	US 11,882,848 B1
	Calorie-reduced chocolate product comprising hydrated dietary fiber and methods for producing same
Hal Pio Chouinard, Lethbridge (CA); Glenn Coulter, Lethbridge (CA); and Kate Irene Wilson, Lethbridge (CA)
Assigned to Calowry Inc., Lethbridge (CA)
Filed by Calowry Inc., Lethbridge (CA)
Filed on Jan. 18, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/156,263.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/430,258, filed on Dec. 5, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/425,186, filed on Nov. 14, 2022.
Int. Cl. A23G 1/40 (2006.01); A23G 1/00 (2006.01); A23L 33/28 (2016.01)

CPC A23G 1/40 (2013.01) [A23G 1/0006 (2013.01); A23G 1/0026 (2013.01); A23L 33/28 (2016.08)]

21 Claims

1. A method for preparing a calorie-reduced chocolate product, the method comprising:

providing an insoluble dietary fiber component, wherein individual fibers of the insoluble dietary fiber component have an average fiber length of between about 1 μm and about 400 μm;

combining the insoluble dietary fiber component with a volume of a low-viscosity water-based liquid (LVWB liquid) at a fiber:LVWB liquid ratio of between about 1:0.5 and about 1:10 on a w/w basis to provide a hydrated fiber slurry;

mixing the hydrated fiber slurry with a chocolate and a stabilizing additive to form the calorie-reduced chocolate product;

heating the calorie-reduced chocolate product to a temperature of between about 30° C. and about 35° C. to provide a heated calorie-reduced chocolate product;

seeding the heated calorie-reduced chocolate product with βvi-polymorph cocoa butter crystals; and

cooling to between about 20° C. and about 25° C. to re-form the calorie-reduced chocolate product.