compound chocolate

{{Short description|Combination of cocoa, vegetable fat and sweeteners}}

{{use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}

{{Infobox food

| name = Compound chocolate

| image = File:Compound chocolate.jpg

| caption = Pieces of dark compound chocolate cake coating

| alternate_name = Compound coating, chocolatey coating

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| type = Chocolate substitute

| served =

| main_ingredient = Cocoa, vegetable fats or oils, sweeteners

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Compound chocolate is a product made from a combination of cocoa, vegetable fat and sweeteners. It is used as a lower-cost alternative to pure chocolate (({{font color|#752700|"whole chocolate" is natural raw chocolate that contains cocoa butter}})) as it uses less-expensive hard vegetable fats such as coconut oil or palm kernel oil in place of the more expensive cocoa butter.{{Cite book |title=Chocolate, Cocoa, and Confectionery. Science and Technology |last=Minfie |first=Bernard W. |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |year=1989 |isbn=94-011-7926-3 |location=New York |pages= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qdjh_W4uYS0C}} It may also be known as "compound coating" or "chocolaty coating" when used as a coating for candy.{{cite web| url=http://www.inspection.gc.ca/food/labelling/food-labelling-for-industry/confectionery-chocolate-and-snack-food-products/eng/1392136343660/1392136466186?chap=0#s4c3| title=Labelling Requirements for Confectionery, Chocolate and Snack Food Products| date=29 November 2011| publisher=Canadian Food Inspection Agency| access-date=3 June 2012| quote=Compound coatings, which are products having the appearance but not the composition of chocolate, are often used as an outside layer or coating for biscuits, candy and frozen confections or as chips within baked goods. There should be no indication in the advertisements for these products that the coatings are "chocolate". However, 'chocolate flavoured', 'chocolate-like', and 'chocolatey' have been accepted as appropriate descriptions of such coatings and chips.| archive-date=30 November 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181130224533/http://www.inspection.gc.ca/food/labelling/food-labelling-for-industry/confectionery-chocolate-and-snack-food-products/eng/1392136343660/1392136466186?chap=0#s4c3| url-status=dead}}

It is often used in less expensive chocolate bars to replace enrobed chocolate on a product. True chocolate containing cocoa butter must be tempered to maintain gloss of a coating. Compound coatings, however, do not need to be tempered. Instead, they are simply warmed to between {{convert|3|and|5|C-change|F-change|sigfig=1}} above the coating's melting point.{{cn|date=December 2024}}

In the European Union a product can only be sold as chocolate if it contains a maximum of 5% vegetable oil.{{CELEX|id=32000L0036|tab=LSU|text=Directive 2000/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 June 2000 relating to cocoa and chocolate products intended for human consumption}}{{Cite web |date= 2004-03-19 |title=Arrêté royal relatif aux produits de cacao et de chocolat destinés à l'alimentation humaine. |url=https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/bel45638.pdf |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=www.fao.org}}