European researchers believe tweaking chocolate production could eliminate unsightly "blooms" that can appear on sweets and present a challenge for manufacturers.
Scientists from Germany, Switzerland and the U.K. hoped to examine why lipids gradually migrate toward the top of chocolate, which results in discoloration and alters its taste.
They used microfocus small-angle X-ray scattering and contact angle measurements to discover that the lipids moved through pores in the chocolate and dissolved solid cocoa butter into a liquid. The liquid fat then recrystallized on top of the chocolate.
Their research, published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, suggested that reducing the number of pores in chocolate or limiting its liquid cocoa butter content could minimize blooms -- and resolve a problem long faced by chocolatiers.