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Sugar in Chocolate
This entry was posted on 3/19/2008 11:31 AM and is filed under uncategorized.
We recently received an email inquiry regarding substitutes for refined sugar in chocolate, such as evaporated cane juice or brown rice syrup. Here is our response:
"Cioccolato strives to educate its
customers on the wide variety of products we import and sell. We primarily
specialize in chocolates imported from Europe,
and currently also feature a Colombian brand and a few specialty domestic
chocolates.
European chocolatiers and chocolate consumers typically have different concerns
than consumers in the United
States. As you may already be aware, health
concerns in particular that have developed here in the US have not
been quite as much of a concern to Europeans, such as obesity. Imported
chocolate and other food items have only recently begun to bear the
now-standard Nutrition Facts label that is required on our food packaging, even
though they have been providing ingredients lists on their products for some
time.
A primary concern of many premier European chocolatiers is that of authentic
traditional ingredients. Dark chocolate only truly needs three ingredients:
cocoa mass (sometimes called cocoa powder or just cocoa), cocoa butter, and
sugar. The growing demand for cocoa butter from the beauty industry has put a
strain on some chocolatiers, who have turned to other vegetable fats for use as
substitutes in their chocolate. This is considered a stigma among premier
chocolatiers, who have begun to emphasize their use of real cocoa butter.
Pure cane sugar, or refined sugar, has been a traditional ingredient in the
same way real cocoa butter has. The producers of chocolate who would never
think of adding vegetable fat to replace cocoa butter in their chocolate would
similarly never think of adding something like high fructose corn syrup, or
even a healthier option like rice syrup, to replace cane sugar - the emphasis
is placed on the recipe and the intended nuances of flavor. Some dark chocolate
also contains vanilla, and again the preference would be for natural vanilla
instead of vanillin, which is a substitute.
The presence of cane sugar in European chocolate is not a concern for most
European consumers, who tend to eat more balanced diets and/or lead more active
lifestyles. Chocolate is more likely to be enjoyed in moderation, even if this
translates to a small serving of chocolate every day.
We do carry two kinds of sugar free dark chocolate intended for diabetics, with
maltitol and lactitol added as sugar substitutes. These substitutes do
occasionally cause stomach upset, but are included in the most popular sugar
free brands available domestically.
There are also dark chocolate bars with very high cocoa content on our shelves,
from 75% to 85% and even 100%. These percentages refer to the amount of the
ingredients that come directly from the cocoa bean, leaving only 15% or less to
sugar, and of course the 100% bar has no sugar or any sweetener whatsoever.
While every chocolatier has their own unique recipe, an average three ounce bar
of 70% dark chocolate will contain around 20 grams of sugar total, so a single
one ounce serving would only contain around seven grams of sugar. 70% cocoa
content is the recommended minimum percentage if a person wants to gain the
health benefits of the antioxidants in the cocoa, so higher cocoa content
translates to more antioxidants and less sugar.
Finally, to come directly to your question, all our chocolates contain either
cane sugar, a diabetic sugar substitute, or no sugar at all. It is more likely
that you will find the sugar substitutes you seek in domestic brands of
chocolate or chocolates produced specifically for health food or organic food
stores.
Our intention is to bring the chocolates of Europe
to the discerning American consumer, like yourself. We sincerely hope you will
contact us if you have any further questions about the products we sell, and
salute your interest in making chocolate a part of a healthy lifestyle."
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