Fun Chocolate Facts

In the spirit of World Chocolate Day here are some fun facts about chocolate.

1. Chocolate is good for you; cocoa (the main ingredient in chocolate) is a source of antioxidants, which help protect the body against free radicals that damage cells!
2. Cocoa may have an antibacterial effect; cocoa husk extract may protect against tooth decay!
3. There is such thing as a professional chocolate taster, they are trained to pick up the minutest of flavours.
4. You can identify the region a cocoa tree was grown based only on the pod’s colour!
5. When you see a white coating on your chocolate bar, it doesn’t mean that its gone bad. It only means that some of the fat or sugar in the chocolate has risen to the surface (often due to a rise in temperature or humidity).

Written by: Emma Khazzam, 4th year Food Science Student
Source:Beckett, S. T., & ProQuest (Firm). (2000). The science of chocolate. Cambridge: RSC.