When Chocolate Isn't the Answer

Legend has it that chocolate can cure tuberculosis, fever and the common cold. It is an aphrodisiac and increases the probability of conception. It invigorates the body, strengthens the limbs and increases alertness. And every woman knows it is her best friend for whatever emotion she is feeling.

Chocolate flavor also marries well with most bakery applications. Yet "real" chocolate, in its many ingredient forms as defined by the Food and Drug Administration (21 CFR§163), is not always the answer in the world of bakery. The moisture levels and fat systems of many baked foods are not compatible with real chocolate. Further, real chocolate tends to melt just below body temperature. No one wants the chocolate drizzle on their cookie to melt off before a bite is taken.

Just think about the iconic "melt-in-your-mouth, not-in-your-hand" M&M’s. These button-shaped candies were designed to satisfy chocolate cravings of WWII soldiers stationed overseas. Their coating helps maintain product integrity in temperatures where unprotected chocolate melts.

The crunch of the M&M can be described as a candy coating. Other high-melt coatings have been developed since and are used on or in an array of bakery applications where standardized chocolate ingredients don’t make functional or financial sense. These ingredients are referred to as confectionary or compound coatings.

A WORLD OF COATINGS. To understand coatings, one must first gain a better understanding of what constitutes real chocolate. The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) specifies nomenclature for chocolate products, which includes the term chocolate coatings.

"True chocolate coatings — bittersweet, milk and white — are all defined under standards of identity in the US, which specify required levels of cacao-derived ingredients, limit the source of sweeteners and restrict use of certain other ingredients including emulsifiers, flavors and antioxidants," explained Adam Lechter, product service and development manager, ADM Cocoa, Milwaukee, WI.

Courtney LeDrew, marketing specialist, Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate, Minneapolis, MN, added, "The main difference between chocolate coatings and other coatings is that chocolate must contain cocoa butter. Generally speaking, anything not meeting the chocolate standard of identity is considered a confectionary or compound coating."

The CFR also includes specifications for "sweet cocoa," "sweet chocolate" and "milk chocolate" and vegetable fat coating. However, the language is not very attractive, and most suppliers and food manufacturers prefer to say "compound coating" when referring to a nonstandardized chocolate-like coating.

Although many coatings are designed to mimic real chocolate, including cocoa is not a prerequisite. The term compound coating is reserved for chocolate-flavored coatings prepared from cocoa or chocolate liquor, sugar, possibly milk and vegetable oil. Confectionary coatings tend not to be chocolate-flavored.

"Confectionary coatings are typically thought of as those products made with a wide variety of vegetable oils, flavors, sweeteners and/or colors," Ms. LeDrew said. "An example of a confectionary coating would be a cherry-flavored pink drop that may be used in bakery applications such as a muffin."

Mr. Lechter said, "Confectionary and compound coatings are ‘free’ from standards of identity and are limited in ingredient makeup only by our imagination. They can come in a wide variety of melting ranges, colors, flavors and nutritional properties."

Thus, non-standardized coatings allow for greater flexibility in applications.

"Because confectionary and compound coatings do not have a standard of identity, different fat systems can be used, depending upon functional and technical requirements," said Megan Rose, marketing representative, Clasen Quality Coatings, Inc. (CQC), Middleton, WI. "Such systems include tropical fats such as palm kernel and coconut oils or domestic ones such as soybean or cottonseed oils.

"Using a domestic fat system in a coating for a baked product provides a coating that is compatible with fat systems used in most baked products," Ms. Rose continued. "It also results in a more pliable coating, which can be easier to apply on softer baked products."

Further, the cocoa butter in real chocolate requires tempering prior to coating, enrobing or decorating a bakery product. The tempering process ensures that the cocoa butter in chocolate hardens in a uniform crystal structure. Tempered chocolate has a smooth texture, a glossy shine and a pleasant snap when bitten or broken. Chocolate that is not tempered might be cloudy, gray, lumpy and sticky at room temperature.

"Confectionary and compound coating fat systems do not require tempering and can have a range of melt points from 76° to 110°F," said Rose Defiel, director of technology at CQC. "Since confectionery coatings do not require tempering, special tempering equipment is not required to apply coatings to baked items. The coatings just need to be properly melted and cooled.

"The melting points of confectionery and compound coatings can also be adjusted," Ms. Defiel added. "They will not melt at the same low temperature that chocolate does. This improves the stability of the finished product during shipping and will help reduce the amount of bloom the product develops caused by minor mishandling. Additionally, many different types of functional ingredients can be added to coatings."

For example, CQC produces a nutritionally enhanced line of coatings called IMPAC, which is a customized product line that can be fortified to deliver ingredients such as protein (dairy or soy), fiber, calcium, phytosterols and even probiotics. "This product line was designed to deliver supplements through a coating and enhance the overall flavor of the finished product," Ms. Rose said. "It is available in milk, dark, white, yogurt and peanut butter bases."

UNLIMITED INNOVATION. Federal food standards of identity were developed to protect consumers from nutritional and economic fraud by establishing standardized names and characteristics for select products. However, food scientists and food manufacturers often find working within the boundaries of standards a daunting task. Thus, thinking outside the box, or outside the CFR, provides liberties needed for innovation.

"Confectionery coatings allow food scientists to get creative with their new product developments," Ms. Rose said. "They offer the ability to deviate beyond standard milk, dark and white chocolate products. Our peanut coatings are a great example of this. The addition of a peanut drop or drizzle to a baked bar, brownie or cookie can greatly enhance the overall taste of the product. CQC peanut flavor profiles range from smooth and creamy to rich and hearty in light, medium to dark brown roasts."

At this year’s IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo at New Orleans, LA, the company launched a line of organic confectionery coatings, CQ-Organics, which come in dark, white, yogurt and peanut formulations. "This product line was created to meet consumer-driven demand for healthier food products developed with ecologically friendly source ingredients," Ms. Rose said.

Kerry Ingredients & Flavours, Beloit, WI, adds omega-3s to all types of coatings, including pure chocolate and compound coatings. The latter is customizable for melt point. A no-sugar-added option is also available.

At IFT, Kerry showcased its sweet coatings on a variety of applications. Because consumers often taste with their eyes, a drizzle of caramel-flavored coating was the final touch on Kerry’s Fiber Slim Bar, a meal replacement bar containing 9 g of fiber. There was also the power-packed 180 Bar loaded with fiber and plant sterols to assist with reducing blood cholesterol levels. The bar’s top layer is a chocolate-flavored coating, which sandwiches a layer of gooey caramel between the chewy grains.

"Compound coatings may be used in a variety of ways to enhance the eating quality and visual appeal of a bakery product such as a bar, cookie or snack cake," Mr. Lechter said. "A product can be fully enrobed, bottomed, drizzled or decorated with a pattern of compound coating. Compound coatings may also be used as inclusions inside of a bar or snack much like a chocolate chunk or chip would be used."

Ms. Defiel added, "Cereal pieces or clusters can be panned with confectionery coatings for use as an inclusion or topping on a variety of grain-based foods."

ISSUES AND CONCERNS. Confectionary and compound coatings are not foolproof. A common problem in compound coatings is a dull appearance when they are not properly heated and cooled. For example, a dull appearance can result when the cooling tunnel is not cool enough, as the compound coating will not set properly. Further, if the humidity in the cooling tunnel and packaging room is too high, this additional moisture will dull the coatings.

Other problems common in compound coatings are greasiness and waxiness. Non-lauric fats such as soybean or cottonseed oils are greasier than lauric fats such as palm kernel and coconut oils, as lauric acid is a highly stable saturated fatty acid. Further, the higher the melting point of the fat, the waxier the compound coating.

The pressure on bakers to eliminate trans fatty acids from their products required coating suppliers to reformulate some recipes. Traditionally compound coatings relied on cocoa butter replacements such as partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, which contain high levels of trans fatty acids.

There are two approaches to make a trans-fat-free coating. One option is to use a vegetable fat with similar composition and properties to cocoa butter. In most cases, they are cocoa butter equivalents used at a much higher level than would generally be permitted in chocolate. This allows a manufacturer to make a coating that while less expensive than chocolate, is more expensive than the partially hydrogenated compound coating. It may also require tempering.

The other option is to move use a lauric fat in the coating. This allows the manufacturer to make a compound coating with a similar cost structure to that of the partially hydrogenated compound coating, but other factors must be considered such as the increase in saturated fat content. Historically, many compound coatings contained some cocoa butter to better mimic real chocolate flavor and mouthfeel. The partially hydrogenated non-lauric fats used in the original high-trans-fat coatings had a limited tolerance to cocoa butter such that up to 20% of the fat phase of the coating could be cocoa butter. If these non-lauric compound fats are directly replaced with a lauric fat and the same level of cocoa butter is used, fat bloom forms on the coating. This is because lauric fats have little or no tolerance to the presence of cocoa butter. Thus, flavor can be compromised in the lauric fat coating.

Nomenclature is not always attractive either. "Because compound coatings are not real chocolate, they must be labeled as such. Often products containing compounds are referred to as ‘chocolatey’ or ‘chocolate-flavored,’" Ms. LeDrew added. The same holds true with confectionary coatings. For example, a cherry drizzle on a breakfast bar might be labeled as "artificially flavored cherry coating."

It is imperative that bakers work closely with coating suppliers so that the right melt, mouthfeel and flavor profile are obtained. Further, coatings can be selected to meet a product’s nutritional and labeling requirements.