Additives – Chocolates

In the sample of 483 doughs analyzed in a study conducted by Ital:

• Moisturizer used: sorbitol (20 products) e glycerin or glycerol (7 products).

Function of the MOISTURIZERS used:

SORBITOL (INS 420): sugar alcohol (or polyol) with few calories. Used as moisturizing agent that prevents the products from losing water, that is, they keep the moisture content. It can also be used as a sweetener, giving body to the product, and also as stabilizer.

GLYCERIN OR GLYCEROL (INS 422): organic compound belonging to the alcohol function. It is liquid at ambient temperature, hygroscopic, odorless, viscous and with sweet flavor. Used as moisturizing agent that prevents the products from losing water, that is, they keep the moisture content. It can also be used as stabilizer.

Legislation

It should added in the quantity enough to obtain the desired technological function.

In the sample of 483 chocolates in a study conducted by Ital:

• 33.1 % of the products do not use aromas/flavorings.
• 265 products use flavorings; 21 products use natural aromas; 23 use synthetic aromas identical to natural and 40 use artificial aromas.

Function of the AROMAS/FLAVORINGS used:

FLAVORINGS: substances of mix of substances with odorous and/or savoury properties, capable of giving or intensifying the food aroma and/or flavor. Flavorings can be classified as natural, identical to natural, or artificial.

NATURAL AROMAS (vanilla – including vanilla extract and pods, and cumaru pods): obtained by microbiological, physical or enzymatic methods, from natural raw materials. Used to define, highlight and/or give flavor to the food.

SYNTHETIC AROMAS IDENTICAL TO NATURAL (hazelnut): obtained by synthesis or isolated by chemical processes from animal-based, plant-based or microbial raw materials that present a chemical structure identical to the substances present in the referred raw materials. Used to define, highlight and/or give flavor to the food.

ARTIFICIAL AROMAS: (hazelnut, strawberry, vanilla and mint) obtained from synthesis, which still has not been identified in animal-based, plant-based or microbial products. Used to define, highlight and/or give flavor to the food.

Legislation

It should added in the quantity enough to obtain the desired technological function.

In the sample of 483 chocolates in a study conducted by Ital:

• 95.2 % of the products do not use dyes.
• 13 products do not natural dyes in additions present in the chocolates; 12 use synthetic dyes similar to natural in additions present in the chocolates and 11 use artificial dyes in additions present in the chocolates.

Functions of the DYES used:

Dyes are used to reestablish the product original appearance after the production processing, to make the food visually more attractive and give or reinforce the colors already present. Direct application of dyes in the chocolate mass is not allowed, and its use is authorized only by means of other ingredients (example: fruits preparations).

NATURAL DYES (carmine, urucum, and curcuma): obtained from vegetables or, eventually, from animal.

SYNTHETIC DYES IDENTICAL TO NATURAL (caramel IV): obtained from organic synthesis and that are found in natural products.

ARTIFICIAL DYES (tartrazine, red 40, erythrosine red 40, twilight yellow, bright blue, indigotine and titanium dioxide): obtained from organic synthesis and are not found in natural products.

Legislation

Some natural dyes do not have ADI established, that is, they should be added in the quantity enough to obtain the desired technological effect (quantum satis). Curcuma has limits established in 0.002 g/100 g (expressed in curcumina); carmine in 0.030 g/100 g; and urucum, 0.020 g/100 g (as bixin).

For synthetic dyes identical to natural, in terms of limit to use, it is valid the same as established to natural dyes.

Or the artificial dyes, the limit of use for twilight yellow die is 0.010 g/100 g of fruit preparation / filling. For the others it is 0.030 g/100 g.

In a sample of 483 chocolates analyzed in study conducted by Ital:

• Sweeteners used: sorbitol (22 products); sucralose (10); maltitol (33); xylitol (4) and erythritol (2).

Functions of the SWEETENERS used:

SORBITOL (INS 420): sugar alcohol (or polyol) with few calories, 60% as sweet as sugar. Used to prepare products with reduced content of sugar, sugar-free or no addition of sugar; to reduce the quantity of calories of the product; to give sweetness and body to the products. It can also be used as moisturizer ans stabilizer agent

SUCRALOSE (INS 955): sweetener without calories, a by-product of sucrose, 600 times sweeter than sugar. Used to replace caloric sweeteners, such as sugar. It is capable of maintaining its sweetness for prolonged periods, as it has excellent thermal stability.

MALTITOL (INS 965): sugar alcohol (or polyol), it has about between 75 – 90% the sucrose sweetness and properties approximately identical, such as other polyols, it does not darken, nor caramelize as sugars do. Used to prepare products with reduced content of sugar, sugar-free or no addition of sugar; to reduce the quantity of calories of the product; to give sweetness and body to the products.

XYLITOL (INS 967): natural sweetener found in many plant-based fibers and in some types of mushrooms, obtained by the xylose catalytic hydrogenation, it is as sweet as sucrose, however, it is about 40% less caloric. Used to prepare products with reduced content of sugar, sugar-free and to reduce the quantity of calories of the product; to give sweetness and body to the products.

ERYTHRITOL (INS 968): sugar alcohol (or polyol), with no calories, naturally present in fruits and fermented product, it is 60-70% as sweet as sucrose. Used to prepare products with reduced content of sugar, sugar-free and to reduce the quantity of calories of the product; to give sweetness and body to the products.

Legislation

The acceptable daily intake (ADI) for sucralose is 0 to 15 mg/kg of the body weight.

Sorbitol and maltitol have a “non-specified” acceptable daily intake (ADI).

Xylitol and erythritol do not have ADI established, that is it should be added in a quantity enough to obtain the desired technological function (quantum satis).

In the sample of 483 chocolates analyzed in a study conducted by Ital:

• 19.3 % of the products do not use emulsifiers/stabilizers/thickeners.
• Emulsifiers/stabilizers/thickeners used: lecithin (404 products); carrageenam gum (1); Arabic gum (2); sorbitol (20); glycerin (7); pectin (2), fatty acids mono and diglycerides esters (17); polyglycerol polyporricinoleate (273) e sorbitane tristearate (29).

Functions of the EMULSIFIERS/STABILIZERS/THICKENERS used:

LECITHIN (INS 322): obtained from the egg yolk and from many sources of plant-based oils, being soybean the most common source, used as natural emulsifier. Used as emulsifying agent that enables the formation or maintenance of an uniform mixture of two or more non-miscible phases in the food such as oil and water. Used to reduce the viscosity of chocolates.

CARRAGEENAN GUM (INS 407): extracted from red algae known as carrageenophyt algae, being Chondrus crispus the more commonly used. Used in the products fillings and toppings as stabilizer that ensures the physical characteristics of emulsions and suspensions. Its use is not estimated directly in chocolate.

ARABIC OR ACACIA GUM (INS 414): natural resin composed of polysaccharide and glycoproteins, extracted from the species Acacia senegal and Acacia seya. Used in the products fillings and toppings as thickeners that increases the food viscosity. Its use is not estimated directly in chocolate.

SORBITOL (INS 420): sugar alcohol (or polyol). Used in the products fillings and toppings as stabilizer that ensures the physical characteristics of emulsions and suspensions. Its use is not estimated directly in chocolate. It can also be used as a sweetener, giving body to the product, and also as a moisturizer.

GLYCERIN OR GLYCEROL (INS 433): organic compound that belongs to the alcohol function,it is liquid at environment temperature, hygroscopic, odorless, viscous and with sweet flavor. Used in the products fillings and toppings as stabilizer that ensures the physical characteristics of emulsions and suspensions. Its use is not estimated directly in chocolate. It can also be used as a sweet moisturizer.

PECTIN (INS 440): polysaccharide soluble in water, present in the vegetable tissue cellular walls, especially in citric fruits. Used in fillings and toppings of products to increase the products viscosity and stability; keep the texture before dryness, increase the product shelf life. Its use is not estimated directly in chocolate.

FATTY ACIDS MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES ESTERS (INS 471): formed by the combination of glycerol with fatty acids. Used as emulsifying that enables the formation or maintenance of an uniform mixture of two or more phases non-miscible in the food with oil and water.

POLYIRYCINOLEATE POLYGLYCEROL (INS 476): extracted from cast bean, it is much used to reduce the chocolate outflow, reducing the use of cocoa butter. Used as emulsifying agent that enables the formation or maintenance of an uniform mixture of two or more non-miscible phases in the food such as oil and water, and has stabilizer that ensures the emulsions and suspensions physical characteristics.

SORBITAN TRISTEARATE (INS 492): fatty acids esters with non-ionic surfactant function used as emulsifying agent that enables the formation or maintenance of an uniform mixture of two or more non-miscible phases in the food such as oil and water, and as a stabilizer that ensured the emulsions and suspensions physical characteristics.

Legislation

The maximum quantity of use allowed for polyglycerol polyporricinoleate is 0.5 g/100 g and for sorbitane tristearate is 1,0 g/100 g base)

Lecithin, carrageenan gum, Arabic gum, sorbitol, glycerin, pectin and the fatty acids mono and diglycerides are considered as GMP, that is, they should be used in a quantity enough (quantum satis) to obtain the technological effect, without interfering with the product’s characteristics.

In the sample of 483 cakes analyzed in a study conducted by Ital:

• Frostings used: carnauba wax (2 products) and shellac (2 products).

Functions of the FROSTINGS used:

CARNAUBA WAX (INS 903): Palm tree leaves wax Copernicia prunifera, a native plant to Brazil. Used as an frosting agent, when applied to the food external surface, and gives a shining appearance or a protection coating.

SHELLAC(INS 904): A resin secreted from the insect Kerria lacca, found in the forests of India and Thailand. Used as an frosting agent, when applied to the food external surface, and gives a shining appearance or a protection coating.

Legislation

The maximum quantity of use allowed is 0.5 g/100 g for carnauba wax.

Shellac is considered as a GMP, that is, it should be used in a quantity enough (quantum satis) to obtain the technological effect, without interfering with the product’s characteristics.

In the sample of 483 chocolates analyzed in a study conducted by Ital:

• Preservatives used: sorbic acid (1 product) and potassium sorbate (8 products).

Functions of the PRESERVATIVES used:

SORBIC ACID (INS 200): Organic compound found in the nature. Used in additions of chocolates to delay moulds from developing.

POTASSIUM SORBATE (INS 202): Potassium salt from sorbic acid. Used in additions of chocolates to delay moulds from developing.

Legislation

For sorbic acid, the maximum quantity of use allowed is 0.1 g/100 g of filling, and for potassium sorbate is 0.1 g/100 g of filling, as sorbic acid.