Why Do Some Chocolate Makers Use Emulsifiers (and Why MYZO Says "No, Gracias!")
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¡Hola, chocolate lovers! When you unwrap a chocolate bar, the ingredient list can tell you a lot about how that chocolate was made. In many commercial chocolates, you may see ingredients such as soy lecithin or PGPR listed near the end of the label. These are emulsifiers — additives used to change how chocolate behaves during production.
At MYZO craft chocolate, we keep things simple: cacao beans, sugar, and carefully selected natural ingredients. No artificial emulsifiers. No shortcuts. Just chocolate as nature intended — muy delicioso.
Let’s explore why large chocolate manufacturers use emulsifiers and why we prefer not to.
What Are Emulsifiers in Chocolate?
Emulsifiers are ingredients that help stabilize mixtures of substances that normally do not combine well, such as fats and solids. In chocolate production, emulsifiers improve flow, viscosity, and processing efficiency.
The two most common emulsifiers used in commercial chocolate are:
1. Soy Lecithin
2. PGPR (Polyglycerol Polyricinoleate)
These additives allow manufacturers to process chocolate more cheaply and efficiently, especially at very large industrial scales.
According to chocolate manufacturing research, emulsifiers are usually added in very small quantities — typically 0.3–0.5% of the chocolate recipe (Afoakwa, Chocolate Science and Technology, 2010).
Even though the percentage is small, their impact on processing and texture is significant.
Soy Lecithin: The Most Common Chocolate Emulsifier
Soy lecithin is a fatty substance extracted from soybeans during the production of soybean oil. It helps reduce the thickness of melted chocolate, allowing manufacturers to use less cocoa butter, which is the most expensive ingredient in chocolate.
In other words, soy lecithin allows producers to make chocolate cheaper and easier to process.
Soy lecithin is commonly extracted during soybean oil processing using solvents such as hexane, a petroleum-derived chemical used to separate oil from soybeans (U.S. EPA; NIH food processing reports).
While most hexane is removed during refining, trace amounts can remain in processed foods.
Another concern is the origin of the soy itself.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), approximately 94% of soybeans grown in the United States are genetically modified (GMO).
USDA Economic Research Service
https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/adoption-of-genetically-engineered-crops-in-the-us/
For many consumers, this raises questions about transparency, environmental impact, and food processing practices.
PGPR: The Industrial Chocolate Shortcut
Another emulsifier commonly used in large-scale chocolate manufacturing is PGPR (Polyglycerol Polyricinoleate).
PGPR is derived from castor oil and is specifically used to dramatically reduce chocolate viscosity.
Why does that matter?
Because it allows manufacturers to use significantly less cocoa butter.
Cocoa butter is expensive. By adding PGPR, companies can replace part of it with cheaper fats while still maintaining a smooth, flowing chocolate during production.
According to research in chocolate processing science:
- PGPR can reduce chocolate viscosity by up to 30–40%
- It allows chocolate to be processed faster in industrial equipment
- It improves the flow of chocolate in molds and coating machines
(Afoakwa, Chocolate Science and Technology, Wiley-Blackwell)
While regulatory authorities such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and FDA consider PGPR safe at permitted levels, it remains a highly processed industrial additive, which many craft chocolate makers prefer to avoid.
Why Emulsifiers Are Used in Industrial Chocolate
Large chocolate factories produce thousands of tons of chocolate every year. In this environment, efficiency and cost control are essential.
Emulsifiers help manufacturers:
1. Reduce production costs
Less cocoa butter is needed when emulsifiers are used.
2. Improve machine efficiency
Chocolate flows more easily through industrial pipes, pumps, and molds.
3. Create consistent texture
Emulsifiers stabilize chocolate during large-scale production.
4. Extend shelf life
Some emulsifiers help slow fat bloom and texture changes.
From a manufacturing perspective, emulsifiers are incredibly convenient.
From a flavor perspective, however, they are not necessary.
Health Considerations Around Emulsifiers
Most food emulsifiers are considered safe in small quantities by regulatory agencies. However, some research has raised broader questions about highly processed food additives.
For example, research published in the journal Nature found that certain dietary emulsifiers may alter gut microbiota and promote intestinal inflammation in animal models (Chassaing et al., Nature, 2015).
https://www.nature.com/articles/nature14232
While the study did not specifically focus on soy lecithin or PGPR alone, it contributed to growing scientific interest in how food additives may influence digestive health.
In addition, consumers increasingly prefer foods with:
- short ingredient lists
- minimal processing
- transparent sourcing
Chocolate is no exception.
Why MYZO Chocolate Uses No Emulsifiers
At MYZO craft chocolate, we take a different approach.
Instead of relying on emulsifiers, we focus on proper chocolate-making techniques:
✔ careful roasting
✔ long conching times
✔ balanced cacao-to-sugar ratios
✔ high-quality cacao beans
Our cacao beans come from a single Costa Rican family farm in the Talamanca region, where the unique Matina cacao variety grows between the Caribbean coast and the Talamanca mountains.
This cacao develops rich natural flavors — tropical fruit, nuts, deep cocoa notes — that deserve to shine without industrial shortcuts.
Because of this approach, MYZO chocolate contains:
No soy lecithin
No PGPR
No artificial emulsifiers
No unnecessary additives
Just chocolate.
Pure Chocolate, the Way It Was Meant to Be
For thousands of years, cacao was consumed as a pure ingredient by the Maya and Aztecs. Chocolate was valued for its flavor, energy, and cultural significance — not for how efficiently it flowed through factory machines.
At MYZO, we honor that tradition.
When you break a piece of MYZO chocolate, imagine the rainforest of Costa Rica, where cacao trees grow under the shade of tropical forests.
A piece of chocolate — dark like a night in the jungle.
Simple. Honest. Pura Vida.
Sources
- USDA Economic Research Service – Adoption of Genetically Engineered Crops
https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/adoption-of-genetically-engineered-crops-in-the-us/ - Afoakwa, E.O. Chocolate Science and Technology. Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.
- Chassaing et al. “Dietary emulsifiers impact the mouse gut microbiota promoting colitis and metabolic syndrome.” Nature, 2015. https://www.nature.com/articles/nature14232
- EFSA Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources Added to Food – Safety of PGPR.
