Packaging using oxygen absorber benefits chocolate, study

Thursday 7 January 2010

Chocolate packaged with an oxygen absorber in a barrier packaging material will maintain its aroma, taste and nutritional quality substantially longer than other packaging methods, according to a new study.

A study published in the journal, Innovative Food Science & Emerging Technologies, investigated the effect of active and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) as well as packaging material oxygen permeability on quality retention of dark chocolate with hazelnuts.

According to the authors, nuts with chocolate coatings show higher oxidation than those stored uncoated under the same storage conditions, with a referenced study suggesting that the chocolate coating blocks the passage of air and moisture to the nuts' tissue, resulting in a decrease in relative humidity and therefore increased oxidation rates.

The researchers said that their study was motivated by the fact that there were no previous findings published on the use of active and MAP for the preservation of chocolate, and they evaluated the use of an oxygen absorber as well as MAP and a vacuum packaging material barrier to oxygen on shelf life extension of dark chocolate with whole hazelnuts.

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