Caramel reducing properties

Properties—Caramel is found in commerce as a concentrated solution or in solid masses or in powder as coffee essence. The solid forms an amorphous, reddish brown, brittle mass which is porous aud highly deliquescent. It is completely soluble in water and partly soluble in alcohol. It has a bitter taste due to the presence of assamar, and is not fermented by yeast. Its melting-point is about 135° C. It reduces the salts of the heavy metals and is precipitated from aqueous solutions by baryta and by neutral lead acetate, as well as by paraldehyde in alcoholic solution. 

For chocolate production, the raw cocoa is stored, shipped, and processed. The processing steps are roasting and liquor production. The heat treatment induces Maillard reactions, caramelization of sugars, protein degradation, and formatiiMi of volatile aroma components [85, 89]. An often applied step to cocoa is the dutching, the alkali treatment of cocoa powder in order to modify the color, and other physiochemical properties. The pH values of cocoa powders are adjusted from ph 5.3-5.8 in natural powders to higher than 7.6 in heavily dutched materials. The total flavanol contents are reduced from more than 34 to 3.9 g kg In the same way, the antioxidative properties of the powders are diminished [90]. 

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