|
|
|
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Temperature Sensitive Chocolate Kitchens Use DOWFROST™ Heat Transfer Fluids From Dow Midland, MI - January 26, 2009Candy bars, milk shakes, cookies, flavored coffee—even cereal and medicine! Chocolate is a key ingredient in many foods. In fact, it ranks as the favorite flavor of most Americans. And yet, few of us know the role of chemistry for making this popular treat. Foods companies all over the country are using thousands of gallons of DOWFROST™ Heat Transfer Fluid from The Dow Chemical Company to manage heating and cooling during the incredibly heat and cold sensitive chocolate manufacturing process. Dow has decades of experience working with food manufacturers all over the world to help them keep their products cool. There is a lot more to managing heat and cold for chocolatiers than keeping the stuff from melting in your hands. Using an inhibited glycol heat transfer fluid in food manufacturing offers many advantages for manufacturers everywhere. The major applications for inhibited glycol heat transfer fluids in the food industry fall into two broad categories: chilling/freezing of food and beverage products. Alternative heat transfer technologies all have serious drawbacks in these applications. In place of water, uninhibited glycols, alcohol or other methods, inhibited glycols like DOWFROST™ are much better suited. The following characteristics explain the preference inhibited glycols offer food manufacturers:
DOWFROST™ fluids have an effective temperature range of -50 F degrees up to 250 degrees F. DOWFROST™ is not recommended for use as a food additive but the low toxicity makes it very safe for use around food manufacturing, like chocolate. Making Chocolate From the plantation, where the beans are grown, to the factory where it is finally finished, chocolate making is dependent on strict temperature management. If chocolate gets too hot or too cold, its appearance and texture can change. The change in appearance is the result of the size of the crystals in the chocolate. Uncontrolled crystallization of cocoa butter typically results in crystals of varying size, some or all large enough to be clearly seen with the naked eye. This causes the surface of the chocolate to appear mottled and matte, and causes the chocolate to crumble rather than snap when broken. The uniform sheen and crisp bite of properly processed chocolate are the result of consistently small cocoa butter crystals produced by the tempering process.
Making chocolate considered "good" is about forming as many type V crystals as possible. This provides the best appearance and texture and creates the most stable crystals so the texture and appearance will not degrade over time. To accomplish this, the temperature is carefully manipulated during the crystallization. Managing Heat & Cold Generally, the chocolate is first heated to 45 °C (115 °F) to melt all six forms of crystals. Next, the chocolate is cooled to about 27 °C (80 °F), which will allow crystal types IV and V to form. At this temperature, the chocolate is agitated to create many small crystal "seeds" which will serve as nuclei to create small crystals in the chocolate. The chocolate is then heated to about 31 °C (88 °F) to eliminate any type IV crystals, leaving just type V. After this point, any excessive heating of the chocolate will destroy the temper and this process will have to be repeated. However, there are other methods of chocolate tempering used. The most common variant is introducing already tempered, solid "seed" chocolate. The temper of chocolate can be measured with a chocolate temper meter to ensure accuracy and consistency. A sample cup is filled with the chocolate and placed in the unit which then displays or prints the results. Two classic ways of manually tempering chocolate are:
Chocolate tempering machines (or temperers) with computer controls can be used for producing consistently tempered chocolate, particularly for large volume applications. Storage
Chocolate is very sensitive to temperature and humidity. Ideal storage temperatures are between 15 and 17 °C (59 to 63 °F), with a relative humidity of less than 50%. Chocolate is generally stored away from other foods as it can absorb different aromas. Ideally, chocolates are packed or wrapped, and placed in proper storage with the correct humidity and temperature. Additionally chocolate is frequently stored in a dark place or protected from light by wrapping paper. Various types of "blooming" effects can occur if chocolate is stored or served improperly. If refrigerated or frozen without containment, chocolate can absorb enough moisture to cause a whitish discoloration, the result of fat or sugar crystals rising to the surface. Moving chocolate from one temperature extreme to another, such as from a refrigerator on a hot day can result in an oily texture. Although visually unappealing, chocolate suffering from bloom is perfectly safe for consumption. Regulatory Status DOWFROST™ is covered and approved for use in food manufacturing by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Inhibited glycol fluids have successfully demonstrated their ability to upgrade process efficiency, extend equipment life and improve overall economy while contributing to greater system cleanliness and safety. About Dow For Editorial Information:
Harold Nicoll |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Dow Home Privacy Statement Terms of Use Accessibility Statement Site Map Copyright © The Dow Chemical Company (1995-2009). All Rights Reserved. 
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
