What are the differences between dark, milk, and white chocolate and which one is the least healthy?
Almost everyone adores chocolate - whether you prefer bittersweet dark to sugary white, it's one of our favourite treats and is enjoyed worldwide
IT'S rare to find someone who doesn’t love chocolate – the delicious treat is enjoyed all over the world, and there are countless chocolate bars to choose from.
Everyone usually has a preference for which option they prefer, but what really is the difference?
Where does chocolate come from?
Chocolate is made from cocoa, which is extracted from cocoa beans (also known as cacao beans).
Cocoa butter is the fatty component of the bean, and cocoa solids are the remaining part, which is ground into a powder.
These ingredients are used to make chocolate bars, and other products.
What are the differences between dark, milk, and white chocolate?
It all comes down to their ingredients, and what proportion of the cocoa ingrediedents are used.
Milk
This is the most common and popular option, and most bars use milk chocolate as their main ingredient, which is made with milk, as the name suggests.
EU regulations specify that it must have at least 25 per cent cocoa solids, unless it is sold as ‘family milk chocolate’, with only 20 per cent.
However, in 2000, an agreement was made to permit the UK (and Ireland and Malta) to sell the family milk chocolate as just ‘milk chocolate’, despite its lower cocoa solid content.
Dark
This option, which is sometimes called ‘plain chocolate’, is less sweet and slightly bitter, so is usually less popular, especially with young children.
Its cocoa solid percentage can be anywhere between 70 to 99 per cent, and it is often used for cooking.
White
This super sweet option doesn’t use cocoa solids, so only uses cocoa butter, sugar, and milk.
According to the Food Standard Agency, it must be at 20 per cent cocoa butter.
Additional flavourings such as vanilla may be added, and it can be dyed to give it different colours, which can often appeal to children.
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Which one is the least healthy?
Dark chocolate has more cocoa and less sugar and milk, so is usually seen as the healthiest option.
It actually contains antioxidants and could lower the risk of heart disease.
White chocolate is packed with sugar and can often contain other preservatives, so is best to avoid when possible.
As with any treat, it should always be enjoyed as part of a healthy and varied diet.