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Automation Does the Job
Besides the equipment already described, the industry employs a number of
fascinating machines to do the work of shaping and packaging chocolate into
the familiar forms that we see every day on store counters. Some of the
shaping machines perform at amazing speeds, squirting out jets of chocolate
that solidify into special shapes at a rate of several hundred a minute.*
Other machines do a complete job of wrapping and packaging at speeds that
human hands would find impossible.
* Separate from the chocolate industry but of interest nonetheless, is the
enrober-a machine employed by many candy manufactures in the creation of
assorted chocolates. The enrober receives lines of assorted centres (nuts,
nougats, fruit or whatever desired filling) and showers them with a
waterfall of liquid chocolate. This generally covers and surrounds each
centre with a blanket of chocolate. Yet other confectionery machines create
a hallow-moulded shell of chocolate which is then filled with a soft or
liquid centre before the bottom is sealed with chocolate.
The mechanized nature of the entire chocolate-making process contributes
greatly to the industry's high standards of hygiene and sanitation. To keep
check on these standards, chocolate factories constantly run quality tests,
which show whether the process is proceeding within the strict limitations
designed for each product. These tests cover an amazing range-there are
tests for the viscosity of chocolate, for the cocoa butter content, for
acidity, for the fineness of a product and, of course, tests for purity and
taste of the desired finished product.
All chocolate manufacturers, it is important to note, must meet the
standards as set forth in the rules and regulations of The Food and Drug
Administration. These govern manufacturing formulas, even to the extent of
specifying the minimum content of the chocolate liquor and milk used. They
also impose strict rules regarding the flavourings and other ingredients
that may be used.
Reasons for Secrecy
Where methods of manufacturing are concerned; however, manufacturers have a
completely free hand and have developed individual variations from the
"pattern." Each manufacturer seeks to protect his own methods by conducting
certain operations under an atmosphere of secrecy. Modern technology, in
this respect, is reminiscent of the day of the Spanish monopoly.
Today's "secrets," unlike those of old, include many small but important
details which centre around key manufacturing operations. No chef guards his
favourite recipes more zealously than the chocolate manufacturer guards his
formulas for blending beans or the time intervals he gives to his conching.
Time intervals, temperatures and proportions of ingredients are three
critical factors that no company wants to divulge.
A Sanitary Atmosphere
A visit to a chocolate factory certainly will not reveal any secrets;
however, the visitor will be impressed by the gleaming appearance that such
a place has. Chocolate manufacturers conduct all operations under sanitary,
laboratory-like conditions in keeping with the purity of the products they
make. They follow a daily regimen of machine maintenance and general
housekeeping that is not exceeded in the food industry.
Cleanliness is, indeed, the universal byword of the chocolate industry.
Chocolate factories not only have careful programs for industrial sanitation
and for the personal hygiene of their employees, but they are continually
striving to improve their programs.
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As a result of the mounting global market and technological advances, an abundance of flower varieties are available throughout the year. Some of the most beautiful and diverse arrangements contain a mixture of fresh cut and other types of flowers or plants. Contained within this section are some of the more common varieties that are available through most local florists. One of the more classic flowers - the rose - is available in a variety of genres, including the tea rose, the sweetheart rose and the spray rose. The nearly 120 arrays of roses that retailers commonly carry contain all shades of the spectrum, such as those of the red, pink, purple, orange, coral, peach and white families. The style of growth, as well as color, may differ from type to type. For example, tea roses will open from three to four inches, with stems spanning 12 to 30 inches in length; whereas the stems of spray roses may contain several flowers each. The variety and type of rose will determine its life span, but most will typically live between four and seven days after cutting. Due to their delicate nature, stems should be placed in the vase very gingerly. In order to reduce the build-up of bacteria, any foliage that is apparent immediately above the water line should be removed. For maximum life expectancy, stems should be re-cut every two to three days. Lilies may also be referred to by variety, such as in the case of the Asiatic Lily or Oriental Lily. These flower types can be recognized by their trumpet-shaped petals and can reach six inches in diameter. The height of their stems can reach up to three feet and may sport four to eight blossoms. Their color varieties include white, yellow, pink, red and orange.
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