Chocolate contains more than 300 known chemicals including small amounts of

• theobromine and caffeine (stimulants)
• phenylethlyamine, an amphetamine-like substance
  
• polyphenols (antioxidants)
  
• "pharmacologically active substances that have the same effect on the brain as cannabinoids" (according to the Neurosciences Institute in San Diego, California.)

Chocolate manufacturing has undergone tremendous change since the first chocolates were made. Changes in both food technology and consumer taste have lead to the development of various types of cocoa butter alternatives with the objective of producing chocolate coatings economically to meet consumer demand without denying them the real taste of chocolate.

Theobromine             Caffeine      

How do you know whether the chocolate biscuit you are eating contains cocoa butter substitutes?

Look at the label. It might list among the contents

• hydrogenated vegetable oils
  
• partially hydrogenated vegetable oils

Of course the biscuits might also contain margarine

Hydrogenation gives the product the proper solids content and melting point Hydrogen gas is bubbled into hot oil in the presence of a nickel catalyst supported on an inert carrier, and removed from the fat after the hydrogenation is completed.

Substitute butters are manufactured from a variety of oils including palm kernel, coconut, palm, and shea oil. Any substitute product must have the correct melting point, and a sharp melting curve. Manufacture involves hydrogenation, multiple fractionation steps and sometimes rearrangement of the oils.

Cocoa butter is responsible for the mouth-feel of chocolate. It contains the fatty acids

• stearic acid
  
• palmitic acid
  
• oleic acid
  

combined in triglycerides At mouth temperature, cocoa butter melts, giving the rich, creamy texture of good chocolate. But cocoa butter is expensive and the supply is risky, both because of weather variations, and the politics of international trade.