Use of dried milk components to reduce migration in filled chocolate products

Chocolate in general, and particularly filled chocolate products are susceptible to defects such as fat bloom. As a low product quality results in enduring consumer dissatisfaction, the producing industry is looking for possibilities to enhance product stability. Especially products with oil-based fillings are sensitive towards quality losses because, exemplary, nougat is in direct contact with the chocolate shell, comprising of crystallized cocoa butter and dispersed particles. Differences in content and type of the fat phase are responsible for the migration of filling oil into the chocolate where cocoa butter dissolves and its triacylglycerides recrystallize on the surface of the product as white or grayish fat bloom. By using milk powder as ingredient, it is possible to significantly modify the disperse phase of chocolate. Dried milk constituents differ in particle shape, microstructure, specific surface area the state of lactose that may help to reduce oil migration. as well as lactose crystallization. It is already known that the addition of small amounts of milk fat results in an attenuation of fat bloom formation.

It is however unknown whether similar effects can be reached using fat-free dried milk components. The aim of the research project is therefore to investigate the potential of such compounds for the reduction of oil migration and, consequently, fat bloom in filled chocolate product by incorporating non-fat milk based powders into the chocolate shell.

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