Scientists have now figured out why a white layer forms on top of chocolate with the help of X-rays to study this unusual formation.

Researchers say that this white fat bloom is produced when liquid fats like cocoa butter transfer from the chocolate towards the surface where crystallization is formed.

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According to lead author Svenja Reinke of the Hamburg University of Technology, this occurrs when the chocolate in liquid form begins cooling down in an uncontrolled manner where unstable crystals start to form as well. Although still in room temperature, one quarter of the lipids found in the chocolate are already liquid.

Reinke adds that this fat blooming is totally harmless, but it causes expensive damage to the food industry from rejections and customer complaints.

Apparently, when chocolate is stored at longer periods at higher storage temperatures, this fat blooming is most likely to be observed. Consumers often mistake this white discoloration on the surface of the chocolate product as a telltale sign of spoilage or past its expiration date.

According to Stefan Palzer of Nestle, this fat bloom does not contribute to any deterioration of the quality of the chocolate but this visual alteration often leads to numerous consumer complaints. Chocolate fat bloom still continues to be one of he most pivotal quality defects among the confectionary industry.

Using the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron's X-ray source PETRA III, scientists were able to observe closely how this white fat bloom emerges including its processes and how it works in real time.

Scientists conducted an investigation of the chocolate behavior when it comes to different mixes of the main ingredients of chocolate which are cocoa, sugar, milk powder and cocoa butter. These samples were made into fine powder to speed up the processes when X-rays penetrated them.

Researchers also dropped sunflower oil to study further the migration of fats on each of the samples to observe what happens.The results show that this wetting takes place within seconds as the oil penetrates very quickly into the smallest pores via capillary action.

This means that this liquid fat ultimately changes the internal structure of the chocolate. In just a few hours, this liquid fat gets dissolved into crystalline lipid structures that makes the chocolate softer that increases the transfer of the fat to the surface.

These observations can hopefully help the food industry to develop more solid solutions to reducing white fat bloom. Reinke says that reducing the porosity of the chocolate during the manufacturing process can help, so that fat can transfer slowly.

A possible solution is to limit the fat that is in the liquid form then storing the product in cool conditions, where 18 degrees Celsius is ideal.

Tagschocolate, why do chocolate have white stuff on them, white stuff chocolate, fat blooms chocolate