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Marktcheck checks: TV SWR films and tests Lindt Chocolate How good is Lindt Chocolate?

How good is Lindt Chocolate? That was the starting point of the question when SWR asked chocolatier Eberhard Schell and chocolate connoiseuse Michaela Schupp to test Lindt chocolates in May 2022.

 

The TV report Marktcheckt checks Lindt: Premium-Chocolate or mass-produced? 🔗 can still be accessed until 8.9.2023 (in german).

 

Marketcheck: Chocolate sommelière Michela Schupp

Michaela Schupp
Chocolate Sommelière

Grand jury member of the International Chocolate Awards

Michaela Schupp, founder and CEO of Chocolats-de-luxe.com is the chocolate sommelière and tester for the world's chocolates. As a grand juror of International Chocolate Awards, she tastes and evaluates many thousands of chocolates a year. She can taste whether cocoa has been suitably fermented, whether the roasting of the cocoa beans brings out the flavors or whether they have been destroyed by the roasting. It then continues with the working method of the chocolatier, which can be seen from the chocolate.

How healthy is dark chocolate?

From a nutritional point of view, chocolate is a superfood. It has all the vitamins that the body needs (except vitamin C) and about 300 nutrients that are healthy for the human organism. Due to the positive ingredients of cocoa, such as theobromine, dark chocolates give you a certain feeling of happiness after eating them. And they stimulate mental and physical performance. In addition, the secondary plant compounds and polyphenols stimulate thinking and perception.

dark chocolate also has a blood pressure and cholesterol-lowering effect. For this, however, one must eat about half a bar of dark chocolate of 85% and higher. Already a piece of chocolate per day (approx. 5g) is to lower studies after, the heart attack risk around 50%.

This only applies to dark chocolates that have been properly processed (e.g. not over-roasted) and does not apply at all to milk chocolates!

How healthy is dark chocolate
Marktcheck Lindt

Lindt tested against other supermarket chocolates

As is so often the case on television shows, the audience is asked for their opinion: they can taste and then vote for their favorite chocolate. However, from the point of view of Chocolats-de-luxe.com, the audience does not even have the opportunity to test a "good chocolate" in comparison to supermarket qualities. In this case milk chocolate is tested without a comparison to one of the winners of the International Chocolate Awards, the Academy of Chocolate or the Great Taste Award. One "Melissa" from Pralus, "Laura" from Tobago Estate or even the "Nicaragua" from Zotter would, in our opinion, open up whole new worlds of taste to the public.

Maitre Chocolatier: the successful advertising coup

The Maitre (French for master) Chocolatier is a successful invention of the advertising company that worked for Lindt. This "disguise" is very popular in commercials, where you supposedly with attention to detail, the chocolate in scene. One deliberately creates the impression of craftsmanship and quality.

One must not be dazzled: neither at Lindt nor at the other industrially working chocolate manufacturers do the employees in the huge factory halls run around dressed like this, nor is the chocolate production at supermarket chocolate in any way manual labor.

Every industrial chocolate manufacturer has food technicians who are always trying out new recipes or working out how to replace expensive ingredients with cheaper ones. Here one knows yes the TV transmissions of Sebastian Lege, with which tricks the food industry works.

The example of "pure butter fat" is a good way to explain this for chocolate. Cocoa naturally contains cocoa butter (cocoa fat). This is a very high-quality fat that is often used in the production of lipsticks, for example. For this purpose, the fat is pressed from the bean and sold to the cosmetics industry for a lot of money. In the chocolate manufacturing process, the missing fat is replaced by clarified butter. This is dehydrated butter from milk from cows. Thus, a product that is even vegan becomes a no longer vegan chocolate and good fat is replaced by cheap fat.

Maitre Chocolatier: the successful advertising coup
Marktcheck.  opinion consumer center

Consumer advice center criticizes different prices

It is quite common for the food industry to disguise a price increase by changing filling quantities. Lindt also has different prices in different packaging. As Chocolats-de-luxe.com we know only too well that special packaging has its price. If I want to have a beautiful packaging, it costs just more than a "plastic" bag !

The different filling quantities of Lindt bars are also due to the different cost structure and pricing according to the cocoa content. If I replace good cocoa butter with cheap clarified butter (butter made from cow's milk) at Chocolate and only have 20 or 30 percent cocoa content at milk chocolate anyway, and fill up the rest with milk powder and above all sugar, I can make different prices than with chocolates with a high cocoa content.

Renunciation of Fairtrade, UTZ and Co

Industrial chocolate manufacturers like to advertise with seals such as Fairtrade, UTZ or Rainforest Alliance. This is seen as positive by consumers, as most want to support the idea of fair trade. However, without looking into it, people pay high prices, but without the cocoa farmer getting anything out of it. You can also read the interesting report on ➤ Fairtrade Chocolate.

About the origin of cocoa beans the manufacturers of supermarket chocolates like to keep silent, because they know that the mass cocoa comes from countries such as Ghana or the Ivory Coast and there the cocoa is grown and harvested under partly precarious conditions. If the farmers are not paid enough for the fruits of their labor, then they are not interested in improving the quality. So it doesn't matter if projects of chocolate producers like Lindt, Barry Callebaut, etc. build a school or a well. Only fair payment makes it possible for the farmers to live on the money they earn and to purchase what is needed locally within the community. Please also read our information on ➤ Direct trade Direct trade Chocolate.

 

Waiver Fairtrade
Soy lecithin

Soy lecithin

The controversial emulsifier

Industrial chocolate manufacturers use soy lecithin because it improves the processing of Chocolate, especially its flowability. This means that it makes the Chocolate thinner, so to speak, and it thus flows better and spreads in the corners of the molds. It also prevents the pipes from sticking in industrial production. It also prevents problems in production that occur when there is moisture. It is also cheaper than cocoa butter and helps sugar crystallization, thus increasing shelf life of Chocolate.

Soy lecithin, however, changes the texture and flavor of the Chocolate. It makes the Chocolate slightly waxy, which causes the Chocolate to lose creaminess. In addition, soy lecithin tends to flatten the subtle flavors in cocoa and eleminate the delicate ones.

Chocolatiers who handcraft their Chocolate naturally place special emphasis on the subtle flavors and therefore do not use soy lecithin, among other things.

Although soy lecithin occurs naturally in soybeans, it is an industrially obtained product. Soy lecithin is extracted with chem. Solvents such as acetone are used to extract it and it is also bleached to turn the dirty brown color into a light yellow like cocoa butter. In addition, soy is rarely sustainably grown and much of it comes from genetically modified plants.

The taste test

You get what you pay for

Eberhard Schell, chocolate manufacturer from Gundelsheim am Necker is one of the few chocolatiers in Germany who produce Chocolate from the bean to the bar (Bean-To-Bar) themselves.

Together with Michaela Schupp, they taste the chocolates provided by SWR and give insights into the world of chocolate and how to recognize whether a Chocolate has been processed well and which ingredients have been used.

Basically, it can be said that the general cocoa quality of Lindt Chocolate is no better than that of other supermarket chocolates. Depending on the product segment, it is only in the more expensive price segment, even for Lindt, that one finds qualities that the buyer associates with Lindt.

If one is ready for finest Chocolate also some money to spend, then one can immediately reach for products, which offer from the outset a good quality, which one would like to have. For this offers Chocolats-de-luxe.com exactly the right selection !

Taste test by Michaela Schupp and Eberhard Schell
For comparison

Chocolates from Chocolatier Eberhard Schell

Barrique - 70% dark chocolate with fiery spices Barrique - 70% dark chocolate with fiery spices
Content 0.05 kg (€108.00 * / 1 kg)
€5.40 *
Vitis Noir 70% Chocolate with Java Pepper Cinnamon Blossom
Content 0.05 kg (€108.00 * / 1 kg)
€5.40 *
Schell Schokolade, Pralinen, Zartbitterschokolade, Dunkle Schokolade, Schell, Trüffel gefüllt, Whisky, Deutschland Schell Schokolade, Pralinen, Zartbitterschokolade, Dunkle Schokolade, Schell, Trüffel gefüllt, Whisky, Deutschland
Five truffle pralines with whiskey coated in dark chocolate
Content 0.06 kg (€146.67 * / 1 kg)
€8.80 *
85% Uganda extra brut Noble chocolate
Content 0.05 kg (€108.00 * / 1 kg)
€5.40 *
Schell, Schokoladenmanufaktur Gundelsheim, Schokolade zu Wein, milk chocolate, Barrique Schokolade,
Content 0.05 kg (€108.00 * / 1 kg)
€5.40 *
Macadamia Huimbi - whole milk chocolate with nuts Macadamia Huimbi - whole milk chocolate with nuts
Content 0.05 kg (€108.00 * / 1 kg)
€5.40 *
Blanche Saffron Curry 31% - white chocolate Blanche Saffron Curry 31% - white chocolate
refined with saffron and a hint of Mumbai curry
Content 0.05 kg (€108.00 * / 1 kg)
€5.40 *
33% Blanche Fruit Rouge with lingonberries, cranberries, strawberries 33% Blanche Fruit Rouge with lingonberries, cranberries, strawberries
Content 0.05 kg (€106.00 * / 1 kg)
€5.30 *
38% Umami Papua milkchocolate with lemon and sea salt 38% Umami Papua milkchocolate with lemon and sea salt
Content 0.05 kg (€108.00 * / 1 kg)
€5.40 *
Arriba Pur 100% organic chocolate vegan Arriba Pur 100% organic chocolate vegan
Cuvée from Nacional and Criollo conched 72h
Content 0.05 kg (€158.00 * / 1 kg)
€7.90 *
Sao Thomé - 70% Dark Chocolate - Criollo
Content 0.05 kg (€108.00 * / 1 kg)
€5.40 *
Blanche Rose - white chocolate with rose petals Blanche Rose - white chocolate with rose petals
Content 0.05 kg (€108.00 * / 1 kg)
€5.40 *
Venezuela Espelette 70% Chocolate with Chili Venezuela Espelette 70% Chocolate with Chili
Content 0.05 kg (€108.00 * / 1 kg)
€5.40 *
Orangengeist Praline chocolate bar with Orange liqueur Orangengeist Praline chocolate bar with Orange liqueur
Content 0.1 kg (€79.00 * / 1 kg)
€7.90 *
Fruit Noir 70% dark chocolate with cassis, elderberry and blueberry Fruit Noir 70% dark chocolate with cassis, elderberry and blueberry
Content 0.05 kg (€106.00 * / 1 kg)
€5.30 *
Organic Arriba Guayas 74% dark chocolate
Content 0.05 kg (€152.00 * / 1 kg)
€7.60 *

Lindor balls alternative

The original from Venchi - chocolaty & Creamy
No results were found for the filter!
Gianduiotto Gianduia N. 3
Content 0.01 kg (€80.00 * / 1 kg)
€0.80 *
Cubotto Chocaviar Stracciatella - milk chocolate praline
Content 0.02 kg (€75.00 * / 1 kg)
€1.50 *
Menta Fondente 60% dark chocolate with mint
Content 0.1 kg (€69.00 * / 1 kg)
€6.90 *
Cubotto Chocaviar Gianduja praline with whole hazelnut
Content 0.02 kg (€75.00 * / 1 kg)
€1.50 *
Cubotto Chocaviar Gianduja praline with whole hazelnut
Content 0.02 kg (€45.00 * / 1 kg)
€0.90 *
Cubotto Tiramisu with 3 layers of mascarpone cream and coffee
Content 0.01 kg (€80.00 * / 1 kg)
€0.80 *
Cremoso "Caffé" e cuor di cacao 75% Layered praline with coffee
Content 0.01 kg (€90.00 * / 1 kg)
€0.90 *
Matcha Cremoso layered praline made with pistachio cream and matcha
Content 0.01 kg (€90.00 * / 1 kg)
€0.90 *
Chocomousse Ball Cuor di cacao 75%
Content 0.01 kg (€100.00 * / 1 kg)
€1.00 *
Nougat mini bar Gianduia Nocciolato gold
Nougat with three whole hazelnuts - gluten-free
Content 0.01 kg (€120.00 * / 1 kg)
€1.20 *
Dubledone Pistacchio - Praline ball with pistachio Dubledone Pistacchio - Praline ball with pistachio
Content 0.01 kg (€100.00 * / 1 kg)
€1.00 *
Chocaviar, Venchi, Cubotto, Pistacchio, Kaviar, Schokoladenkaviar, Gianduja, Haselnuss, Mandel, Pistazie, hazelnut, almond, Nougat, nocciole, mandorle, pistacchi, grün, grüner chocaviar, chocavier,
Content 0.02 kg (€75.00 * / 1 kg)
€1.50 *
dark chocolate 56% with whole hazelnuts dark chocolate 56% with whole hazelnuts
dark chocolate (56%) with whole hazelnuts from Piedmont
Content 0.1 kg (€72.00 * / 1 kg)
€7.20 *
Crema Scorzette Arancia 56% dark Chocolate bar Crema Scorzette Arancia 56% dark Chocolate bar
filled with a soft chocolate cream with candied orange peel - 100g
Content 0.1 kg (€69.00 * / 1 kg)
€6.90 *
milk chocolate with whole hazelnuts milk chocolate with whole hazelnuts
Cioccolato al Latte 31.8% con Nocciole Intere from Piedmont
Content 0.1 kg (€69.00 * / 1 kg)
€6.90 *
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