PROCESS AND PLANT FOR THE PREPARATION OF CHOCOLATE PASTE

摘要

Process and installation for the preparation of chocolate paste, wherein the different ingredients comprising at least cocoa and powdered sugar are subjected to crushing to obtain a predetermined grain size, to fluidification by dispersion of the sugar and cocoa particles in a continuous fatty phase and to degasing for removing the water and the undesirable volatile compounds, at least part of the treatment being carried out in a multiscrew conveyor provided with means for adjusting the temperature of the entrained material. According to the invention, after a preliminary crushing of the ingredients up to the obtention of a refined paste having the desired grain size, a dry conching treatment of the refined paste is carried out in the screw conveyor and thereafter the resulting paste is liquified by incorporating adjuvants in proportions in accordance with the recipe, the dry conching treatment comprising a first step of simple mixing of the refined paste with temperature increase and at least a second mixing step with production of rolling and shearing effects of which the intensity is progressively increased, each mixing step being followed by a degasing step and the intensity of said rolling and shearing effects being determined so that the temperature adjusting means enable to maintain the material at the optimum conching level and to preserve the grain size.