In a breakthrough that will be most welcome to chocoholics, British scientists have developed a new melt-proof recipe for the bitter-sweet cocoa bar, that would help it beat the summer heat in countries like Australia and India. The heat-friendly chocolate, developed by Cadbury at a plant near Birmingham, retains it solidity even under temperatures over 40C for more than three hours, according to the British newspaper The Mail on Sunday. The trick is it to tweak a step in the production called conching, when metal beads grind the ingredients together. Scientists have developed a way of breaking down sugar, which makes for the reduction of the amount of fat which attaches to the sweet particles. "We have found that it is possible to instil temperature-tolerant properties by refining the conched chocolate after the conching step," Cadbury wrote in its patent application for the new product. "Production of temperature-tolerant chocolate would allow production of chocolate-containing products more suitable for hot climates, particularly in less economically-developed countries where the supply chain is ill-equipped to handle temperature fluctuations." But the development has left not a few less than enthused. Critics claim the development would end up necessarily altering the flavour of chocolate. Tony Bilsborough, spokesman for Cadbury's owner Kraft Foods, said the melting point was what made the bar so attractive, as that was what released the flavour and if it melted at a higher temperature, it would take longer to melt in the mouth. British chocoholics would, however not be benefited by the discovery. The firm, taken over by American food group Kraft in 2010 in a bitterly-resisted £11.5-billion deal, insists the new recipe would be available only in countries with a hot climate, like India and Brazil. According to the firm, development of temperature-tolerant chocolate would allow production of chocolate-containing product more suitable for hot climates, particularly in less economically developed countries where the supply chain was ill-equipped to handle temperature fluctuations. The firm has been slammed for its decision not to sell the new bars in the UK as dealing another bitter blow for an iconic British brand. British MP Robert Halfon said Kraft promised British chocolate for British people when it took over Cadbury, but it seemed that while British people did all the innovating, the firm gave the best of British to people overseas. He added, it was incredibly disappointing. He said while the British invented the brand, now British workers were not being allowed to enjoy the chocolate of their labours. He said he would urge the company to reconsider this and allow British people to have same rights as chocolate-eaters in other countries. Felicity Loudon, a descendant of the founder of Cadbury, said Kraft being an American company, it was not surprising that it was leaving the British people out. Source: Domain-B, Image: flickr.com
