Without strict temperature control, crystals formed are of different sizes and the resulting chocolate will "bloom," having a matte appearance and waxy texture.
In any product reformulation involving cutting out sugar, the challenge is to maintain the same sweetness and mouthfeel that is given by the original ingredients.
We touched base with the great-grandson of August Merckens Sr., founder of the brand, plus a Cargill representative to talk about the past, present, and future of the brand.