We all love a good chocolate dessert. But what happens if the chocolate isn’t really chocolate? Or worse, if the treat we serve to our children is filled with ingredients that may not be as innocent as they seem? Raphael Haumont, a chemist, sounds the alarm on some of the most popular dessert creams, commonly found on supermarket shelves and beloved by children.
The Chocolate Dilemma
Who hasn’t enjoyed a creamy chocolate dessert after a meal? It’s comforting, sweet, and an easy choice to satisfy that sweet craving. But if you take a closer look at the ingredient list, you will see something troubling. As Haumont explains, even if the label says “chocolate,” it is far from the indulgent treat you might imagine. A typical dessert pot contains just a small square of chocolate, accounting for about 2% of the product. What’s worse? The chocolate isn’t of the high-quality variety you would expect. Instead, it is often industrial chocolate loaded with sugar, emulsifiers, and artificial flavors.
Haumont laughs at the irony, noting: “There is a chocolate flavor in chocolate.” Yes, that’s right: flavored chocolate, well, more chocolate flavor. This is far from the rich cocoa you would find in a real chocolate treat. If you think that the chocolate in these desserts might simply be hiding behind an obscure ingredient list, you are right.
And the Hazelnuts?
Next, let’s talk about hazelnuts. They are supposed to be another key ingredient in these desserts. But when Haumont took a closer look, he found no real hazelnuts in the mix. Instead of real hazelnuts, these products use a “hazelnut flavor” – a subtle trick that hides the absence of the real thing. If the label says “hazelnut flavor,” it generally means that the taste is achieved through artificial flavoring, not by real hazelnuts. You are essentially paying for a dessert that imitates the flavor without providing any of the nutritional benefits.
What’s Really Inside?
So, what exactly is in that little pot of dessert cream? Not much, it turns out. In addition to a small amount of chocolate and the absence of hazelnuts, the ingredient list is dominated by sugar, a major culprit in many processed foods. In fact, Haumont points out that these desserts contain an impressive 18% sugar – that amounts to about four teaspoons per serving. To put that in perspective, typical pastries generally contain about 8 to 10% sugar. So, you’re not just getting a little indulgence: you’re consuming more sugar than you might have anticipated.
But that’s not all. To compensate for the lack of real ingredients, manufacturers often load these desserts with additives. Things like whey, modified starch, and carrageenan are added to improve texture and shelf life, but they don’t contribute much to your health. These additives are far from the healthy ingredients you might expect in a homemade dessert.
The Solution: Make It Yourself
The conclusion? These supermarket dessert creams are not as innocent as they seem. Loaded with sugar, artificial flavors, and dubious additives, they are far from the delicious treat you might imagine. So, if you want to satisfy your sweet tooth without compromising on quality, there’s only one solution: make it yourself. By doing so, you can control the ingredients, avoid harmful additives, and truly enjoy a dessert that tastes good.
Naturally curious, Jules Nova is a blogger who writes from the heart. He enjoys diving into topics that challenge, inspire wonder, or provoke thought. His writing blends personal insights, culture, life tips, and gentle poetic touches.
