FLAVOR MODIFICATION OF MILK CHOCOLATE BY CONCHING IN A TWIN‐SCREW, CO‐ROTATING, CONTINUOUS MIXER

Short‐time continuous conching of chocolate offers significant economic advantages over traditional long‐time batch methods. High‐shear continous mixers can affect conching in a matter of minutes as compared to hours for traditional systems. Milk chocolate conched in two twin‐screw, co‐rotating, continous mixers operating in series was compared by a variety of sensory methods to chocolate conched by a batch method. A significant difference (P < 0.05) in flavor was found between chocolates conched at 60C by the continuous and batch methods, yet there was no preference for either chocolate. Chocolate conched by the batch method (23 h at 60C) had stronger caramel flavor (P < .10) than chocolate conched continuously, but there were no significant differences (P < .10) in sweet, chocolate or milk flavor. In the continuous system, caramel flavor generally increased with conching temperature and residence time; although, at the highest temperature (95C) and the longest residence time (7.5 min) caramel flavor decreased. Increasing the temperature of continuous conching from 70 to 90C produced chocolate significantly (P < .10) more like chocolate conched in a batch system for 21.5 h at 60C.