After all, when it comes to this tantalising treat, there are many preferences: the French prefer dark chocolate in concentrations of up to 30%, while the European average is 5%. Some prefer to bite into a bar, while others salivate for chocolate spreads or even candy bars with various fillings.
As such, it can be difficult for brands or chocolate makers to come up with a creation that appeals to the greatest number of people.
In Finland, Valio – a company specialising in dairy products and byproducts – has found a way to design a chocolate that has as universal an appeal as possible: through the use of AI.
More than 1.5 million comments and opinions posted on social networks about milk chocolate were integrated into a software to develop a recipe based on the most commonly shared taste preferences.
The end result is what Valio calls “The Bar”, essentially “designed by humans”, with its recipe based on AI analysis of milk chocolate lovers’ thoughts, cravings, and tastes around the world.
It is composed of five layers, each with a different flavour and texture, based on the AI’s recommendations.
Chocolate trends
Valio’s research showed silent signals and emerging milk chocolate trends with two main conclusions. First, there is no single favourite chocolate taste, filling or size, as consumers want to enjoy different kinds of milk chocolate in different situations.
Second, people want to indulge in milk chocolate with good conscience. The taste and sweetness are very important but, at the same time, consumers want milk chocolate to be healthier and more natural with less sugar.
As such, “The Bar” consists of five different chocolates with 30% less sugar. Each chocolate has a different taste and texture designed to fit a different desire: impulse, craving, delight, hunger, and relaxation.
From bite to bite, new sensations get discovered and gradually build upon each other. The topographic design of the bar allows the layers to be easily separated for individual enjoyment.
Moreover, this milk chocolate bar is lactose-free, which is not an afterthought for the Finnish company: it has developed a technology to remove lactose from its unique milk powder solution, which it used in this creation.