October, 2024
On International Chocolate Day, we celebrate chocolate’s timeless appeal and highlight Lasenor’s key role in the industry. Chocolate producers can use lecithin and emulsifiers to enhance their products’ quality while optimizing costs in today’s challenging economic climate.
September 13th marks International Chocolate Day, a global celebration of one of the most beloved treats. Chocolate has long been a symbol of pleasure and indulgence, enjoyed by people across all cultures. However, behind the delightful flavor lies a sophisticated production process in which lecithin and emulsifiers are critical in adjusting the rheological parameters.
In liquid form, chocolate’s consistency is defined by two key factors:
These properties are essential for molding, coating, and ensuring the smooth texture of chocolate.
Lasenor, a leading provider of lecithin and emulsifiers, offers a range of products tailored for the chocolate industry. Our solutions, including lecithin from various sources, PGPR, ammonium phosphatides, citric acid esters, and crystallizers, are designed to improve product quality, consistency, and cost-effectiveness. In today’s economic climate, where cacao prices are volatile, our products help manufacturers optimize their processes while maintaining the highest standards of flavor and texture.
Chocolate has its origins in the ancient civilizations of Central and South America, where the cacao tree was cultivated for centuries. The Maya and Aztecs prized cacao, not only for its use in beverages but also for its cultural and economic significance. In the 16th century, cacao was introduced to Europe, and over time, innovations in processing led to the development of the solid chocolate that we know today.
Today, chocolate is a global commodity with a vast and complex supply chain. From harvesting cacao beans to producing the finished product, the journey of chocolate involves many steps, with emulsifiers like lecithin being essential in ensuring smooth and consistent production.
Chocolate production begins with cacao pod harvesting, primarily in West Africa, Southeast Asia, and South America. The beans inside these pods are fermented and dried before being processed into chocolate liquor, which forms the base for all chocolate products.
To create the chocolate we enjoy, manufacturers blend chocolate liquor with sugar, milk (in the case of milk chocolate), and cocoa butter. This mixture is then refined and conched to ensure a smooth texture. At critical stages of the process, lecithin and emulsifiers are added to control viscosity and improve the overall flow and consistency of the product.
After refining and conching, the chocolate is tempered to stabilize the desired crystalline structure, ensuring a smooth, shiny product with the perfect snap.
he global cacao market faces significant challenges, including rising production costs due to labor shortages, environmental factors like climate change, and geopolitical instability in key growing regions such as West Africa.
Fluctuating prices of cacao butter, a critical ingredient in chocolate manufacturing, also pressure producers. The 2023 surge in cocoa prices, reaching multi-year highs, is mainly due to unpredictable weather patterns and political unrest in major producing countries like Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, which account for more than 60% of global cacao production.
These challenges are driving chocolate manufacturers to find cost-effective ways to maintain the quality and texture of their products. Emulsifiers like lecithin play a crucial role in this context, helping manufacturers lower production costs while ensuring the chocolate retains its desirable qualities, such as smoothness and proper viscosity. The growing demand for clean-label products has increased interest in natural emulsifiers, a trend Lasenor supports with its wide range of lecithin.
Lasenor offers a wide range of lecithin and emulsifiers specifically designed to improve the efficiency and quality of chocolate production. Our solutions help chocolate manufacturers optimize texture, viscosity, and cost-effectiveness.
Lecithin is a universal emulsifier used in chocolate production to reduce the need for additional fats like cocoa butter, ensure a smoother texture, and reduce costs. Lasenor provides a variety of lecithin options from different botanical origins:
From the beginning, we have focused on responsibly sourcing raw materials, established our supply network, and built factories in key lecithin-producing regions to ensure sustainable practices throughout the supply chain.
VEROLEC YN® is our brand name for AMP, which stands for Ammonium Phosphatide. It is an alternative to the natural emulsifier lecithin. This emulsifier offers greater control over viscosity, making it ideal for applications where stability is crucial, such as ice cream coatings. Its low viscosity also simplifies processing.
Crystallizing agents are crucial in creating the correct crystal structure and expediting the fat crystallization process. They offer numerous benefits, including enhanced resistance to fat bloom, a shinier surface, improved snap when using non-hydrogenated vegetable fats, potential time reduction in the cooling tunnel, and increased productivity.
Lasenor offers two types of crystallizers:
Moreover, NEOVEROL 65® (Sorbitan Tristearate, E-492) can be used to prevent fat bloom.
These crystallizing agents bring significant advantages to fillings and spreads. They help reduce the risk of oil separation on the product’s surface, resulting in a higher perceived quality, providing a smoother, glossier surface, and improving texture.
By offering this extensive portfolio, Lasenor provides chocolate manufacturers the flexibility to choose the right emulsifiers for their specific needs, ultimately improving the performance and cost-effectiveness of their products.
On International Chocolate Day, Lasenor is proud to be a key partner in producing high-quality chocolate. Our emulsifiers and lecithin allow manufacturers to improve product quality while managing production costs, a critical advantage in today’s market.
Article Sourced from Lasenor
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