Scientists involved in the long and complicated process of
creating the ‘perfect piece of chocolate’ reveal that while ‘perfect’ may
be used to lure customers to buy the perfect crème egg or enormous
chocolate-stuffed Easter Egg, perfect chocolate is actually the result of a
well-scrutinised global supply chain working at its best.
This insightful account comes from a company called
Intertek
and their task is to work closely with chocolate manufacturers, testing,
inspecting and evaluating at every stage of production from bean to bar.
The average chunk of sweet confection undergoes hundreds of
assessments from the day the cocoa seed is planted (tested for water,
segregation, nutrition), to when the cocoa pod is harvested (assessed in terms
of child labour, salary scales, fair trade). These checks also include how the
chocolate is transported and manufactured (tests for manufactured pollutants,
manufacturing systems assessed), to the way it is blended, packaged and sold.
Every aspect of the chocolate production process from
ingredient to blend to the finished product is monitored, tested and checked
against regulations to ensure it’s safe, of good quality and conforms to all
the legal standards. Analysis ranges from labour pay scales and conditions of
farm workers tending the cocoa pods, to environmental issues around rainforest
use, to monitoring the transportation process, as well as quality and safety in
the manufacturing, packaging, distribution and selling of the finished
chocolate product.
At the Cocoa farm itself, the task of where to plant and how
to nurture the crops, is in itself a challenge. By using precision
farming, soil labs such as Intertek’s South Africa labs, carefully determine
and provide details on how to respond to the land’s needs. Allowing the
farmers to accurately pinpoint and apply the right amount of nutrients in the
precise location at the right time. This not only benefits the crop’s yield but
creates a sustainable environment for future crop cycles and supports the local
community.
To achieve a premium product, the cocoa chocolate must be
quality checked pre- and post-shipping. It must be monitored to ensure correct
loading and checked again during transit to ensure it is kept apart from the
bulk cargo. If it has to be held in storage overnight, a further stock
monitoring service may be required.
The seal on the premium cocoa is broken at the factory prior
to the manufacturing process and all papers are checked. The factory itself
will be subject to testing to ISO standards in terms of hazards, safety and
quality procedures and practices.
When blending with other ingredients, each of those
ingredients will have been tested and certified. For example, the milk used for
blending with the chocolate will have undergone its own rigorous testing
process including checks on cattle welfare on the farm as well as safe milk
collection.
The final product is tested for cocoa mass, butter fat and
milk solids to ensure that the product complies with chocolate regulations
around the world and that the final product will be labelled correctly.
Other testers have the enviable task of carrying out sensory tests to ensure
the chocolate feels, tastes and looks right.
Equally Intertek experts are
also called upon to eat chocolates
and sweets
to assess whether these might cause choking hazards. Computer modelling
and other scientific and physical analysis
are also
used
to support these findings.
With the growing prevalence of allergies, such as dairy soya,
nuts and gluten, these are controlled by risk assessments and quality
management with the system being verified by audits and testing to ensure
unlabelled allergens are not present in the final product. Also the
microbiological quality of the final chocolate product is assessed.
Another
area under increasing scrutiny is packaging testing. The chocolate wrappers
should be proofed as safe when coming into in contact with the delicious
chocolate, providing no risk for human health.
The testing continues once the chocolate hits the shops, as
audits are also run in the form of brand quality to ensure the product fits
with the look and feel of the brand. Mystery Shopper audits are then conducted
to ensure the level of customer service being offered is as pristine as the
chocolate itself.
So this Easter, as excited adults and children comb gardens
for eggs and tear open silver paper packaging in search of a mouthful of
chocolate, it’s worth considering how many people have worked together along
the global supply chain to turn that simple pod into that perfect piece of
mouth-watering scrumptiousness!
According to retail and FMCG market
intelligence company IRI, the supermarkets missed out on Easter egg sales this
year, to the benefit of smaller and convenience stores who held their nerve
with stock right up until the day. So the message is that Easter confectionery sales, whilst
good, could actually have been greater than they were.
