Abstract: Crumb products for preparing chocolate products are prepared by adding together, mixing and heating ingredients which include milk solids and a sugar ingredient, particularly sucrose, and which include, optionally, cocoa solids and so that the ingredients added together, mixed and heated have a moisture content between 1.2% and 8%. The ingredients added together are mixed and heated so that the ingredients being mixed are heated-up to a temperature in a range of from 85° C. to 180° C. an so that upon being heated-up to a temperature in the range which is a temperature of at least 85° C. and up to 180° C., the ingredients being mixed are maintained at a temperature in a range of from 85° C. to the heated-up temperature for a period of from 2.5 minutes to 25 minutes to provide a heat-treated reaction product, and then the reaction product is dried at a temperature of from 60° C. to 80° C., which may be performed without vacuum conditions.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of chocolate crumb which comprises mixing and heating mixing and heating low fat milk solids, sugar, in the absence or presence of cocoa solids and from 1.2 to 8% by weight of water based on the weight of the mixture in a mixer to a temperature of 85° to 120° C., reacting at a temperature of 85° to 180° C. for a period of from 2.5 to 25 minutes followed by drying to a moisture content of less than 3% by weight based on the total weight of the mixture. The present invention also provides a concentrated chocolate crumb comprising low fat milk solids, sugar and optionally cocoa solids wherein the ratio of milk solids to sugar is between 1:1.5 and 1:0.1. When cocoa solids are present, preferably the amount of cocoa solids in the concentrated chocolate crumb is from 10 to 15% by weight based on the total weight of the mixture.

Abstract: Crumb products for preparing chocolate products are prepared by adding together ingredients which include milk solids and a sugar ingredient, particularly sucrose, and which include, optionally, cocoa solids and so that the ingredients added together have a moisture content between 1.2% and 8%, and the ingredients added together are mixed and heated so that the ingredients being mixed are heated-up to a temperature in a range of from 85° C. to 180° C. and so that upon being heated-up to a temperature in the range which is a temperature of at least 85° C. and up to 180° C., the ingredients being mixed are maintained at temperatures in a range of from 85° C. to the heated-up temperature for a period of from 2.5 minutes to 25 minutes to provide a heat-treated reaction product which then is dried. Crumb may be prepared which has, by weight, a milk solids to sugar ingredient ratio of between 1:0.1 and 1:3.