Everybody loves chocolate but sometimes you noticed that its surface turned dry and dusty which makes it look disgusting and not sweet anymore. What you see there is a bloom that causes chocolate lovers not to eat chocolate anymore.  

To understand better the existence of this bloom, scientists at German Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) national research center, Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), and Nestle are able to conduct a successful high resolution X-ray to chocolate.  Nestle company funded the research in order to broaden the understanding of chocolate transformation under a certain condition.

Like Us on Facebook

Study's main author Svenja Reinke of TUHH, said that they the fat blooming is not harmless for us to eat, but it causes damages to whole chocolate industry where it is causing too many rejects and complaints from consumers. Though it's no longer a new issue, only little information has been gathered about its root. 

They are able to discover the chemical reaction going on in the chocolate using DESY's PETRA III X-ray machine. Result shows that the bloom is caused by migration of liquid fats to the chocolates surface where it starts to crystallize.  

Researchers turned the chocolate bars into powder to classify its different components. After what they did, they noticed that blooming process speeds up on powdered chocolate. They also tried adding sunflower oil on the sample and observed the quick fat migration process. The oil absorbed by the chocolate, even to the smallest pores changing it's internal formation. After a few hours the liquid fat dissolved the chocolate lipids structure and the whole chocolate become softer.  

This study can be finally used in preventing the occurrence of chocolate bloom. Reinke said that it could reduce the sponginess of the chocolate during the production so that it can slower down the fat migration. They will also try to minimize the amount of fat that is present in a liquid form by maintening the product cool in 18 degrees Celsius.  

TagsNestle, nestle company, nestle research, nestle chocolate