Why is chocolate so addictive?

• Britons will consume on average 7,560 chocolate bars and 8,316 chocolate biscuits in their lifetime.

• Scientists have discovered that it’s not the taste of chocolate that people find addicting, but the way it melts in your mouth

• Low fat chocolate can still produce the same texture effects as high fat chocolate

• Continue reading to learn how these findings could lead towards healthier chocolate production

There is no doubt that chocolate is delicious – and Britain is a country of chocoholics.

Recent research by the British Heart FoundationAccording to the study, the average Brit will consume 7,560 chocolate bars and 2,268 pieces of chocolate cake in their lifetime.

New research suggests that chocolate’s sweet taste is not due to sugar.

Continue reading: 7 reasons why indulging in chocolate can be good for your health

Scientists at Leeds University have discovered that the way chocolate lubricates our tongues could be the reason why we’re so addicted to the sweet stuff.

“Lubrication science gives mechanistic insights into how food actually feels in the mouth,” co-author of the study, Professor Anwesha Sarkar, says.

“You can use that knowledge to design food with better taste, texture or health benefits.”

Sarkar explained that chocolate’s fat content is a major factor in how chocolate melts in our mouths. But, it could be reduced to preserve the chocolate’s texture.

“If a chocolate has 5% fat or 50% fat it will still form droplets in the mouth and that gives you the chocolate sensation,” she explains.

“However, it is the location of the fat in the make-up of the chocolate which matters in each stage of lubrication, and that has been rarely researched.

Continue reading: Cadbury launches three new chocolate bars at 91 calories each

“We are showing the fat layer needs to be on the outer layer of the chocolate, this matters the most, followed by effective coating of the cocoa particles by fat, these help to make chocolate feel so good.”

Scientists concluded that healthier chocolate could still be made, according to the study published in the journal ACS Applied Materials and Interface.

“With the understanding of the physical mechanisms that happen as people eat chocolate, we believe a next generation of chocolate can be developed that offers the feel and sensation of high-fat chocolate yet is a healthier choice,” Sarkar explains.

Continue reading: Quality Street swaps iconic plastic wrappers for eco-friendly option after 86 years

“Our research opens the possibility that manufacturers can intelligently design dark chocolate to reduce the overall fat content.

“We believe dark chocolate can be produced in a gradient-layered architecture with fat covering the surface of chocolates and particles to offer the sought after self-indulging experience without adding too much fat inside the body of the chocolate.”

Watch this video to learn how to make double chocolate focaccia