Chocolate crumb

The system shown is heavily used in food processing applications such as milk or chocolate crumb production, sugar substitutes, modified starch, and alginates. In addition to food processing applications, such a system is used in the processing of heat-sensitive pharmaceuticals, polymer suspensions like latex, in processing pigments and dyestuffs, and pesticides. 

Figure 14.28 Example of a line for reactive extrusion of crumb powder and liquefaction of chocolate...

Special flavor formation for crumb chocolate takes place in the plant shown schematically in Fig. 14.28, left. In this system, so-called Maillard reactions between amino acids and reducing sugars occur in 1 to 2 minutes at 130°C, producing the classic flavors usually found in Great Britain, Scandinavia, and Japan. The process requires a few percent of moisture, which is added separately and removed in the vacuum after the reaction. The ZSK process saves on expensive vacuum dryers requiring several hours residence time. 

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