Sugar Free Chocolate, also sometimes known as diabetic chocolate, low-calorie chocolate or unsweetened chocolate, is special chocolate meant for people who are diabetic or suffer from weight-related issues. Also, those looking to maintain a healthy body weight prefer to eat chocolate that is sugar free. Traditionally, chocolate is almost completely removed from the diet of people who are diabetic, overweight, obese or those who want to keep an eye on what they eat. Also, certain infections like candida are aggravated with consumption of chocolate and other sweets, and therefore, people suffering from them are medically put off chocolate.
Chocolate that is sugar-free and made from sugar substitutes like sucralose instead of conventional sugar is a good option for people who avoid traditional chocolate. Sugar free chocolates of the modern times ensure that the preparation is low on calorie, fat and sugar contents without compromising on taste.
The most commonly used sugar substitute for sugar-free chocolate is maltitol, a sugar alcohol. Other sugar replacers commonly used are mannitol, xylitol, sorbitol and isomalt.
Unsweetened chocolates are manufactured and marketed by all major chocolate producers like Hershey’s, Kraft, Nestlé, Cadbury and Neilson. Asher’s, in particular, is known for its sugar-free candies and chocolates and Wrigley’s has recently emerged as a major player in the sugar-free chocolate gum market.
History of Low-Calorie Chocolate
Commercially produced products with artificial sweeteners have been around for many decades but these gained worldwide popularity during the 1970s, especially Sugar Free Chocolate. Although it is sometimes disputed, Hershey's is often credited as being the first commercial producer and marketer of diabetic chocolate in 1984. Since then, the product has been manufactured commercially on a very large scale.
To begin with, various health concerns were raised over chocolate made from artificial sweeteners but the product has been refined over the years. Low-calorie chocolate of today's times is considered healthy enough for daily consumption and it tastes like conventional chocolate.
Sugar free versions of everything from dark, mint and white chocolate to cocoa powder and chocolate bars are easily available.
Ingredients Used in Production of Unsweetened Chocolate
While the exact ingredients used in production differ from one company to another, some of the common elements are:
· Maltitol - A sugar-free sweetener that behaves much like sugar but does not affect the glucose levels in blood. It is a low calorie sweetener.
· Cocoa Butter - An essential ingredient to ensure that the chocolate is smooth and has a soft, melt-in-the-mouth texture.
· Milk Fat - Although the ingredient can be avoided in case of dark chocolate (very essential for unsweetened white chocolates though), its addition ensures a smoother and richer taste and therefore, manufacturers generally add some amount to dark chocolates as well.
· Inulin - An important ingredient for low fat foods, Inulin improves the texture and taste of bitter or sugar-less chocolates.
· Soya Lecithin - A popular egg substitute responsible for making chocolate creamy and soft while keeping the fat and calorie contents in check.
· Calcium Caseinate - A low calorie, low fat milk substitute.
· Vanilla – Responsible for adding flavor to Sugar Free Chocolates.
Diabetic Chocolate Nutritional Information
With regards to calories, these are lowered drastically due to the use of maltitol that contains 2.1 calories per grams as opposed to traditional sugar that has a calorific value of 4.0 per gram. In addition, maltitiol is a carbohydrate that passes through the digestive system and intestines very easily and with minimum effort. This also cuts down the carbohydrates that the body absorbs during digestion.
Overall, Sugar free chocolates made with the right ingredients and in the correct way are believed to drastically cut down the fat, sugar and calorie contents (at least 70-80% less than traditional chocolates).
Laws Governing Diabetic Chocolate
Sugar Free Chocolate is governed by the same laws and rules that apply to all products that are made with artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes. While the rules differ from one country to another, it is a general practice to limit the content of an artificial sweetener to about 30% of the other ingredients used.
Low Calorie Chocolate Trivia
While sugar free chocolate does cut down on the sweet content of a chocolate, the fat levels do not generally go down as cocoa butter is an important ingredient and it is rich in saturated fats. To combat this problem, many companies have now started producing diabetic chocolates which substitute butter or margarine.