FUNCTION OF FOOD ADDITIVES IN CHOCOLATE PRODUCTION
Chocolate is a complex product that has a specific texture. This complexity is due to the interactions between the ingredients used in production: cocoa butter, cocoa mass and sugar. Sugar gives bulk to chocolate and any change in the recipe changes the textural properties of the chocolate. Recently, there has been considerable production of low-sugar chocolates using other bulking agents and sweeteners. Some of the most common are isomalt, maltitol, lactitol, polydextrose etc. Emulsifiers that have been used in chocolate production almost from the beginning are also responsible for its texture and rheological properties. They reduce the interaction between the solid particles and increase the lipophilicity of the sugar particles. Lecithin and polyglycerol polyricinoleate are most commonly used, but some other emulsifiers have also been reported in production.