Analysis of the Causes of Defects of Chocolate Sweets during Storage and Development of Technological Methods for their Elimination

Introduction: The confectionery industry, including chocolate production enterprises, plays a crucial role in the economic development of Russia and is one of the main sectors of the food industry. However, a decline in the quality of chocolate products has been observed, attributed to the use of low-quality raw materials and product adulteration. Despite numerous studies on the causes of defects in chocolate candies during storage, there is currently insufficient data on technological solutions to prevent these defects during storage.

Purpose: To investigate the causes of defects in chocolate candies during storage and to develop technological methods for their elimination.

Materials and Methods: The research was conducted at the Department of Food Technology, Ural State University of Economics, Yekaterinburg, utilizing a defect database and the practical experience of the artisanal chocolate candy production company LLC "BK," based in Tyumen. The study objects included sliced candies with single-layer (ganache) and multi-layer (crunchy and marmalade layers) fillings, as well as shell candies with caramel filling.

Results: To address the defect of the sliced candy “Raspberry-Chocolate,” the marmalade preparation technology was adjusted by increasing the cooking temperature from 101°C to 105°C. To prevent shell cracking, cocoa butter was added to low-flow chocolate in an amount of 5% of the total chocolate mass. For the “Coffee-Pecan” candy, a new recipe for the crunchy layer was developed, with a praline-to-chocolate ratio of 1:1, and tempering of the mixture was proposed to solidify the cocoa butter within the chocolate. For the shell candy “Salted Caramel,” the caramel preparation technology was revised by increasing the cooking temperature from 115°C to 170°C. To prevent ganache crystallization, citric acid was added at a concentration of 1% relative to the sugar content. For better adhesion of the base to the shell, a method using dense acetate film (200 µm thick) was suggested.

Conclusion: The proposed technological solutions demonstrated a positive effect, improving the quality of chocolate products during storage and were implemented at artisanal candy production enterprises in Tyumen.

1. Afoakwa, E. O., Paterson, А., Fowler, М., & Vieira, J. (2008). Effects of tempering and fat crystallisation behaviour on microstructure, mechanical properties and appearance in dark chocolate systems. In Journal of Food Engineering, 2 (89), 128-136. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2008.04.021

2. Barsalou, M., & Starzyńska, Beata. (2023). Inquiry into the Use of Five Whys in Industry. In Quality Innovation Prosperity. 27 (1), 62-78. https://doi.org/10.12776/qip.v27i1.1771

3. Castro-Alayo, Е., Balcázar-Zumaeta, С., Torrejón-Valqui, L., Marleni, М., Ilse, S., & Fiorella, Р. (2023). Effect of tempering and cocoa butter equivalents on crystallization kinetics, polymorphism, melting, and physical properties of dark chocolates. In Food Science and Technology, 173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2022.114402

4. Chen, J., Ghazani, S.M., & Stobbs, J.A. (2021). Tempering of cocoa butter and chocolate using minor lipidic components. In Nat Commun, (12), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25206-1

5. Debaste, F., Kegelaers, Y., Liégeois, S., Ben Amor, H., & Halloin, V. (2008). Contribution to the modelling of chocolate tempering process. In Journal of Food Engineering, 4 (88), 568-575. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2008.03.019