Candy Melts Are Not Chocolate

Sugar Work By HotPink_LipGloss Updated 11 Aug 2014 , 7:55am by Claire138

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HotPink_LipGloss Posted 8 Aug 2014 , 6:16am
post #1 of 17

ANearly everybody calls candy melts, candy wafers, candy disks, confectionery coating, etc chocolate but it is not chocolate. One day those people will get a client who is really into chocolate wondering what kind of horrible "chocolate" did you use or call you out on using the melts. How embarrassing would that be for you.

Or worse you get a client who can't have dairy or doesn't eat dairy. Did you know that dairy is one of the main ingredients in candy melts? You can cause someone a lot of discomfort or kill them. There's many people out there who have never heard of or had candy melts. Shamefully I've have seen a baker encourage a new baker to use the melts bc "nobody can tell".

Some may say I'm overreacting but I have several friends and family members who either can't have dairy or don't want it. I gave my best friend one heck of a tummy ache one day not realizing. I called them candy but never looked at the ingredients(stupid me). Glad she wasn't the type that needed an epipen. Lesson learned.

16 replies
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AZCouture Posted 8 Aug 2014 , 6:44am
post #2 of 17

AOh I know, if someone tried to sell me something slathered in those melts, and called it chocolate, I'd have some words for them.

What cracks me up is the so called gourmet recipes out there, which include box mixes, pudding, and imitation flavors. Gourmet?! Say what? Might taste interesting, but that's misleading if you ask me.

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HotPink_LipGloss Posted 8 Aug 2014 , 8:04am
post #3 of 17

A"Gourmet" is definitely overused these days even at the store. When I was younger, it was something prestigious made with very fine ingredients like imported chocolate. Now I see pretzels covered in "fake chocolate" labeled as gourmet. People will buy anything if it says gourmet. One of my college English corses,we spent the whole semester picking out decieving phrases in ads and commercials. Some of my favorites were "noticeably longer", "brighter smile"(not bright smile), "NEW" when all they did is change the color of the box, "made with real fruit" but in tiny fine print at the bottom "made with only 10% fruit", "9 out of 10 doctors recommend"(whst are their names?!), etc etc.

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cazza1 Posted 8 Aug 2014 , 12:30pm
post #4 of 17

Pop one in your mouth and it is quite obvious that they are not chocolate.  A whole cake covered in them -- yew, makes me shiver just thinking of how disgusting it would be.  It's that same old adage again, 'You get what you pay for'. Except that they are quite expensive where I live!!!!

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HotPink_LipGloss Posted 8 Aug 2014 , 1:49pm
post #5 of 17

A

Original message sent by cazza1

Pop one in your mouth and it is quite obvious that they are not chocolate.  A whole cake covered in them -- yew, makes me shiver just thinking of how disgusting it would be.  It's that same old adage again, 'You get what you pay for'. Except that they are quite expensive where I live!!!!

You'd be surprised who can't tell the difference. I've never been much of a chocolate eater. The times I had the melts before I started baking, I had no clue. I do a lot of candy molding, and most people call it chocolate. I'm like no it's candy LOL. However, I use the Gihrardelli(sp?) ones most of the time. They taste really good but it's $5 for a 12 oz. bag. If only tempering chocolate was easy!

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cupadeecakes Posted 8 Aug 2014 , 2:58pm
post #6 of 17

Candy melts aren't chocolate, but they sure do behave a lot like chocolate.  I have caught myself on multiple occasions referring to candy clay (modeling "chocolate" made from candy melts) as modeling chocolate.  And I'm no dairy expert, but a lot of chocolate does contain some dairy (even dark chocolate) so when food allergies come into play you have to check everything you use very very carefully.  A good friend of mine is a celiac and runs a gluten free bakery.  Every ingredient has to be inspected thoroughly and in lots of cases they have to call the manufacturer.

 

I don't think it's any worse than calling frosting made with vegetable shortening and artificial coffee creamer "buttercream".

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-K8memphis Posted 8 Aug 2014 , 3:24pm
post #7 of 17

Aa few years ago, the FDA was considering changing the definition of chocolate where you could change cocoa butter for vegetable oil and still call it chocolate-- it was open for comments from the public -- I imagine that got approved but I don't know for sure --

what I'm miffed about is bakers unsweetened choco and the like, the packaging is half the size and basically the same price -- you now get 4 ounces for the (former) price of 8 ounces --

wow I just checked the packaging and unsweetened baker's ingredients list has one item 'chocolate' -- wow --

then i also have semi-sweet baker's choco and it lists choco, cocoa butter, lecithin, sugar etc.

so it used to be the fat that determines chocolate content now *I think* it's a lower standard to still be called choco and veg oil can be used

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HotPink_LipGloss Posted 8 Aug 2014 , 4:26pm
post #8 of 17

A

Original message sent by cupadeecakes

Candy melts aren't chocolate, but they sure do behave a lot like chocolate.  I have caught myself on multiple occasions referring to candy clay (modeling "chocolate" made from candy melts) as modeling chocolate.  And I'm no dairy expert, but a lot of chocolate does contain some dairy (even dark chocolate) so when food allergies come into play you have to check everything you use very very carefully.  A good friend of mine is a celiac and runs a gluten free bakery.  Every ingredient has to be inspected thoroughly and in lots of cases they have to call the manufacturer.

I don't think it's any worse than calling frosting made with vegetable shortening and artificial coffee creamer "buttercream".

Very true that some chocolate contains dairy(that's what I get for being up for over 24 hours LOL), but there still could be something in the melts that a person can be allergic to....thinking it's real chocolate. I just wouldn't market the stuff as chocolate....that's a flat out lie. Occasionally slipping is one thing, but intentionally deceiving customers is another. Plus those really into chocolate can tell something isn't right esp if it's the Wilton ones haha.

As far as "buttercream" made with all shortening, I call it "frosting" and all butter ones "buttercream" out of habit. I use all butter :-). Most bakeries and clients around here just say frosting :-).

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HotPink_LipGloss Posted 8 Aug 2014 , 4:29pm
post #9 of 17

A

Original message sent by -K8memphis

a few years ago, the FDA was considering changing the definition of chocolate where you could change cocoa butter for vegetable oil and still call it chocolate-- it was open for comments from the public -- I imagine that got approved but I don't know for sure --

what I'm miffed about is bakers unsweetened choco and the like, the packaging is half the size and basically the same price -- you now get 4 ounces for the (former) price of 8 ounces --

wow I just checked the packaging and unsweetened baker's ingredients list has one item 'chocolate' -- wow --

then i also have semi-sweet baker's choco and it lists choco, cocoa butter, lecithin, sugar etc.

so it used to be the fat that determines chocolate content now *I think* it's a lower standard to still be called choco and veg oil can be used

Are you serious? It seems quality is being compromised for money in everything these days. Things are getting smaller and smaller, but prices remain the same. I'm always having to increase my prices.

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-K8memphis Posted 8 Aug 2014 , 7:22pm
post #10 of 17

here is an article on the changes proposed 7 years ago: 

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/26/AR2007042602824.html

 

and if i understand correctly what the fda means in the following link -- when you use an oil other than cocoa butter you call the product "chocolate with olive oil" for the name on the label right up front -- or whatever type of oil it is -- but otherwise if it's call 'chocolate' then it's made with cocoa butter (they call it cacoa fat)

 

http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?CFRPart=163

 

so it appears to me that chocolatiers won and products called "chocolate" have to be made from cocoa/cacoa butter

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costumeczar Posted 9 Aug 2014 , 12:38am
post #11 of 17

I did a youtube video on how to make candy clay, and somebody left a comment about how I meant to say modeling chocolate. I wrote back that no, it wasn't chocolate and I meant to say candy clay because it used candy melts, not chocolate. So I try...But based on the comments on that video I changed the format to allow comments only when approved so that I could edit out the DUH moments.

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bubs1stbirthday Posted 9 Aug 2014 , 12:40am
post #12 of 17

Good to see that you like being honest with your customers regarding the products you use however if you are going to rant about people who cant eat dairy being sold melts as chocolate I think you need to do some research on chocolate.

 

My daughter was unable to tolerate dairy (And is still somewhat sensitive depending on the amounts/ cooking methods etc) when she was just a few months old and exclusively breastfed so I had to remove all forms of dairy from my diet. I did this very strictly so picked up a lot of information on dairy intolerance along the way. 

 

Nearly all Chocolate contains dairy under one name or another which many people don't realise, the rare exceptions that don't have dairy contain soy (unless there is a brand that I am unaware of, but believe me I searched and researched high and low), a lot of people who cannot tolerate dairy also have an issue with soy due to a protein that is similar to the one in milk that causes the intolerance so that is something to also keep in mind when using chocolate for people with a dairy intolerance.

 

Hopefully that is some useful information to get you started on furthering your research into the subject :smile:

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FromScratchSF Posted 9 Aug 2014 , 4:55am
post #13 of 17

Well, that's not totally true.  I use this:

 

http://www2.cacao-barry.com/en-US/products/m-9dbv/pate-glacer-ivoire

 

It has cocoa in it, its non tempering, and its perfect for making modeling chocolate, pouring on a cake or just straight dipping cake pops in.

 

Yes, it's expensive, but it's well worth it, especially for the flavor.  Comes in regular chocolate too.  

 

Leave it to me to find the exception to the rule :D

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-K8memphis Posted 9 Aug 2014 , 1:56pm
post #14 of 17

surely it's a great product but it's a pate and it's not named 'chocolate' -- which rule do you mean? 

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Claire138 Posted 9 Aug 2014 , 8:42pm
post #15 of 17

Quote:

Originally Posted by bubs1stbirthday 
 

Good to see that you like being honest with your customers regarding the products you use however if you are going to rant about people who cant eat dairy being sold melts as chocolate I think you need to do some research on chocolate.

 

My daughter was unable to tolerate dairy (And is still somewhat sensitive depending on the amounts/ cooking methods etc) when she was just a few months old and exclusively breastfed so I had to remove all forms of dairy from my diet. I did this very strictly so picked up a lot of information on dairy intolerance along the way. 

 

Nearly all Chocolate contains dairy under one name or another which many people don't realise, the rare exceptions that don't have dairy contain soy (unless there is a brand that I am unaware of, but believe me I searched and researched high and low), a lot of people who cannot tolerate dairy also have an issue with soy due to a protein that is similar to the one in milk that causes the intolerance so that is something to also keep in mind when using chocolate for people with a dairy intolerance.

 

Hopefully that is some useful information to get you started on furthering your research into the subject :smile:

 

You should try looking at kosher chocolate that has the word 'parve' on it which means it is milk free due to dietary restrictions that do not allow eating milk and meat together, they also have melts that come under this category.

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bubs1stbirthday Posted 10 Aug 2014 , 12:10am
post #16 of 17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Claire138 
 

 

You should try looking at kosher chocolate that has the word 'parve' on it which means it is milk free due to dietary restrictions that do not allow eating milk and meat together, they also have melts that come under this category.


Thankyou for the advice :smile: but due to the crossover between the soy and dairy protein, soy was out for us too. Even the specialty dairy free chocolate doesn't take into account the soy restriction that a lot of people have if they have a dairy intolerance - I was so happy to be able to eat chocolate again once we my little girl was able to tolerate small amounts of dairy/soy in her diet - missed my chocolate!

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Claire138 Posted 11 Aug 2014 , 7:55am
post #17 of 17

Quote:

Originally Posted by bubs1stbirthday 
 


Thankyou for the advice :smile: but due to the crossover between the soy and dairy protein, soy was out for us too. Even the specialty dairy free chocolate doesn't take into account the soy restriction that a lot of people have if they have a dairy intolerance - I was so happy to be able to eat chocolate again once we my little girl was able to tolerate small amounts of dairy/soy in her diet - missed my chocolate!

Ah ok, that's great that you're able to eat chocolate again, don't know what I'd do without it:shock:

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