Skip to main content
Log in

Impact of fat content during grinding on particle size distribution and flow properties of milk chocolate

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
European Food Research and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Consumer acceptance depends on taste and mouth feeling. Processing can generate varying particle size distributions (PSD), which again influence flow parameters. Chocolate can be produced by roller refining and conching or alternatively by ball milling. Fat content during milling is an important parameter of both processes. The aim of this project was to elucidate relationship between this processing parameter, PSD and flow properties, so they can be controlled. Milk chocolate samples were produced in pilot scale and measured. The results showed that varying fat contents influences PSD for both processing types. Higher fat contents resulted in bimodal distributions for roller refining. Small particles fill voids between big ones, improve packing density and liberate fat for flowing. Nevertheless, fat content during refining should not be too high either, as downstream conching requires low initial content. Pre-dried raw materials were used for ball milling, since this process offers few possibilities to evaporate water and undesired volatiles, unlike conventional conching. Samples showed narrower, multi-modal PSDs. The lack of fine particles decreases packing density and results in higher viscosity at medium and high shear rates. Viscosity at low shear can be less than for roller refined products, which is a consequence of reduced specific surface. Unlike roller refiners, the PSDs became broader at lower fat contents. Almost bimodal PSDs were achieved in lab scale at very low fat contents. Under industrial conditions, the mass must be pumpable for milling. This is a restriction for influencing properties via PSD and needs further optimization.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Becket ST (2009) Industrial chocolate manufacture and use. Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bolenz S, Meier J, Schäpe R (2000) Milchschokoladen in Deutschland: Parameter, die die Verbraucherakzeptanz beeinflussen Teil 1+2. Zucker- und Süßwarenwirtschaft, 53 (9): 270–274; 53 (10): 309–314

  3. Mongia G, Ziegler GR (2000) The role of PSD of suspended solids in defining the flow properties of milk chocolate. Int J Food Prop 3(1):137–147

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Becket ST (2008) The science of chocolate, 2nd edn. RSC Publishing, ISBN: 0-85404-970-3, 978-0-85404-970-7

  5. Servais C, Jones R, Roberts I (2001) The influence of PSD on the processing of food. J Food Eng 51:201–208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Do TAL, Hargreaves JM, Wolf B, Hort J, Mitchel JR (2001) Impact of particle size distribution on rheological and textural properties of chocolate models with reduced fat content. J Food Sci. doi:10.1111/j.1750-3841.2007.00572.x

    Google Scholar 

  7. Afoakwa EO, Paterson A, Fowler M (2007) Effects of PSD and composition on rheological properties of dark chocolate. Eur Food Res Technol. doi: 10.1007/s00217-007-0652-6

  8. Bolenz S (2006) Verfahren zur Aufbereitung von Milchpulver für die Schokoladenherstellung. EP 1 880 615 A2

  9. Bolenz S, Kutschke E, Lipp E (2008) Using extra dry milk ingredients for accelerated conching of milk chocolate. Eur Food Res Technol 227:1677–1685

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Langkrär C (2011) Einfluss des Fettgehaltes und der Zerkleinerung auf die physikalischen Eigenschaften der Schokolade. Bachelor Thesis, HS Neubrandenburg

  11. Bolenz S, Thiessenhusen T, Schäpe R (2003) Fast conching for milk chocolate. Eur Food Res Technol 218:62–67. doi:10.1007/s00217-003-0790-4

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Bolenz S, Amtsberg K, Lipp E (2005) New concept for fast continuous conching of milk chocolate. Eur Food Res Technol 220:47–54. doi:10.1007/s00217-004-1047-6

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Heuer A (2008) Flüssigzerkleinerung von Schokoladenmasse mittels Kugelmühle. Study Project, HS Neubrandenburg

  14. Ziegler GR, Langiotti JP (2003) Grinding Spray-dried milk powder near the glass transition temperature. J Food Eng 26:149–160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Kleinert J (1997) Handbuch der Kakaoverarbeitung und Schokoladenherstellung. 1. Auflage, Hamburg, Behr′s Verlag. ISBN 3-86022-327-5

  16. Malvern Instruments (2007) User manual, Manuel number MAN0384-1.0. Malvern Instruments. Worcestershire, UK

  17. Weipert D, Tscheuschner HD, Windhab E (1993) Rheologie der Lebensmittel. Behr’s Verlag, Hamburg

    Google Scholar 

  18. Aeschlimann JM, Beckett ST (2000) International inter-laboratory trials to determine the factors affecting the measurement of chocolate viscosity. J Texture Stud 31(5):541–576

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Becket ST (2001) Casson model for chocolate: friend or foe? The Manuf Confect 05:61–67

    Google Scholar 

  20. Müntener K (1989) Optimum economy of chocolate conching. Confect Manuf Mark 26(12):62

    Google Scholar 

  21. Bolenz S, Kutschke E, Lipp E, Senkpiehl A (2007) Pre-dried refiner flakes allow very short or even continuous conching of milk chocolate. Eur Food Res Technol 226:153–160. doi:10.1007/s00217-006-0520-9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Windhab EJ (1995) Rheology in food processing. (Chapter 5 in Physico-chemical Aspects of Food Processing ISBN 0751402400). Chapman & Hall, London, pp 80–115

    Book  Google Scholar 

  23. Windhab EJ, Marti I (2005) Verfahren zur Herstellung fließfähiger konzentrierter Suspensionssysteme und nach diesem Verfahren hergestellte suspensionsbasierte Produkte, Patent DE 10342114

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research paper was sponsored by the research fund of the University of Applied Sciences Neubrandenburg. Student thesis by André Heuer and Christian Langkrär provided significant contributions. We would also like to thank Dipl.-Ing. Rita Schäpe for her support.

Conflict of interest

None.

Compliance with Ethics Requirements

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Siegfried Bolenz.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (PDF 404 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bolenz, S., Manske, A. Impact of fat content during grinding on particle size distribution and flow properties of milk chocolate. Eur Food Res Technol 236, 863–872 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-013-1944-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-013-1944-7

Keywords

Navigation