Particle Size Distribution Measurement of Chocolate

Introduction

There are several possible parameters for expressing the taste of a piece of chocolate. For example, it can be described in terms of taste characteristics such as sweetness or bitterness, but it is also possible to characterize chocolate in terms of its texture in the mouth, for instance, how readily it melts in the mouth. Included in such parameters is "tongue texture," for which particle size distribution provides a potential index for expressing this parameter in numeric terms. This article describes the use of a SALD-2300 laser diffraction particle size analyzer to measure the size distribution of particles in chocolate. Chocolate is a mixture of cocoa mass, which consists of ground cocoa beans mixed with milk, sugar, cocoa butter, and other ingredients. This can be considered as a mixture of various particles in fat. Consequently, the particle size distribution presumably varies depending on the dispersion conditions. In this example, isopropanol at about 45 °C was used as the dispersant.

November 9, 2012 GMT