09/05/2002

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Chow Line: No standard yet for white chocolate (for 9/22/02)

Writer:

Martha Filipic
filipic.3@osu.edu
(614)292-9833

Source:

Sharron Coplin

Is "white chocolate" really chocolate?

Well, according to the government, white chocolate really isn't anything. That is, white chocolate doesn't yet have an official "Standard of Identity" recognized by the Food and Drug Administration. Temporary permits to market "white chocolate" products have been issued since late 1993, but the agency hasn't yet approved a final standard definition of "white chocolate."

But chocolate experts know what "white chocolate" is, and it doesn't seem to quite add up to being chocolate. White chocolate is typically a blend of cocoa butter, milk, sugar and possibly some flavorings. But real chocolate must contain chocolate liquor. Chocolate liquor isn't alcohol -- but that's what they call it anyway. Chocolate liquor is what you get when you grind up roasted cocoa beans and is basically a mixture of cocoa butter and cocoa powder. The mixture contains so much fat that when the beans are ground up, the mixture becomes a thick liquid -- chocolate liquor.

That liquid can be poured into molds and allowed to solidify. That's what we know as unsweetened chocolate. Or, the solids can be separated from the fat, and you get cocoa powder and cocoa butter. Real chocolate contains the whole kit and caboodle from the cocoa bean. White chocolate, as mentioned above, contains just the cocoa butter.

Interestingly, white chocolate doesn't keep as long as regular chocolate. Although cocoa butter is known for its stability, something in the cocoa solids seems to help prevent the milk in milk chocolate from going rancid over time. White chocolate doesn't have as long of a shelf life.

Unfortunately for chocolate-lovers, cocoa butter has very little "chocolate" flavor. But truth be told, white chocolate aficionados exist out there, and they wouldn't trade their pale sweets for any of their semisweet-, milk- or dark-chocolate cousins.

However, they shouldn't think they're getting a bargain as far as fat and calories are concerned. White chocolate treats contain just about the same number of calories and grams of fat as "real" chocolate does. As with any food grouped at the tip of the Food Pyramid, enjoy in moderation, in cooperation with a balanced diet.

Chow Line is a service of The Ohio State University. Send questions to Chow Line, c/o Martha Filipic, 2021 Coffey Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1044, or filipic.3@osu.edu.

Editor: This column was reviewed by Sharron Coplin, registered dietitian and Ohio State University Extension nutrition associate in the College of Human Ecology.