Lecithin in chocolate: what does it do?

Lecithin in chocolate is the subject of much controversy. Purists will say that only two ingredients are needed to make chocolate: cocoa and sugar. Everything else is superfluous. While legally nothing else is necessary, as long as minimum percentages are met, it is not forbidden to add lecithin. So why use it and what does it bring?

What is lecithin?

Lecithin is used in many fields, from cosmetics to food. Manufacturers obtain it from plants such as soy, sunflower, rapeseed, and corn. Its properties make it a particularly useful ingredient. Indeed, at the molecular level, its main characteristic is that one end attracts water and the other easily binds to the compounds of fatty ingredients. This property allows for more stable mixtures – emulsions, to be exact. As additives, lecithins can change the manufacturing process, texture, and even the taste of a food.

Despite all this, lecithin is often at the heart of controversy. Whether as a bad or beneficial ingredient, its presence does not go unnoticed. In terms of health, plant lecithins seem to play a rather beneficial nutritional role. However, one should be wary of promises claiming that they can cure certain diseases. Their negative role rather comes from their impact on the environment. Indeed, lecithin is often extracted from soy, especially GMO, which is frequently cultivated on land resulting from deforestation and has an impact on water resources.

Why add lecithin to chocolate?

There are two styles of chocolate. On the one hand, low-fat chocolates to which manufacturers add little or no cocoa butter. On the other hand, very creamy chocolates, to which producers add cocoa butter to increase melt. In terms of manufacturing, in the first case, the challenge is to work with a denser chocolate mass. With less viscosity, the mixture can block machines, especially in a poorly humidity-controlled environment. The addition of lecithin allows the whole to be thinned without increasing melt. Thus, it takes five to ten times less lecithin than cocoa butter for a similar result. In the case of very fatty chocolates, the risk is that the cocoa butter separates from the rest of the mass. Adding lecithin then helps to achieve a more stable mixture.

Cocoa and sugar are mixed in a mixer. It is at this stage that lecithin can be added to the chocolate mass to modify its viscosity. Credit: Daderot, wikipedia.

From a taste perspective, the main difference between adding lecithin or cocoa butter to chocolate lies in the texture. With a melting point well below human body temperature, cocoa butter provides a unique melt-in-the-mouth quality. Less sensitive to heat, lecithin will make the chocolate less melt-in-the-mouth. This property is also interesting for preservation. Indeed, with lecithin, the product resists variations in storage conditions better. Thus, this choice partially prevents the blooming of chocolate. Although harmless, this phenomenon is the result of fat separating from the mass, making the chocolate more brittle and less flavorful.

Advantages and disadvantages

Ultimately, what does adding lecithin to chocolate bring to the producer and the consumer? For the former, beyond technical constraints, it is also a question of costs, especially on an industrial scale. Indeed, if chocolate keeps better, losses and waste decrease. The savings are also significant. On the one hand, lecithins are cheaper than cocoa butter. On the other hand, they require smaller quantities. It should be noted that this can also mean having to forego certain customers allergic to certain lecithins.

For the consumer, in the case of industrial chocolate, the difference is minimal in terms of taste. It is then especially worthwhile to pay attention to the type of lecithin to reduce its environmental impact by preferring sunflower or rapeseed lecithin to soy. In the case of so-called bean-to-bar chocolates for which the origin of cocoa plays a large role in taste, the addition of lecithin will change the melt and therefore the experience. An element that can be prohibitive for some. But this choice by the producer must be weighed. Indeed, the tropical climate of some countries may leave no other choice. As often, one must be careful not to view lecithin in chocolate as only good or bad.

The sommelier's note (Nicolas) Personally, I prefer to choose products without lecithin. Why? Because by changing the texture of the chocolate and how it melts in the mouth, the experience is altered. In my opinion, a chocolate maker who roasts and masters his cocoa will know how to get the best out of it without having to add other ingredients. This also makes it easier to compare interpretations by different chocolatiers of the same cocoa. This point of view is very specific to my activity and should not be considered an ideal.