiral, but many will fear that altering recipes will be disruptive and resource-intensive. Switching to AMP and PGPR can involve significant implementation work, so manufacturers should seek to work with suppliers who can walk them through the process. It is important to carry out realistic industrial pilot tests and to measure the functionality of the chocolate accurately and relate it to the requested flow properties in the production. This allows for effective recipe adjustments and the identification of any unique challenges that may arise.
With the right approach to AMP and
PGPR, it’s possible for manufacturers to optimise their cocoa butter usage and protect profit margins without any compromise on chocolate’s all-important sensory qualities.
Kennedy’s Confection April 2024 15
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44
