Chocolate Pre-Class Homework

Chocolate Pre-Class Homework

1. Map the process of forming a chocolate bar starting from the cocoa tree

     The cocoa bean begins its journey by being grown on a tree called the Theobroma Cacao tree which has its origins in Central and South America. The bean starts as a pod that contains the almond-shaped bean and is surrounded by a sweet pulp. After the pods ripe for 5-6 months they are harvested by hand. The pods are opened with a knife and the beans are scooped out. After this the beans are covered with banana leaves and left outdoors to ferment for 5-7 days. The beans are then dried for 1-2 weeks so that they can be shipped. Next, the beans are roasted for about 70 minutes to two hours. This is what gives the chocolate its aroma. After roasting, the shell is removed from the nib or kernel in the process called winnowing. This nib is now ground, which generates heat to melt the cocoa butter within the bean; this forms chocolate liquor. This liquor can then be hardened to form baking chocolate. The next step is to press the liquor which creates cocoa butter or a dry cake material that is our drinking or cocoa powder. Anything can be added to this liquor, such as dried milk or cocoa solids in order to get the various kinds of chocolate we eat. In order to get the chocolate bar, a chocolate crumb mixture is created. In this process the fat content is adjusted to a desired level. The crumb is then steel rolled into more refined particles that give it a smoother feel. Next is the conching process. This causes the flavor and textural changes to take place. During this last step, lecithin is usually added giving it the standard fat content. Tempering involves cooling the chocolate so that it has the right snap, gloss and texture. After tempering it’s reheated to liquefy the lower melting forms and so that the bar is now uniform. The final step is that the chocolate is tested by a variety of analytical methods that involves food tasters.

2. How does one establish the relevance of these findings to the general population?
     In order to determine if these findings are sound and relevant, further research studies must be conducted. Although these findings are promising and did indicate noticeable results for this test group, the research must be done on a much wider scale. Further studies must be conducted with people of varying genders, ages, and health status in order to get a sound conclusion. After further studies if these findings are accurate, this would be very relevant to the American population. As stated by the previous article, Americans consume 3.3 billion pounds of chocolate per year. Obviously we are a country that loves chocolate, so it would not be hard to get Americans to eat it. Blood vessel relaxation is involved in regulation of blood pressure. Hypertension is also a big problem in our country today, so something that could be effective in lowering BP would also be very relevant to the general population. However, further research needs to be done before everyone runs out to buy chocolate in order to lower their blood pressure!

3. Epicatechin and other flavanols are also found in grape juice, tea and red wine. Would you expect to find a similar positive cardiovascular effect when consuming these foods/beverages?
     I would expect to find similar positive cardiovascular effect. This is because there has been fairly extensive research on these substances and cardiovascular health. These studies have shown that having these beverages in moderation, can improve cardiovascular health. The key to this, however, is consuming these items in moderation. None of these foods or beverages is going to be a cure all for high blood pressure or heart disease. However, in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle I think that all these beverages can have a similar positive cardiovascular effect.

4. Much of the cocoa found in the US or in chocolates contains processed cocoa. Standard commercially processed cocoa has little or no flavanol. Would you expect to have a cardiovascular benefit from consuming chocolates found in the supermarket?
     I would not expect to have a cardiovascular effect from these highly processed chocolates. This is because even if they do contain small amounts of flavanol, this will most likely be outdone by the presence of additives, saturated fat, and cholesterol. I think that any cardiovascular benefit would be overshadowed by the presence of other negative substances present in highly processed material. In this case, I think that the negatives would far outweigh the benefits of the flavanol. One would be much better off finding a more natural chocolate where there is more flavanol.

5. Much of the health benefit studies have been done with cocoapro cocoa. Cocoapro® is a patented process that helps retain more of the naturally occurring flavanols in cocoa. Products that are made with the Cocoapro process include Dove® Dark Chocolate and CocoaVia®. Can you think of what Mars Inc., which owns the patent for Cocoapro must be doing to the cocoa beans to allow for high flavanols?
     One idea for how Mars Inc. is getting beans with high flavanols is by controlling the growing environment. Flavanols are a specific nutrient found in the beans, so perhaps by controlling the growing environment of the beans, the integrity can be maintained. By making sure the trees on which the beans grown are in the very best environment for growth, the growers can ensure that the beans will ripen still containing all their nutrients. If the beans are grown in a highly monitored, controlled environment, the company has more control over finding the right beans and the ones that will yield the most flavanol nutrient.

6. If one assumes that eating Dove Dark Chocolates are good for you since it contains high flavanol levels and that the plant manager for Mars eats about half-a-dozen dark chocolates a day, and that each Dove dark chocolate contains 190 calories, do you see an upside or a downside from eating Dove Dark Chocolates?
     In this case I see a downside from eating Dove Dark Chocolates. The key to the cardiovascular effects of these chocolates is that they are consumed in moderation. Simply because they contain flavanols does not mean that the caloric and fat content goes away. Consuming too many high caloric foods can lead to obesity and eventually heart disease, having the opposite effect that is wanted from flavanols. In order for this process to truly be effective one must consume these chocolates in moderation, in partnership with an already healthy lifestyle. This is the only way that the truly positive cardiovascular effects can be seen.

7. Read the article, Improved Skin Condition and Cocoa (available on Moodle). You may skip the Materials and Methods section and the Results section. Pay special attention to the Abstract, Introduction, and the Discussion. To achieve the skin quality described in the paper, how much cocoa should be consumed and how frequently?
     The study concluded that regular consumption of beverages rich in flavanols can help with photoprotection of skin as well as maintaining skin’s structure and function. In order to get the maximum photoprotective effect, one should consume a daily amount of cocoa, comparable to that of carotenoid supplements. This equals out to about 100g of dark chocolate. This study was 12 weeks long and the subjects did see significant improvement in skin integrity. However, no exact figures were given as to consumption amount and frequency. They simply concluded that a regular consumption of moderate amounts (about 100g) of cocoa can yield positive skin maintenance.

8. Read the article, Chocolate and Health, (see Moodle). What are some of the misconceptions about Chocolate and Health?
      One misconception is that components of cocoa contain antioxidants that can kill naturally destructive molecular particles in the body. Another misconception is that a person can get the cardiovascular benefits of flavanols by consuming any dark chocolate at the supermarket. A third misconception is that measuring cocoa-solid content can act as an indicator of a chocolate’s flavanol. However, researchers have debunked this myth by revealing that both the flavanol and non-flavanol rich drinks in the study contained the same amount of cocoa solids. Specialists at the University of Western Australia School of Medicine and Pharmacology also attest to another misconception. Not all flavanoids present in chocolate can yield heart benefits. Not all flavanoids are really absorbed by the body, thus chocolate companies cannot claim health benefits by simply providing chocolate rich in any type of flavanoid.