Pre-Crystallization of Nougat by Seeding with Cocoa Butter Crystals Enhances the Bloom Stability of Nougat Pralines

Abstract

Fat bloom is an outstanding quality defect especially in filled chocolate, which usually comprises oils of different origins and with different physical properties. Dark chocolate pralines filled with nougat contain a significant amount of hazelnut oil in their center and have been reported as being notably susceptible to oil migration. The current study was designed to test the assumption that a targeted crystallization of nougat with cocoa butter seed crystals is an appropriate technological tool to reduce filling oil transfer to the outside of the praline and, hence, to counteract chocolate shell weakening and the development of fat bloom. For this purpose, the hardness of nougat/chocolate layer models and the thermal properties of chocolate on top of nougat were analyzed during storage at 23 °C for up to 84 days. Pronounced differences between layer models with seeded nougat and with control nougat that was traditionally tempered were observed. The facts that chocolate hardness increased rather than decreased during storage, that the cocoa butter melting peak was shifted towards a lower temperature, and that the hazelnut oil content in the chocolate was reduced can be taken as explicit indicators for the contribution of seeded nougat to the fat bloom stability of filled chocolate.

Changes of Dark Couverture Chocolate Hardness During Storage Tempered Using Automatic Tempering Machine with Tank and Tempering Temperature as Variables

“…These findings were in agreement with previous results reported by Afoakwa [24] who found that the hardness of the untempered chocolate sample is low (soft) and difficult to demould (bad contraction). The decrease of hardness in some temperature combinations in this research also associate with the experiment on bar chocolate, hardness decrease in the first four weeks of storage [36]. This is also in line with the study that some treatments experienced a decrease in hardness during 30 days of storage.…”

The effect of peppermint oil addition on the physical stability, irritability, and penetration of nanostructured lipid carrier coenzyme Q10

“…This condition becomes even more complicated when other fats or oils other than cacao oleum are present in the system. 21 Fat bloom is an aesthetic problem and does not affect product quality. It can be minimized by adding lecithin to the base and lowering the melting temperature during preparation.…”

Emerging Non-Thermal Food Processing Technologies: Editorial Overview

“…Another paper explained that “pre-crystallization of nougat by seeding with cocoa butter crystals enhances the bloom stability of nougat pralines”. This informative study showed that the precrystallization of nougat via seeding with cocoa butter crystals, under controlled conditions, can enhance the physical storage stability of pralines and delay the onset of fat blooming [ 4 ]. A research team explored the “mathematical modelling of ultrasound-assisted extraction kinetics of bioactive compounds from artichoke by-products”.…”