Is your Valentine's Day chocolate 'real'?
Ma YujiePublished: Feb 14, 2015 6:27 PM | Updated: Feb 14, 2015 6:35 PM
Chocolate is a must-have gift on Valentine's Day, but many chocolates are not as authentic as one might think, with up to 70 percent of chocolates sold in Asia Pacific region classified as "not real".
Different countries adopt their own criteria in regard to chocolates.
Chocolate is a must-have gift on Valentine's Day, but many chocolates are not as authentic as one might think, with up to 70 percent of chocolates sold in Asia Pacific region classified as "not real".
Manufacturers substitute chocolate liquor and cocoa butter with cocoa powder and vegetable oil to make compound chocolates, Xinhua news agency reported.
"In Europe, if chocolate contains more than five percent of vegetable oil, it cannot be called real chocolate," said Mikael Neglen, president of the Barry Callebaut Chocolate Asia Pacific - one of the world's leading manufacturers of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products.
Neglen said that different countries adopt their own criteria in regard to chocolates.
"In India, they don't allow vegetable oil in chocolates, which means all the chocolates sold in India are real ones," he said.
On why the market share of compound chocolate is higher in the Asia Pacific region, Neglen attributed it to the preference of local consumers.
"If the first chocolate they've tried are compounds, they get used to the flavour and if you give them something different they might not accept it. But we have seen a growing market share of real chocolate in this region," he said.
The cost of compound chocolate is much lower, given the complicated procedure in separating cocoa butter.
'Compound chocolates not bad'
Paul Lechevalier - research and development director for Barry Callebaut Chocolate Asia Pacific - said it is redundant to say that compound chocolate is bad.
"By adding some vegetable oil, this can change the characteristics of traditional chocolates," Lechevalier emphasised.
The regular melting point of chocolate is around 36 degrees centigrade, but compound chocolate can push it up to 40 or 50 degrees centigrade, which is good news for Southeast consumers.
A staff at the Barry Callebaut chocolate factory in Singapore said that Asian markets see chocolate melts easily under normal temperatures.
Another interesting thing that experts from Barry Callebaut have noted, is how to tell when chocolates have gone bad.
White chocolate has a shelf life of one year, dark and milk chocolate one-and-a-half years, and compound chocolates two years - but it still depends on the storage conditions.
The bad news is that it is hard to tell from its flavour, as it will not taste much different, said Barry Callebaut Chocolate Asia Pacific executive pastry chef Andres Lara.
"If the chocolate has been kept in hot and cold temperatures, it would develop a layer of grease on top, which is a way to check its quality," Lara added.
- Bernama
Manufacturers substitute chocolate liquor and cocoa butter with cocoa powder and vegetable oil to make compound chocolates, Xinhua news agency reported.
"In Europe, if chocolate contains more than five percent of vegetable oil, it cannot be called real chocolate," said Mikael Neglen, president of the Barry Callebaut Chocolate Asia Pacific - one of the world's leading manufacturers of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products.
Neglen said that different countries adopt their own criteria in regard to chocolates."In India, they don't allow vegetable oil in chocolates, which means all the chocolates sold in India are real ones," he said.
On why the market share of compound chocolate is higher in the Asia Pacific region, Neglen attributed it to the preference of local consumers.
"If the first chocolate they've tried are compounds, they get used to the flavour and if you give them something different they might not accept it. But we have seen a growing market share of real chocolate in this region," he said.
The cost of compound chocolate is much lower, given the complicated procedure in separating cocoa butter.
'Compound chocolates not bad'
Paul Lechevalier - research and development director for Barry Callebaut Chocolate Asia Pacific - said it is redundant to say that compound chocolate is bad.
"By adding some vegetable oil, this can change the characteristics of traditional chocolates," Lechevalier emphasised.
The regular melting point of chocolate is around 36 degrees centigrade, but compound chocolate can push it up to 40 or 50 degrees centigrade, which is good news for Southeast consumers.
A staff at the Barry Callebaut chocolate factory in Singapore said that Asian markets see chocolate melts easily under normal temperatures.
Another interesting thing that experts from Barry Callebaut have noted, is how to tell when chocolates have gone bad.
White chocolate has a shelf life of one year, dark and milk chocolate one-and-a-half years, and compound chocolates two years - but it still depends on the storage conditions.
The bad news is that it is hard to tell from its flavour, as it will not taste much different, said Barry Callebaut Chocolate Asia Pacific executive pastry chef Andres Lara.
"If the chocolate has been kept in hot and cold temperatures, it would develop a layer of grease on top, which is a way to check its quality," Lara added.
- Bernama
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