Chocolate Genome To Yield Chocolates That Taste Better
When I’m not at my best, I look for something to pick me up. Picker-uppers always do the trick for me. It goes without saying that chocolate is my favorite, for that matter.
It’s good to know Genome Biology has got my back covered. They have launched a fully sequenced genome for the cacao plant which is said to yield even better tasting chocolates.
Juan C Motamayor from Mars Incorporated has worked alongside his colleagues in the field of chocolate breeding. Sounds fantastic until you realize you need to study a whole lot of genetics stuff and you’re not in it for the chocolate eating. Yup, what a bummer! Their goal is to sequence the genome of the most famous variety of Theobroma cacao L., namely the green podded Costa Rican Matina.
They claim that through highlighting the gene that has something to do with color variation, they could produce a way cross-modify the Matina, which has a very high yield, with another variety, one that tastes better but that has a lower yield.
Conventional cross breeding had gone through several experiments over the years. In Ecuador, a high yielding plant with red pods was mixed with a better tasting plant with green pods. However, this only lessened the overall quality of the chocolate.
Experimentation is the act of getting things wrong a couple of times, as a matter of fact. The genetic markers may be used to screen young seedlings and choose the best plants even before they reach a mature stage.
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: better, better tasting chocolate, Chocolate Genome, chocolate science, chocolate studies, green, matter, tasting
Shortage in Chocolate
Mind-bogglingly, there is currently a worldwide scarcity of cocoa beans. And this might be the rationale behind the total increase of the price of chocolate in the future, as what experts have assumed.
Chocolate manufacturers are thinking of various useful approaches that can aid in this problem like increasing the amount of nuts, fillers, or any other ingredients so as to bulk out chocolate candies.
This demand is supposedly cause by the rise in the popularity of cocoa in China, the ongoing spread of awareness about the several nutritional advantages of chocolate, and the steady and growing demand for dark chocolate.
According to the editor of trade publication Kennedy’s Confection, Angus Kennedy, the alarming shortage was the main topic in a recent industry summit. In addition, he stated that chocolate makers may go for chocolate flavor substitutes that ‘don’t melt in your mouth’.
It has been foreseen last year that there is gonna be a scarcity in ‘certified’ cocoa or ethically farmed beans, as there has been problems nowadays about accessibility of non-certified beans. ‘Now we are saying it doesn’t matter what you call it – there’s not enough.’ said Kennedy.
Cocoa bean experts are assuming that there is gonna be an intense shortage over the next eight years. Truth be told, they claimed that we will be around a million ton short. A huge–sized farm should be cultivated to meet all the demands.
Lately, chocolate eaters have been raving about dark chocolate and all its health advantages like lowering blood pressure and its link to the prevention of certain heart diseases. Chocolate makers have been encouraging this trend as dark chocolate is a profitable item.
What we must do now is savor chocolate as much as we possibly can and hope for the best to come!
Find More Learn About Chocolate Articles
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: Cacao, cacao farming, chocolate sgoirtgae, cocoa, dark chocolate, experts, gonna
Making Fabulous Favors Using Chocolate
Chocolate is a favorite to many, children and adults alike. I know a lot of people can back me up on this. It’s just something that knows how to work its magic anytime, anywhere.
In this video, Christina Crawford shows you how to make great wedding invitations, favors, save the date cards and thank you notes.
Categories: chocolate videos Tags: CHOCOLATE, Christina Crawford, date, Fabulous, favorite, Favors, knows, making, Using
How to Make Chocolate Dessert Cups and Bowls – The Easy Way!
There are times when you want to be creative, but you just can’t squeeze the creative juices out of you! What better way to bask in creativity than playing around with chocolate? Here’s a video that will teach you how to make your own chocolate dessert cups and bowls.
Video Rating: 4 / 5
Categories: chocolate videos Tags: Bowls, CHOCOLATE, chocolate dessert, Cups, Dessert, Easy, teach, Video Rating
Cocoa Bean Process- Part 2
It is made from cocoa tree which translates that it contains many benefits that can be obtained from other vegetables. These perks are from flavonoids which serve as antioxidants. Antioxidants are able to protect the body from rapid aging caused by free radicals which can do damage tantamount to heart diseases. Watch this video and see how it is processed.
Video Rating: 0 / 5
Categories: chocolate videos Tags: able, bean, cocoa, cocoa processing, part, process, serve, Video Rating
Chocolate Better Than Fluoride?
A new research published in the dental journal, Caries Research, confirmed what the inventors of Theodent™ toothpaste have always been saying.
Theobromine, an all-natural and organic compound abundant in chocolate, is said to have the ability to re-mineralize and harden tooth enamel better than fluoride. Theobromine is the active ingredient in Rennou. Rennou is the patented chocolate extract found in Theodent toothpastes.
This study is authored by Dr. Ben Amaechi, an associate professor and director of cariology in the department of comprehensive dentistry at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio.
This study focused on the enamel-strengthening abilities of theobromine, particularly its ability to re-mineralize or repair tooth enamel weaknesses, which almost always ends up in cavities.
It involved measurements of the micro-hardness of the enamel surface of human teeth after utilizing theobromine and fluoride. The research showed that theobromine increased the size of the apatite crystals. These crystals are supposedly the ones responsible for the formation of tooth enamel.
“This peer-reviewed study, conducted by one of the world’s foremost authorities on caries research, validates the potential of Rennou™ to ultimately replace fluoride in commercial toothpastes,” says Arman Sadeghpour , PhD, Theodent chief executive officer.
“The study’s implications are significant and potentially disruptive for the oral care industry since theobromine is safe to swallow while all fluoride toothpastes still carry FDA mandated ‘do not swallow’ warning labels,” he claimed.
As a response to the safety aspect, Theodent launched Theodent Kids fluoride-free toothpaste as the newest edition to the Theodent oral care line.
Dr. Amaechi’s work acts as a back up to theobromine’s effectiveness as well as its use as a “safe to swallow” substitute to controversial fluoride. The Caries Research requires even deeper research involving humans to make the most of the advantages that come with theobromine in both oral hygiene and caries-preventive products. Theodent Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Tetsuo Nakamoto said “those studies are not far behind.”
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: chocolate science, chocolate studies, fluoride, research, Theodent, tooth
Chocolate and Ancient Medicine
The Aztecs had this thinking that chocolate gave immense strength to their warriors. Ancient doctors used to prescribe it to treat or even cure ailments. In the past, people went for chocolatebecause of its medicinal qualities rather than its yummy taste.
“Chocolate nourishes and preserves health entire, yet causes a pleasant and natural sleep and rest,” wrote Dr. William Hughes, an English physician in 1672. “Drunk twice a day, a man may very well subsist therewith, not taking anything else at all.”
For centuries, chocolate was consumed as a drink, not as a solid bar like we have it now. To the Mayans, Aztecs and Early-Europeans, this frothy drink made out of the cacao bean was a gift from nature. Those who loved chocolate were impressed by chocolate due to its mild stimulant properties. Tt made them feel awake and alert.
“Cacao flowers were ingredients in perfumed baths, and thought to cure fatigue in government officials and others who held public office,” says the Badianus Codex, published in 1552. The Florentine Codex, published in 1590, called for a mixture of cacao beans, maize and herbs to ease fever and panting, and to treat the faint of heart.
In Aztec society, chocolate was intended for priests and the rich. However, soldiers also used to have it for the strength it supposedly gives. In 1529, when the Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes arrived in the court of Aztec ruler Montezuma, he and his fellowmen were astounded by this drink chocolate, which the Aztecs dubbed as “xocoatl” for bitter water. Cortes wrote to King Carlos I of Spain that he had discovered a “drink that builds up resistance and fights fatigue.”
Categories: chocolate articles Tags: ancient chocolate, ancient medicine, aztecs, CHOCOLATE, medicinal chocolate, published, strength, treat, used
