The Molecular Structure of

Chocolate
By: Brittany Grimsley
Chemical Formula
Theobroma is a bitter alkaloid of the cocoa plant, with the chemical formula
C7H8N4O2. It is not only found in chocolate, it is also found in the cola nut and the
leaves of tea. 28 grams of milk chocolate has 60 milligrams of theobroma. 28 grams of
dark chocolate has 200 milligrams of theobroma.
 Nutrition Facts About Milk Chocolate 8 oz Canister

SERVINGS
Servings Size1 Tbsp. MINERALS: calsium, 10% iron
Servings Per Pack1
FAT
1%Total fat0.5g
Saturated fat0g
CHOLESTEROL
Cholesterol0mg
SODIUM
Sodium0mg
PROTEINS
2%Proteins1g
CARBOHYDRATES
1%Total carbohydrates3g
8%Dietary fiber2g
Sugar0g
VITAMINS
0%vitamin A
0%vitamin C
The Chemistry of Chocolate
The main components in milk chocolate is cocoa butter, sugar, and milk powder.
Cocoa is the most important component, containing theobromine or C7H8N4O2.
Sugar is what sweetens it: C6H12O6+C6H12O6=>C12H22O11+H2O.It also has a lot of
caffeine: C8H10N4O2.Milk is very important to make milk chocolate however there
are too many forms of milk to have a chemical formula, it is made of emulsion and
colloids.
Background Research
Chocolate is made from cacao beans. Which are stirred up, then dried, then cleaned,
and finally roasted. The shells are removed to make cacao nibs. The nibs are ground
into cocoa mass. The cocoa mass gets liquefied to form chocolate liquor. Which is
finally process into cocoa solids and cocoa butter. To make the classic milk chocolate
bar, you mix cocoa butter, sugar, and milk powder or condensed milk.
How Chocolate is Made
What's normally in Chocolate? 10-20% Cacao 8-16% Milk Solids 32-60% Sugar 10-20% Cocoa Butter 1.2%
Theobromine and Polyphenols.

How is Chocolate Made? Harvest: Cut and crack open pods for beans Ferment: Let microorganisms and heat
kill bean and develop flavor Dry and Ship: Sun dry beans to preserve them for travel to chocolate-making
factories Clean: Remove dirt, sand, and debris Winnow: Remove bean shell from cotyledon (nib), saving the
flavorful nib. Roast: Heat the nib to develop its flavor Grind and Mill: Release cocoa butter fat and generate
coarse particles of cacao from the nib Mix. Combine cacao, cocoa butter, milk, sugar, and flavors. Conch: Slowly
mix ingredients under heat while continuously grinding to make a smooth texture Temper:Crystallize the cocoa
butter to form a solid that is easy to snap and melts in the mouth. Form: Pour and cast chocolates.
Feel-Good Properties
Some of these properties are from a group of chemicals called methylxanthines.
Methylxanthine is what caffeine, theobromine and xanthine are made from, all of
them are found in chocolate. Of the three, theobromine is the big thing in chocolate.
This study found that the average cocoa powder contains 1.89% theobromine and only
0.21% caffeine. In fact, one variety of cacao plant is actually called Theobroma Cacao (a
name thought of from Greek meaning, food of the Gods.). Another study compared
how much volunteers preferences increased for a mystery drink plus placebo pill,
versus a mystery drink plus methylxanthine-containing pill. They found that the drink
paired with the chemical was liked better over the course the experiment. The
presence of these compounds must have something to do with our craving for
chocolate.
 Molecules And Crystallization
Research by chocolate bar companies has shared the secrets of chocolate at the molecular level.
They have found that taste is depending not only on what ingredients are used, but how the
molecules of those ingredients are arranged. It turns out, there are six distinct ways that cocoa
butter,the main fat in chocolate,can crystallize things. You can think of these different crystal
forms as being like six different shapes of snowflake, only these shapes are microscopically in the
chocolates fat. A chocolates crystal form determines not only how delicious it will be, but also
how glossy it is, how sticky it is, how quickly it will melt in your mouth, and whether it will
develop a grey coating called fat bloom that appears on some lower-quality chocolates.
Molecular Structure of Chocolate/Theobromine

O=0xygen
N=Nitrogen
HN=Hydrogen
CH3=Caffeine
.

Any
Questions?
Websites and Video
www.chemistryislife.com/the-chemistry-of-choco

www.hersheys.com/en_us/products.html

chemforeveryone.blog.sbc.edu/2013/02/05/all-about-chocolate-need-i-say-more/

indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/chocolates-chemicals-structure/

VIDEO: http://study.com/academy/lesson/amphipathic-molecules-definition-example.html There is also a quiz on the video.