Chocolate & Confectionary
Analysis of Chocolate and Confectionary
A tight quality control along the production steps is critical for valuable ingredients like cocoa as well as the finished chocolate products.
FT-NIR spectroscopy provides accurate analysis results of multiple components within seconds for fast decisions to maintain highest quality for chocolate as well as for bakery products. In addition ingredients such as honey, nuts, caramel and marzipan can be analyzed with the same instrument to secure the requested quality and adjust recipes if required.
Commonly analyzed parameters include Brix, Pol, color (ICUMSA), ash, fat, moisture, protein, lactose, sucrose, reducing sugars and Theobromine.
X-ray fluorescence (XRF) enables fast and nondestructive analysis of macro-, micro- and trace mineral nutrients from the cocoa bean to final products. Equally important is its ability to screen for toxic metals and to monitor process indicators such as Fe. Bruker’s Elemental Analyzer portfolio includes high-throughput lab-based ED-XRF and WD-XRF, point-and-shoot handheld XRF, micro-XRF, and ultra-trace analysis TXRF spectrometers.
TD-NMR is well-known in the Fat and Chocolate industries, providing a precise and reliable determination of fat melting profiles on basis of the Solid Fat Content (SFC) method-an essential protocol to guarantee the appropriate fat properties. Additionally, the Dynamic Fat Crystallization method correlates the measured fat crystallization pattern and product crystallization in the production helping to improve the product quality. Equally important are the determination of Total Fat contents in chocolate, chocolate liquor, cacao powder and beans.
X-ray Diffraction (XRD) is used by many leading chocolatiers for process optimization and quality control. When properly tempered, chocolate exhibits a specific nano structure. By monitoring this structure, consistency in both flavor and texture can be ensured. In addition, quantification of cocoa, sugar and other ingridients ensures uniformity among batches of products.
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