Scientists Discover A Way To Reduce Fat Content in Chocolates

Good news for people who love to eat chocolates, but fear that they will end up gaining the extra amount of calories. A team of researchers from Temple University has found a way to reduce the amount of fat in chocolates using electric fields.

According to a new study, the electric field can be used to reduce the amount of fat in chocolates by almost 20 percent. The Temple University team initiated their attempt to reduce the fat content in chocolates back in 2012.

The team started by studying how they can improve the viscosity of chocolates without any addition of cocoa butter. The quest to improve to viscosity began when a consulting firm working for Mars, Inc. established a contact with Rongjia Tao, the lead author of the study.

The idea of improving the viscosity led to an experiment of using an electric field to cut the fat content while maintaining the viscosity. According to the researchers, the new technology developed by them is based on "new soft matter science is critically needed." This critical outstanding issue has now been solved with the help of unconventional electrorheology.

In a way, the research team has discovered a way to use electrorheology to produce a tastier and healthier version of chocolates. The complete details of the study have been published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

Typically, fat and cocoa butter are added to sugar, mixed solids and cocoa solids to keep the viscous combination flowing. However, Tao's findings may eliminate the need to add oil to the liquid chocolate mixture.

The experiment conducted by Tao and his team exploits the "smart fluid" characteristics of chocolate. Smart fluids are those liquids whose viscosity respond to electric shock in a rapid and continuous way. The researchers used the technology to decrease the viscosity of liquid chocolate to reduce fat content and increasing the density of the particles to maintain its flow.