How chocolate is made.

02.07.2023

It is difficult to find a person who would be indifferent to chocolate - this is both a wonderful delicacy and a product that promotes the production of endorphins, which can improve mood. The technology of making chocolate at the best confectionery factories is constantly being improved, and using various ingredients, tiles of the required color and taste are obtained.

The process of making real chocolate

How is chocolate made in a factory, and what ingredients are needed to make this amazing delicacy? According to the correct technology for the production of chocolate, the seeds of the evergreen cocoa tree, originating from the subequatorial regions of America, are used. The plant, whose scientific name is Theobroma cacao, belongs to the Sterculaceae family and is widely distributed in the tropics.

Today, cocoa, which is called the chocolate tree in our country, is also grown on other continents. But in the wild it can be found on the coast of Mexico, in Central and South America. The height of the tree depends on the place of growth and ranges from 10 to 20 meters. In cultural cultivation, the height is adjusted by trimming, and it rarely reaches 7 meters. Cocoa leaves are thin, oblong-elliptical, up to 30 centimeters long, the flowers are small, waxy, pinkish-white, appear on the surface of the trunk and large branches. The fruit, the ripening of which lasts four months, is small in cocoa, and its length ranges from 20–38 centimeters. In appearance, it resembles a large cucumber or small melon, with a leathery, slightly woody shell of red, reddish-brown, green or yellow, changing in the process of ripening. In one cocoa fruit there are from 20 to 50 beans immersed in a viscous, sticky liquid that hardens in the open air. A single seed (bean) is covered with an oily skin.

According to the place of growth, cocoa beans for real chocolate are divided into American, African and Asian, and the largest exporters of cocoa beans are countries such as Côte d'Ivoire, Venezuela, Indonesia, Ghana, Cameroon, Brazil and Ecuador.

The Criollo group of varieties, characterized by a mild taste, is considered to be the best. It is bred in Venezuela, Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Varieties of the Forastero group are most common among producers and exporters. The group of cocoa beans of the Ca-labacillo variety is the cheapest of all, but at the same time the lowest quality.

The right way to make chocolate

What is chocolate made from in modern factories? For the production of chocolate, cocoa beans of all three varieties are used. They are cut from tree trunks with large, long knives (machetes) and collected in baskets. Then the harvest is piled up, and the fruits are cut into several pieces. The next step in the chocolate-making process is to separate the cocoa beans from the pulp - an experienced carver opens up to five hundred fruits of the chocolate tree within one hour.

In the process of making chocolate, cocoa beans are laid out on pallets and left for several days to ferment - under the action of natural yeast and enzymes, they darken and acquire a bright chocolate smell and taste. Upon completion of this process, according to the correct technology for making chocolate, the fruits are dried in the sun and roasted, removing the husk. They are then sorted and packaged for further processing.

At the next stage in the manufacture of chocolate in the factory, cocoa beans are ground to a paste-like mass, called cocoa liquor. Interestingly, the fats that make up the cocoa beans melt when heated and after grinding the cocoa liquor is obtained in liquid form, but thickens and hardens during cooling. Now the product is suitable for the production of chocolate, as well as use in cosmetic and pharmacological products.

The most valuable product obtained by pressing cocoa liquor is cocoa butter. It is not only one of the essential ingredients of chocolate, but is used to make ointments in cosmetics. Cocoa butter is what gives chocolate its unique taste. But it also has some unique properties, as it consists of three types of fats. One of them is identical to the fat of olive oil. The second is a type of so-called saturated fat, which is converted in the liver into a fat similar to that of olive oil. The third type of fat helps to strengthen the cell membranes of our body. All this suggests that the fat contained in cocoa butter is not harmful to humans.

The dry residue obtained during the preparation is ground, and the well-known cocoa powder is obtained, which is used in the confectionery industry and for the preparation of a cocoa drink.

Watch a video of how chocolate is made in modern factories:

Chemical composition and nutritional value of chocolate from cocoa beans

Chocolate tree cocoa beans contain up to 300 different nutrients. The approximate chemical composition of chocolate from cocoa beans is as follows: fats are 54%, proteins - 11.5%, cellulose - 9%, starch and polysaccharides - 7.5%, tannin - 6%, water - 5%, minerals and salts - 2.6%, organic acids - 2%, saccharides - 1% and caffeine - 0.2%. Among the substances contained in cocoa beans, one can note: anandamide, arginine, dopamine, epicatechin, histamine, cocohil, serotonin, tryptophan, tyramine, phenylethylamine, polyphenol, salsolinol, magnesium.

Given the chemical composition of chocolate, the nutritional value of the product is very high. The calorie content of 100 g of finished chocolate bar is about 550 kcal.

Numerous studies note that the fats contained in cocoa beans belong to the so-called saturated fats, but at the same time they do not have a harmful effect on the human body - chocolate does not increase blood cholesterol levels. The composition of cocoa beans is such that the elements included in it organically complement each other. For example, chromium is involved in the breakdown of glucose, maintaining normal blood sugar levels, and promotes fat metabolism. All this is necessary for us both in cosmetology and with proper nutrition.

Photos

Ivan Anisimov

The Pobeda confectionery factory in Russia has two production facilities, and both of them are located in the Moscow region, in the Yegoryevsky district. Various confectionery products are made here, from chocolate bars and sweets to marmalade. All factories are full-cycle production. That is, chocolate for the manufacture of chocolate bars and sweets at the factory is made independently and according to their own recipes. This year, the company opened a branch in Latvia - this is how it plans to arrange supplies to the European market. The Village went to Yegorievsk to see what and how sweets are made of.

Raw material preparation

From the outside, the building does not hint at the fact that chocolate rivers flow through the pipes, and mountains of sweets and marmalade ride along the conveyors. Factory as a factory. But as soon as we went inside, we immediately felt the smell of chocolate. It became clear - we are exactly on the spot. As usual, we put on disposable gowns, slippers, shoe covers and washed our hands and went to production.

Everything starts with a warehouse and ends with it - raw materials are stored separately, there is a room for finished products. The raw materials are packed in boxes and large bags, on some we see the inscriptions "Made in Ivory Coast", "Made in Malaysia" or "Made in the Netherlands". To make chocolate, among other things, you need cocoa butter and cocoa liquor, and for candy fillings - vegetable fat (it uses a fraction of palm oil).The equivalent of cocoa butter is sometimes added to the fillings - this is a mixture of palm oil with other exotic oils.

The first step in preparing the components is melting, as they are all solid. All this happens in ovens: an employee unpacks a cardboard box containing a large rectangular briquette of beige grated cocoa, vegetable fat or cocoa butter (ovens for the last two components are called "fat melters"), and throws it into the oven. The temperature there is about 85 degrees for grated cocoa and 65-70 degrees for cocoa butter and vegetable fats (the temperature is not universal, everything is individual for different equipment and raw materials). It is important that there are three separate fire chambers: for confectionery fat, for grated cocoa and for cocoa butter. Their streams do not mix unless it is necessary for the recipe. Then the components, which are already in a liquid state, enter the tank through the pipes, where they are weighed. Dry ingredients such as cocoa powder, sugar and various substitutes (stevia, fructose, lactose), milk powder (whole, skimmed), cream powder or whey are poured into metal tanks, then they are automatically dosed using vacuum.

Confectionery factory "Victory"

LOCATION

Egoryevsk, Moscow region

OPENING DATE: 1999

EMPLOYEES: 1,558 people in the company (more than 700 of them -
at the factory)

PLANT AREA: 35,000 sq. m

www.pobedavkusa.ru

Preparation of chocolate mass

After the components are prepared, they all enter the recipe station through pipes. Here they are weighed again and, according to the recipe, they go to the chocolate mass preparation shop. Here, in a container with a capacity of one and a half tons, all the ingredients are found and mixed with cocoa butter and sugar. But the mass is not yet ready: it is tough, and the sugar crunches in it. It is necessary to grind sugar crystals into powder. This happens in a special container, where there is a pair of metal shafts that grind the mass to 90 microns. Then it is passed through five-roll mills, which look like huge rotating rolling pins, directed vertically. The mass is passed between the shafts and gradually reaches the last one, from which it is removed with a metal knife.

In the form of shavings, it enters the conche machine, where it is kneaded for 10-12 hours. The conching process is responsible for the formation of flavor in the chocolate mass. By kneading, heating, opening or closing metal shutters, you can change the taste. For example, if it is milk chocolate, then when it is heated to 80 degrees and the metal shutters are closed, all the cocoa flavor remains inside, and the sugar caramelizes, so you can get a caramel-flavored mass at the end. If the factory wants to soften the taste of bitter chocolate, then metal curtains are opened on the conche machine to release the acids from the grated cocoa.

The filling for chocolates is prepared in a similar way - all the ingredients are ground in five-roll mills and kneaded in conche machines. Only cocoa butter with soft vegetable fat is taken as the basis. In wafer sweets, the filling differs from chocolate candies in texture, components and manufacturing principles. It is prepared in a ball mill - a container in which metal balls not only grind the ingredients, but also beat them a little.

Production of chocolates and chocolate

Chocolate mass with a temperature of 28 to 31 degrees is fed to an automatic installation, through which it goes to molds for chocolate bars. The molds are preheated so that the chocolate does not freeze immediately when it hits them. After the form is filled, it first passes through the vibration zone: the conveyor shakes it so that, firstly, excess air bubbles come out of the chocolate, and secondly, the chocolate is distributed evenly along the given edge.

Further, the molds go to the refrigeration tunnel, where the chocolate spends from 20 to 40 minutes at a temperature of 10–15 degrees. After the cooled forms are automatically turned over using a special drum, and the tiles can be easily removed from them. This happens because chocolate at low temperatures shrinks by a millimeter and becomes smaller than the shape. People on this line are kept to a minimum: one employee monitors the flow of mass to the plant, the other monitors the weight of the product. Metal detectors are installed everywhere: chocolate must be safe, without foreign inclusions.

The tiles go to the packaging machine: here everything happens automatically. Then the product is manually packed into boxes, workers check the dates, the integrity and correctness of the packaging. Those products that do not fit the test fly into the container with a marriage. True, such a marriage is not thrown away, but processed and put back into production. Chocolate with additives like nuts and raisins is not made here, all this is made at the site in Klemenovo.

The candy mass is also first heated. Both the chocolate mass and the filling mass are fed to the installation at the same time. In order not to mix them, the masses are diluted through their channels, which go to the nozzles - holes. Inside such a nozzle there is another one: the filling is fed through the inner hole, and the chocolate mass is fed through the outer hole, with a slight delay. Then the sweets also pass through the vibration zone and enter the refrigeration tunnel. If there should be a nut in the candy, then a special nut spreader adds it: needle fingers dip the nut into the filling. Near the exit from the tunnel (at the factory it is called “candy evacuation”), a knock is periodically heard: when the molds are turned over, they are knocked on so that nothing remains inside. Then - automatic packaging and packaging: some sweets are put into bags, others - into boxes.

The finished dough is fed through the distribution pipe into the storage tank, to which a comb is connected, distributing the dough over the plate. The volume of one serving of dough is calculated so that when closing this frying pan with flaps in a small cell, the dough is distributed over the entire surface. The closed pan enters the oven, and the sheet is baked for three minutes. After all the sheets fall into a special chamber: the oven can bake waffles unevenly, and in this cabinet the moisture content of all sheets is balanced.

Next, the filling is spread on the waffles. It is pre-whipped in a mixer to a certain density, cooled and fed under pressure to the rollers. Their principle of operation is the same as that of a roll-on deodorant: as soon as a sheet approaches, the roller passes over it, transferring the filling to the wafer. Then another wafer sheet is applied on top, automatically pressed, and then the workpiece enters the cooling cabinet. After the product, which looks like a cake, is served for slicing: knives first cut it in length, and then in width. Special rollers and guides separate the sweets from each other. Then all the wafers are poured with chocolate, pass through the vibration zone and are again sent to the refrigeration tunnel, from where they go directly to the packaging and packaging shop.

By the way, factory employees can try everything that is produced here. True, not in the workshop, but they can take a handful of sweets and chocolates with them for lunch. All finished products are sent to the warehouse, and from there to stores in Russia, the CIS countries, Germany and even the USA.

Many people know what chocolate is made of: cocoa beans and cocoa butter. Chocolate can be called the most popular sweet among both children and adults. It contains substances that affect the emotional state of a person, namely: the feeling of joy and love.

You need to figure out what chocolate is made from. This is a confectionery product that is prepared on the basis of cocoa beans, or to be more precise, their oils.

It is obtained by processing beans. They are peeled and fried, as a result of which the fruits acquire a dark brown color. Three main components are obtained from them: grated cocoa, butter and cake. Chocolate products are made from a combination of powdered sugar, grated cocoa and butter, and cocoa powder is prepared from cake.

Cocoa beans are loaded with caffeine and theobromine and naturally tart in taste. And the chocolate itself in most cases contains various aromatic additives. These include vanillin, mint oil, coffee, cognac, in some recipes alcohol and hot pepper are added. The filling can also be different, for example, nuts, candied fruits, raisins, waffles and even pieces of roasted cocoa beans are added to chocolate products.

How chocolate is made

The production process is divided into several stages or technological stages, namely:

Processing of cocoa beans with further separation into individual ingredients such as cocoa liquor, butter and dry residues.
Grated cocoa is subjected to heat treatment at a temperature of 100˚C, after which it is pressed.
After mixing grated cocoa, cocoa butter and sugar, a chocolate mass or technical chocolate is obtained, which is further crushed into crumbs: the smaller the pieces, the tastier and more tender the chocolate product will be.
The most important step is the tempering of the chocolate mass. This means that the heated mass is cooled and then heated again. This procedure is necessary to give shine to the chocolate product.
Further, various flavors and fillers are added to the chocolate mass, and then confectionery products are formed by pouring the mass into special molds.
After cooling, the stage of packaging the finished product begins.

Composition of modern chocolate

When buying a chocolate treat, you need to consider what the chocolate is made of. Today, factories offer a wide range of such a product, but often we get a sweet bar instead of chocolate. Unscrupulous manufacturers add not only the necessary components to the product, but also vegetable fats and soy. In this case, not a pure product is obtained, but a chocolate bar that does not contain the necessary concentration of useful substances.

High-quality chocolate must melt at a temperature equal to that of the human body, which is why it melts so well in the mouth.

Bad chocolate will not melt like that, because unnecessary impurities and fats slow down this process.

You should pay special attention to what chocolate is made of, and specifically to the percentage of cocoa beans and additives in the finished product. For example, dessert or semi-bitter chocolate must have at least 50% cocoa powder, bitter must contain 60% or more, and milk must not exceed the 30% barrier. The amount of sugar added depends on the type of chocolate. The classic composition includes:

proteins: 5 to 8%;
fats: 30 to 40%;
carbohydrates: 5 to 6%;
alkaloids: not more than 0.5%;
mineral and tannins: no more than 1%.

All confectionery factories produce chocolate depending on the category of consumers. After all, what is allowed for adults is not necessarily allowed for children. For example, chocolate is prepared for babies with the addition of a significant amount of dairy products and with a lower percentage of grated cocoa. And there are also special sweets with vitamin supplements.

In order to expand the range of products, chocolate is produced in various forms, namely:

in the form of a monolithic or porous tile;
in the form of a monolithic or porous bar with various fillings and without them;
in the form of accessories, medals, coins and various figurines, such as animals, cars, and so on;
in the form of jewelry or semi-finished products, with the help of which it is possible to make all kinds of confectionery.

Variety of chocolate

To date, several types of chocolate are known, which are made with the addition of various components, such as cocoa beans, lecithin, palm or cocoa butter, as well as various flavors and fillings. The main types of chocolate are:

Milky in appearance is lighter than, and sweeter in taste. It is prepared with the addition of dry ingredients, namely milk and cream;
Bitter can contain up to 90% beans. This cocoa content gives chocolate a bitter taste, but the addition of a certain amount of sugar helps to smooth it out. This type of chocolate is considered the most useful.
White or cream chocolate does not contain cocoa beans, only their oil. It is prepared with the addition of milk powder, sugar and vanillin.
is made using special technologies: this means placing filled molds with chocolate mixture in vacuum boilers, which contribute to the appearance of air bubbles.
Chocolate for diabetics contains sugar substitutes, namely: sorbitol, xylitol and others.
Powdered chocolate can be both dessert and regular. It is made from grated beans and powdered sugar, and dry ingredients such as milk powder and cream may be present. The main difference between dessert and regular powder is the concentration of sugar.

The effect of chocolate on the human body

The composition of chocolate has a positive effect on the performance and mental activity of the human brain. It helps the body cope with various stresses, both emotional and physical, and helps to alleviate feelings of anxiety and excitement. Even in Soviet times, in the departments of cardiology, patients were prescribed dark chocolate in certain doses. Since it prevents various cardiovascular diseases and helps with pressure and the occurrence of blood clots in the arteries.

Along with useful qualities, there are also negative aspects, for example, with unlimited consumption of chocolate, the risk of diseases such as obesity or diabetes increases. Such problems also arise due to the fact that manufacturers, trying to make huge profits, add various substances to products that adversely affect the human body.

To avoid such consequences, it is necessary to buy sweets only after making sure of their quality. Pay attention to the surface of chocolate: it should be shiny, and if the product has additives such as raisins or nuts, then it should be matte. The consistency should be firm and without visible deformations, pleasant in taste and smell. Chocolate without filling and additives should be stored for no more than six months, and with additives - no more than three. White is considered a perishable product compared to other types, since its shelf life should not exceed one month.

How to properly store chocolate

When purchasing such sweetness, it is necessary to pay attention to the date of production. It is strictly forbidden to eat expired chocolate, as its beneficial properties die.

Better in a cool and dark place, but this does not mean at all that it should be kept in the refrigerator. At sub-zero temperatures, condensation forms on the surface of the chocolate product, as a result of which the chocolate becomes covered with light spots and loses its taste characteristics. The optimum storage temperature is from +3 to +18˚С, and the humidity should not exceed 75%. Chocolate products should not be exposed to ultraviolet radiation and should not lie unpacked for a long time.

This leads to the appearance of grease stains on the surface of the chocolate, which can become the basis for the appearance of various types of fungus and mold. Shelving is the ideal place for storage.

Raw material preparation

Preparation of chocolate mass

Production of chocolates and chocolate

How wafers are made

The production of wafer sweets begins with kneading the dough for the wafer sheet. In the composition - water, flour, chicory and malt in the form of a concentrate. The factory decided to remove the egg yolk from the recipe: according to Pobeda experts, firstly, it gives a not very pleasant smell to the waffle, and secondly, it makes it not crispy, but soft. The dough is prepared in a small volume - only 20 liters per batch. It is mixed in a special centrifuge.

Chocolates are products that are prepared on the basis of sugar with the addition of various flavorings and other raw materials. Bars differ not only in appearance, but also in taste characteristics, fillers, finish, shape.

Chocolate is a delicacy that a person loves at any age. Bars are a favorite treat for children and adults. Candies in a box have always been the perfect gift and way to express your sympathy. Today, the most special products are made in Finland.

They amaze everyone with their taste, because some of them are sour. It is also believed that sweets can be used to make a person's figure more slender. The Finns are very fond of beer, so they invented a unique type of treat - salty bars.

Candy composition

As a rule, the usual delicacy has in its composition not only chocolate. Main components:

sugar;
starch syrup;
fruits or berries;
cocoa in a grated state;
various nuts;
oil seeds;
fats;
dairy products;
alcoholic substances.

To obtain the shape of the finished candy, various forms of masses are used:

lipstick;
marzipan;
fruit;
jelly;
praline;
dairy;
whipped;
liquor;
cream;
roasted.

Chocolate itself implies the presence of grated cocoa or powder in the final product.

The most expensive component that is used for their production is cocoa butter. It is from this substance that the quality and cost depend. For cheaper food products, the manufacturer uses its replacements for palm or coconut oil.

In order to melt cocoa, it is necessary to create a temperature in the oven of more than thirty-two degrees Celsius. High-quality chocolate is easy to distinguish by taste, and it quickly begins to melt in your mouth. Palm oil bars must be cracked open with a range of force. If the sweets have a matte surface, it means that the manufacturer has added a large amount of soy to their composition.

Production of chocolate candies

The factory for the production of these products must provide the following stages of its production:

Preparation and purchase of all necessary raw materials.
Preparation of semi-finished products, which will later be used in the production of a particular component.
Formation of candy mass.
Derivation of the structural component of products.
Glazing or other external finishing works.
Distribution of finished raw materials into packages.

At the first stage, it uses chocolate, from which the factory forms a candy mass. Bars differ from each other in composition, so a separate technology is used for each of them. The second stage involves getting lipstick. After that, the factory collects it in a special container with a stirrer. It is here that chocolate is mixed with various additional substances to give a special taste and aroma. Each factory is concerned about obtaining unique taste characteristics of the final product.

At the next stage, the bars must be fed with syrup, if this is provided for by the factory's production technology. This substance and chocolate quickly cools and churns, so the process must be done very quickly.

Bars can be of different shapes and sizes. Therefore, chocolate must subsequently be poured into special forms. Each factory pays special attention to this process and tries to make it unique. Bars should be outwardly attractive to the buyer.

Packing process

To date, there are a huge number of different options for the design of the final product. A lot of designers and advertisers are working on this. After all, packaging is the first thing any buyer pays attention to. Design largely affects the number of future sales. The material and quality of the packaging becomes the first reason for buying this or that candy. That is why manufacturers do not spare time and money for their development and modernization in the process of use.

The appearance of the package can be:

wrapped;
wrapped only partially;
no wrap;
in capsules or fillets;
in correxes made of various polymeric materials;
candy wrapped in foil.

The traditional packaging factory uses cardboard boxes, metal or glass boxes, cloth and plastic bags. In recent years, some manufacturers have begun to use tetra packs as packaging. The factory packs weight candies in large cardboard boxes. In some cases, they are additionally packed in five or ten kilograms.

Chocolate, namely its packaging, should serve to protect against various external influences that can spoil the quality of the product. Bars are delicious only when stored properly. Any factory pays due attention to the development process and their improvement. Advertising also largely depends on the packaging, because it serves as the root cause of any purchase.

Bars are a delicious food that people of all ages adore. It is important to buy only quality products. Attention should be paid more to the composition, not the packaging.