Unites States: A new study has found that the irresistible melt-in-the-mouth sensation of chocolate comes down to the way it lubricates the tongue and that the process focuses on texture rather than taste. The findings are published in the journal ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces.

The study investigated the physical process by which a solid square of chocolate morphs into a smooth emulsion and found that chocolate releases a fatty film that coats the tongue, giving a smooth sensation for the entire time it is in the mouth.

Dr. Siavash Soltanahmadi, researcher at the University of Leeds, led the research and the researcher hope that findings can lead to the development of a “next generation” of healthier chocolate.

According to the researcher, the findings could be used to design low-fat chocolate that mimicked the sensation of a high-fat product.

“We are showing that the fat layer needs to be on the outer layer of the chocolate, this matters the most, followed by the effective coating of the cocoa particles by fat, these help to make chocolate feel so good. We believe that a next generation of chocolate can be developed that offers the feel and sensation of high-fat chocolate yet is a healthier choice,” Dr. Soltanahmadi shared.

Prof. Anwesha Sarkar, from the School of Food Science and Nutrition at Leeds, remarked that it is the “location of the fat in the make-up of the chocolate that matters in each stage of lubrication, and that has been rarely researched.”

The team used an artificial “3D tongue-like surface” that was designed at the University of Leeds to carry out the study, and researchers hope the same equipment could be used to investigate other foods that change texture, such as ice cream, margarine, and cheese.

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