A CT scanner, X-Rays, state-of-the-art technology - it might sound like the inside of a hospital, but no, these are just the machines being used at a chocolate factory to perfect your sweet treats. A chocolate Santa is one of the thousands of festive chocs which are being meticulously tested by scientists working for Mondalez – parent company of Cadbury that brings you faves such as Dairy Milk, Wispa, Heroes, Crème Egg and more.
A full body scan is done on the chocolates to make sure Santa has the perfect density and that not a single bubble is out of place in other Cadbury offerings. At the company’s science base in Reading, James Spinks, Technical Specialist in 3D Imaging & Metrology, proudly shows The Mirror Santa’s full body scan, saying “Nobody wants to see a chocolate Santa with a hole in his face on Christmas morning.
James adds: “It’s a tricky process to make sure that the chocolate is thin enough to be eaten easily, but also thick enough to hold its shape. We now have a very special CT machine that helps us make sure Santa gets to you in one piece. "You don’t want some bites to be chunkier than others, consistency is the key. We’ve identified an optimum thickness of around 3mm of chocolate, which is thick enough to see him being transported across the country without breaking, but thin enough that small hands are able to easily break him apart when it’s time to eat him.”.
Chocolates that have been scanned are not considered edible but the science is invaluable. “We use the machine to keep checking a product as time passes too,” James explains. “We can look at a product after a matter of weeks, or even months, and ensure the chocolate keeps its shape and density.”.
