The present invention, in an embodiment, is a chocolate product that includes a carbohydrate such as starch, dextrin, or maltodextrin having a bulk density of 0.01 gram/cubic centimeter to 0.4 gram/cubic centimeter; 30 weight percent to 70 weight percent, based on the total weight of the carbohydrate and the vegetable oil, of a vegetable oil that is an unsaturated fat; and cocoa butter. In other embodiments, the present invention is a method of making a chocolate product.

A process for producing powdered cocoa shells as a food ingredient, as replacer for cocoa powder, to impart colouration in food products, and as fat bloom inhibitor in cocoa-based products.

Caramel precursors and chocolate-containing caramel precursors which have a low viscosity and are easy to dispense, pump and meter, but which thicken up on boiling in such a way that resulting caramels or chocolate-containing caramels are of sufficiently high viscosity, and also a method for their manufacture.

The present invention relates to a stable emulsion of an aqueous phase in a lipid phase wherein non-fatty cocoa solids and/or non-fatty milk solids are present in the lipid phase. The present invention further relates to a process for making an emulsion, said process comprising adding the lipid phase in two steps.

The use of ultrasound or acoustics applied at a level below that which causes cavitation to control the energy balance between particles and the liquid phase in a metastable liquid.

An object of the present invention is to provide a cacao bean-derived food material showing little oil seepage and various foods using the same. A composition having a particle size distribution in the range of 10 m to 1.5 mm and containing undisrupted cacao bean cells is provided. A composition containing undisrupted cacao bean cells, which has a free fat content ratio of 60% by weight or lower based on oil content is also provided. A composition containing 30% or more of undisrupted cells in cacao bean cells is further provided. A composition containing undisrupted cacao bean cells, which has a breaking strength of 3 kgf or lower is further provided.

A method for preparing a heat tolerant confectionery product comprising a fat and a sweetener, said method comprising combining together a confectionery composition comprising a fat and a sweetener and a non-aqueous solvent, and wherein the non-aqueous solvent is one in which the sweetener is partially soluble, such as ethanol. Enhanced hardness is achieved by ensuring that either (a) the average particle size of the sweetener is less than 50 m, for example from 4-20 m; or (b) the non-aqueous solvent contains less than 4% w/w water. Confectionery such chocolate obtained by this process forms a further aspect of invention.

Some aspects of the disclosure relate to multi-stage processes for preparing an alkalized cocoa material. In some examples, the process includes mixing cocoa and alkalization agents together, and mixing/heating until reaching an elevated mixing temperature. The process may include mixing these components together at the elevated mixing temperature for at least one hold period to provide a mixture, then aerating the mixture. The process may include an additional treatment or treatments at a held elevated temperature. The process may then include drying the mixture to provide an alkalized cocoa material.

Herein described are a conveying method and apparatus for conveying a food product which melts at a temperature below 90 C., for example chocolate, or cocoa, or semi-finished cocoa products, wherein the conveying occurs along a conveying tube which is heated by means of an induction device to maintain the food product in the molten state, wherein the induction device is feedback regulated to maintain at least one temperature detected along the conveying tube at a desired value.

The present invention provides food compositions such as jellied food pastes comprising cacao pod husk (CPH). More specifically, the present invention provides compositions comprising from 5.0 to 70.0% (dry matter weight/w) of one or more sugars; from 0.150 to 7.50% (dry matter weight/w) of CPH; from 0.10 to 4.0% (w/w) of pectin; from 0.10 to 7.0% (w/w) of one or more co-texturizers; from 0.030 to 3.0% (w/w) of citrate ions; from 0.0010 to 0.50% (w/w) of calcium ions; from 0.0 to 2.0% (w/w) of preservative; and water up to 100.0%; wherein the composition has a Brix comprised from 45 to 75 and a pH from 2.8 and 4.5. The present invention further relates to food products comprising such compositions and processes to obtain them.