Mondelez

Mondelez - Oral processing of chocolate

Eating chocolate involves a complex sequence of transformations that add together to create the sensory experience enjoyed by consumers.

Chocolate starts as a solid dense suspension of micron sized particles of sucrose, milk solids and cocoa solids in a crystallized fat phase. On eating, a sequence of phase changes occur which lead to the formation of an oil-in-water emulsion that can be swallowed. These transformations enable the release of tastant and aroma compounds, and create a variety of intermediate phases that together stimulate the sensations enjoyed by chocolate consumers.

Mondelez are interested to build mechanistic mathematical models of the controlling transformations and behaviour of the important phases in the oral processing of chocolate to explore the controlling transformations and relative impact of different recipe and processing changes. These insights will be applied to inform more sustainable and more healthy chocolate product designs.