Researchers have discovered an innovative way for chocoholics to enjoy their favourite treat without piling on the extra kilograms.In the quest for healthier chocolate, Dr Stefan Bon and his colleagues from Warwick University replaced half of the fat in chocolate bars with microscopic droplets of fruit juice.
The new chocolate retains many of the popular qualities of chocolate but without all the calories.
Bon said he first came up with the concept for the chocolate project about five years ago.
In the past year he and his team concentrated on what they could do with chocolate formulations, before discovering that by infusing orange juice and cranberry juice into milk, dark, and white chocolate, they could eliminate 50 percent of the cocoa butter and milk fats that traditionally go into the product.
The discovery "provides a great opportunity to develop exciting new chocolate-based confectionary products," Bon said.
"Everyone loves chocolate - but unfortunately we all know that many chocolate bars are high in fat," Stuff.co.nz quoted Bon as saying.
According to him, the healthier version still has the melt-in-the-mouth quality chocolate fans love.
"It's the fat that gives chocolate all the indulgent sensations that people crave - the silky smooth texture and the way it melts in the mouth but still has a 'snap' to it when you break it with your hand," he said.
"We've found a way to maintain all of those things that make chocolate 'chocolatey' but with fruit juice instead of fat," Bon added.
The study has been published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry.
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