When creating new products, it’s important for commercial baking and snack formulators to consider the differences that exist between bench-top processing and the full-scale plant’s production equipment and capabilities. Working and communicating with a team that understands all the angles of the product and its makeup process also can help a developer answer any questions and concerns before scaling up.

When dealing with chocolate in particular, Stacy Reed, product development manager, Cargill, said it’s vital for formulators to consider the chocolate ingredient’s color, fineness, viscosity, fat target and sensory testing. By understanding those factors and the differences in production, a company can anticipate issues and resolve them ahead of scale-up.

Specific tips for handling chocolate in a specific product really depends on the application, according to Emily Villette, product manager for the Real Chocolate Business Unit, Puratos Group. Chocolate, because of its cocoa butter, must be kept in proper temper or else its texture changes and its fat and sugar can bloom onto the surface. In the case of chocolate inclusions, she said the temperature of the batter and fermentation is easy to control in the prototype phase, but product developers must pay close attention to these variables in scaling up to maintain the strong chocolate taste. For chocolate enrobing, tempering is critical, particularly in bakeries where temperatures and humidities are high.