Belgium chocolate makers are first with toothfriendly chocolate products

Wednesday, 03 December 2008

Belgian chocolate makers Daskalidès and Chocolaterie Smet have been the first to launch toothfriendly chocolate products onto the market. Daskalides has introduced a chocolate bar with praliné filling, while Chocolaterie Smet has introduced a series of four Hopla hollow chocolate figurines. Toothfriendly chocolate is an innovation from Barry Callebaut, a producer of cocoa and chocolate. Its toothfriendly chocolate has been granted the prestigious ‘Happy Tooth’ label from Toothfriendly International, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving dental health, and supported by dental associations from all over the world. Commenting on benefits of the Happy Tooth label, Dr. Albert Bär, director of Toothfriendly International, said: "We only give the Happy Tooth seal of approval to products that are guaranteed safe for teeth. All sweets that carry this logo have been scientifically tested by recognised and independent academic institutes for dental health. Their tests demonstrate that the product does not cause dental caries or tooth decay. The Happy Tooth logo helps consumers in their choice for toothfriendly products.” The Happy Tooth logo helps consumers to distinguish toothfriendly sweets from non-toothfriendly varieties. All products bearing the Happy Tooth logo, including the latest chocolate products by Chocolaterie Smet and Daskalidès, are guaranteed to be friendly to teeth and are recognised by the Toothfriendly International organization. Barry Callebaut’s toothfriendly chocolate has been created using a special production process and composition. Milk powder, for instance, has been replaced by milk proteins and sugar by isomaltulose, a natural sugar which can be found in small concentrations in honey and sugar cane. Isomaltulose belongs to the sugar group and, just like refined sugar (sucrose), is composed of glucose and fructose. Isomaltulose differs, however, in its resistance to decomposition by oral bacteria and therefore does not cause an increase in acidity in the mouth, protecting the teeth from decay. When acidity levels are high, and the corresponding pH level drops below the critical value of 5.7, there is a risk of forming dental caries. The pH level in the mouth remains above this level during and after consumption of Barry Callebaut’s toothfriendly chocolate. Isomaltulose tastes almost as sweet as sugar, is easily digested and has no accompanying laxative effect.

 

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