Kristy Leissle Publishes “Racing the Melt: the quest for heat-resistant chocolate”

IAS faculty member Kristy Leissle has a new article out on “Racing the Melt: the quest for heat-resistant chocolate,” published in The Conversation: Academic Rigour, Journalistic Flair. Early innovators in this quest were Hershey and Mars companies, who competed throughout the twentieth century to supply the US armed forces with chocolate that would keep on the battlefield. More recent conflicts in the Middle East have also sparked continued R&D into heat-resistance. However, the enormous sales potential for chocolate in emerging markets now drives much of the innovation. Callebaut, one of the world’s largest manufacturers, recently announced that they can produce a bar that remains stable up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, while researchers at Penn State have identified the gene that controls the melting point of cocoa butter. Leissle traces the history of non-melting chocolate, the latest discoveries, and their potential impact on consumers globally.