Chocolate is, by far, one of the most popular types of treats for people to eat. So it’s no surprise that it is always in demand as a food product. Thanks to modern logistics and insulated packaging, people who produce quality chocolate can now expand their customer base far beyond a local shop and even send their products to customers in other states or countries.
However, to do this requires some measure of care and planning. Like most food products, chocolate is delicate and extremely vulnerable to temperature changes. However, this goes both ways, as chocolate can be affected by temperatures that are too high and too low. But how?
High Temperatures
The most obvious threat to chocolate is long-term exposure to high temperatures. While chocolate does not melt above zero degrees Celsius the way ice does to water, it doesn’t, comparatively speaking, have a very high melting point either. It depends on the type of chocolate, but chocolate will melt at:
- Dark Chocolate: With more than 85% cocoa solids will melt at 46°C and over.
- Milk Chocolate: If it has between 20-50% cocoa solids melts between 40-45°C
- White Chocolate: If there are no cocoa solids, it has a melting point of 37°C
So care must be taken to ensure different types of chocolate remain below their respective melting points. This can be handled depending on insulated packaging.
Low Temperatures
On the other hand, freezing or even refrigerating chocolates below a certain temperature can also affect the quality of the product; in this case, chocolate products are not in danger of melting, and their flavor remains unaffected. However, if you care about the appearance of your chocolate products, temperatures that are too low can affect chocolate in the form of “Chocolate Bloom.”
Chocolate bloom, specifically sugar bloom, is the appearance of “dust,” grey streaks, or even sugar crystals that weren’t on the chocolate before. This occurs because of the moisture that humidity or refrigeration can introduce at low temperatures. The bloom occurs when sugar evaporates due to interacting with moisture, and the reforms are sugar crystals. For chocolate makers who invest a lot of their business reputation in the appearance of their chocolate, this can severely affect that reputation.
Fortunately, insulated packaging can help with this. Insulated packaging is not just good for preventing products from getting too hot but too cold as well. Insulated packaging helps maintain the optimal, original packing temperature regardless of whether it’s too hot or cold outside. If you’d like to know more, contact Protek Cargo with your questions and get a quote.
