ABSTRACT
Chocolate manufacturing involves several physical and chemical processes requiring numerous technological operations and addition of different ingredients to attain the desirable quality and sensory characteristics. The product so formed is a complex emulsion, which could be transformed to a solid product to form several ranges of different branded products. Its worldwide popularity stems from the fact that it is considered a luxury food that during consumption evokes a range of stimuli that activate pleasure centres of the human brain, providing a general sensation of satisfaction, happiness, joy and in some cases sexual stimulation. It is a semisolid suspension of fine solid particles from sugar, cocoa and milk powder (depending on type), making about 70% total, in a continuous fat phase, mostly of cocoa butter (Figure 13.1).
