Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

New Chocolate Has 90% Fewer Calories, Doesn't Melt

By Jason Farago, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 17, 2009 10:47 AM CDT

(Newser) – A mistake in the labs of the world's largest chocolate producer inadvertently led researchers to the ultimate in confectionery: a recipe that's not only heat-resistant, but that contains 90% fewer calories than normal chocolate. Food engineers fooling around at Barry Callebaut, which makes products for Nestlé and Cadbury, ended up creating a crispy bar with a light consistency that doesn't melt below 131°F.

"It's called Vulcano because it can be eaten when it's hot, and it's airy and full of bubbles, like volcanic rock," said a spokesman for the chocolatier, which produces more than a million tons of the stuff a year. The product will be targeted at calorie counters in America and Europe, plus smaller markets in Asia and Africa where high temperatures have made sales difficult. Vulcano should be for sale by 2011.

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (1)]

The new chocolate recipe developed from a a mistake in a laboratory. (©lepiaf.geo)

Soon M&Ms may not be the only chocolate resistant to melting on the market. (©bensonkua)

The new heat-resistant chocolate should be on the market within 2 years. (©ralphunden)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

It's nice and chocolatey, with a strong aroma, and crispy rather than creamy. It does melt in the mouth, but it is the enzymes in saliva rather than the heat of the tongue that causes it to dissolve. - Gaby Tschofen, spokeswoman for chocolatier Barry Callebaut

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

AP Photo

35 Brutally Honest Reasons Men Say No to Sex (The Stir)

Man in Mugshot Explains Why He Has Half a Head (HuffPost)

Another Sign Rihanna and Chris Brown Might Get Back Together? (Celebuzz)

These Exes Were Spotted Making Out … and That's a Bad Thing (Bleacher Report)

Which Entertainer Pulled Out of 'Inappropriate' Whitney Tribute? (NewsOne)

Partner Links

A snapshot of the day's best news stories.

View Larger Grid

All Today Yesterday Pick a Date

COMMENTS

Read the comment policy

Showing 3 of 10 comments

AClotfelter

Jul 18, 2009 8:11 AM CDT

I'll believe it when I taste it...

AClotfelter

Jul 18, 2009 8:09 AM CDT

I think Ck just "jumped the shark", if that was even possible... this post is so out there that from now on you'll never be able to convince me that Ck isn't some over-the-top Colbert-type person trying to mock the conservatives by being as asinine as possible.

NxBigmouthery

Jul 17, 2009 10:42 AM CDT

Remember the last time there was a breakthrough in low fat junk food? People were leaking synthetic oil outta their asses. Oh, and I like my chocolate melty.

What's Popular Now on Facebook

Rick Santorum: Birth Control Is 'Not OK'

Valentine's Day Role-Playing Goes Very Wrong

Guardian (UK) (Source Grid »)

Health

food • nutrition • diet • heat • calories • chocolate • candy • Nestle • chemistry • food science

More Newser Stories

Is Boring Breadfruit Our 'Food of the Future'?

Hawaii hosts movement to support the nutritious stuff

(NEWSER) - It’s highly nutritious and some say it could alleviate world hunger; trouble is, it’s not too appetizing. “You have to kind of fool people to get them to try it,” a chef tells the Wall Street Journal . That may be worth it, breadfruit supporters say: A movement of sorts has developed around the food, known as ‘ulu in Hawaii. “Think of sautéed breadfruit as a platform for any kind of cuisine or flavor,” says a woman running a grove on Maui. More»

Here's Your Acronym for a Healthier Diet: ERF

As in Eat Real Food, writes Mark Bittman

(NEWSER) - America's taking baby steps toward eating a diet of real food, writes Mark Bittman in the New York Times. He rounds up a trio developments—the USDA urging people to eat less , Michelle Obama teaming up with Walmart , and Oprah challenging her staff to go vegan for a week. All are admirable to a certain extent, but they still tend to push pseudo-healthy versions of bad food instead of challenging us to eat better food altogether. More»

Chocolate Linked to Lower Risk of Heart Attack, Stroke

Small amount of dark chocolate daily lowers heart attack, stroke risk

(NEWSER) - Eating small amounts of chocolate may lower your risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke, according to new research out today. In a study of 19,000 middle-aged subjects, German scientists noted lower blood pressure in those who ate the most chocolate, accompanied by a 39% lower risk of heart attack and stroke compared to those who ate the least. More»

Chocolate Linked to Lower Stroke Risk

That's not an excuse to start gobbling candy, docs warn

(NEWSER) - Eating one serving of chocolate per week may help save you from a stroke, researchers say. Chocolate eaters are 22% less likely to suffer a stroke than abstainers, an analysis of three studies with a total of 44,489 subjects reveals. But even the study author cautions that the conclusion "is something that requires further investigation," reports USA Today . And another doc cautions that association isn't the same as causation. More»

Michael Pollan's Latest Is Best Nutrition Book in 40 Years

Food Rules deserves raves: Jane Brody

(NEWSER) - Out for just over a month, Michael Pollan's Food Rules is the No. 1 book on Amazon—and the best nutrition book of Jane E. Brody's career. "In the more than four decades that I have been reading and writing about the findings of nutritional science," the New York Times personal health columnist writes, "I have come across nothing more intelligent, sensible and simple to follow than the 64 principles outlined" in the 139-page, $11 book. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website