Cadbury Develops Chocolate That Doesn’t Melt

The application reads, “The present invention relates to temperature tolerant chocolate, particularly temperature tolerant chocolate comprising a re-refined conched chocolate. The invention further relates to processes for the manufacture of temperature tolerant chocolate comprising re-refining of a conched chocolate.”

27 Nov 2012 --- Cadbury, the makers of Dairy Milk chocolate has created a chocolate that doesn’t melt, according to a new patent application.

According to the patent application filed by Cadbury: “We have found that it is possible to instill temperature-tolerant properties by refining the conched chocolate after the conching step.” By adapting the technique the scientists are able to reduce the sugar into smaller particles meaning they are covered with less fat, which makes the bar less prone to melting.

The Daily Mail reports that the chocolate is going to be marketed solely in warmer climates like India and Brazil. No immediate plans are in place to launch the product in Cadbury's home UK market.

The application reads, “The present invention relates to temperature tolerant chocolate, particularly temperature tolerant chocolate comprising a re-refined conched chocolate. The invention further relates to processes for the manufacture of temperature tolerant chocolate comprising re-refining of a conched chocolate.”

The development of a temperature tolerant chocolate (TTC) format represents a huge opportunity for the food and confectionery industry that has impact across a range of categories including chocolate, biscuit and snacks. Chocolate and biscuit-type snack products are sensitive to changes and extremes of temperatures such that their quality deteriorates dramatically unless conditions are well controlled. “Production of temperature tolerant chocolate would allow production of chocolate-containing product more suitable for hot climates, particularly in less economically developed countries where the supply chain is ill-equipped to handle significant temperature / humidity fluctuations and where product quality is compromised,” the application reads.

Food scientists working at Cadbury's research plant in Bournville, near Birmingham, claim their new Dairy Milk bars will remain solid even when left in 40C heat for three hours. But the company, which was taken over by American food group Kraft two years ago, says it will only sell the product in warmer countries like India and Brazil because there is "no market" for it in the UK.

Tony Bilsborough, head of corporate affairs at Kraft Foods, told the Daily Telegraph that there were "no plans" to use the new recipe in Britain where temperatures are rarely high enough to damage chocolate, adding: "This simply would not sell". "To be honest I don't think any chocoholics would welcome this recipe because it would not taste as good as Dairy Milk," he said.

This is not the first development in the non-melting space. Barry Callebaut first told investors about "Volcano" in March 2008. At the time, the product was still in the developmental stages. Since then all patents have been registered for the concept.

In 2009, Barry Callebaut developed a new chocolate with a higher melting point and the potential for a reduced calorie content called Volcano. The company is currently in the process of presenting the concept to industrial customers and expects it to take about two years before it finds its way onto store shelves. The company is not planning a launch under one of its own brands.

“The chocolate has a melting point of 55°C, while standard chocolate has a melting point of around 30°C”, Barry Callebaut spokesperson Gaby Tschofen told FoodIngredientsFirst at the time. “The second characteristic is that it contains less calories than standard chocolate, with a reduction of up to 90% possible per volume,” she added. Because Volcano allows for an increase in the amount of air bubbles being added to the chocolate, a reduction in the amount of calories being consumed is also made.