Ingredients and factoids of Cavalier chocolatesCavalier is a young and dynamic family company, founded in April 1996 and situated in the heart of Flanders, between the historical cities of Ghent and Bruges. Cavalier is market leader in the niche market of dietetic chocolates. Convinced about the consumer's demand for healthier and still delicious chocolates, Cavalier has acquired the product knowledge and technical know-how to achieve this. Innovation is still very important to Cavalier, and continuously the company is researching and testing the newest ingredients, to create even healthier products as delicious as the actual ones.
A very broad range of products has been developed, for everyone and for every occasion, containing bars, tablets, assorted chocolates, sea shells, snacks, neapolitans, hazelnut spread, vanilla wafers, cinnamon cookies, seasonal items for Christmas and New Year, Valentine and Easter. Next to its own range, Cavalier also manufactures several private label products.
In all Cavalier products, the sugar is replaced with the sweetener maltitol, a perfect sugar substitute, coming from starch. It is almost as sweet as normal sugar. All the fillings are still prepared manually according to traditional recipes, but only the healthiest vegetable fats are selected, which don't affect the cholesterol level. Some Cavalier products are also enriched with the fibre inulin, a pre-biotic good for the colonic flora. Cavalier does not contain artificial sweeteners, no artificial colours and no preservatives.
Quality in its broadest meaning is a top priority at Cavalier. Therefore, next to the use of premium ingredients, Cavalier has also looked for the best and most modern production means right from the beginning. The plant in Eeklo has been entirely renovated in 1997, with special attention to hygiene, environmental issues and temperature control. In order to guarantee a perfect finishing and continuous quality, an efficient production and sufficient capacity, Cavalier invested in an entirely new production line, processing up to 800 kg per hour. By way of example, this represents 17 000 chocolate bars.
Scientific Facts Cavalier chocolate consists of 100% cocoa, just as regular quality chocolates do. The most important difference with these regular chocolates and biscuits is that Cavalier no sugar added chocolates and biscuits contain maltitol instead of normal sucrose. Next to the use of maltitol, some products are enriched with the fibre inulin in order to reduce the fat content. For the filled chocolate products only the healthiest fat composition possible is chosen, when developing recipes. Cavalier doesn't contain any artificial sweeteners nor colouring agents, and no preservatives. 1.1. Tooth friendly Dental caries is caused by the fermentation of oral bacteria into organic acids. These bacteria grow on carbohydrates, amongst others sugar. The acids affect the dental enamel of teeth, Maltitol is not transformed into acids in the oral cavity and is thus considered tooth friendly. 1.2. Fewer calories The energetic value of maltitol is 2.4 Kcal/g. Sucrose on the contrary has an energetic value of 4 Kcal/g. The lower energetic value of maltitol is due to the fact that only a small part of maltitol is absorbed by the small intestine. The majority of it comes into the large intestine where only a microbiological fermentation takes place (1,2). This microbiological fermentation explains why excessive consumption of maltitol can have a laxative effect. Studies show that most adults can consume up to 50g of maltitol (or 100g of chocolate) without any discomfort. However in reality we found that the sensitiveness of each individual varies. Therefore this figure of 100g needs to be considered as an average. 1.3. Fitness for diabetics 1.3.1.What is diabetes? People suffering from diabetes have disorders concerning the breakdown of sugars and also from fats and proteins. Diabetes is among others characterised by a continuously increased sugar level in the blood and/or urine as a consequence of a lack of insulin that can be total or partial. This lack of insulin causes disturbances in the sugar-, protein- and fat absorption. Especially the last one engenders often an increased risk of heart- and vessel diseases. · Type I Diabetes or the Insulin-dependant diabetes This kind of diabetes usually occurs before the age of 40 and is characterised by a complete lack of insulin. It usually starts acutely and demands a very accurate treatment method, caused by the very unstable blood sugar levels (continuous self-regulation and self-control). · Type II Diabetes or Non Insulin-dependant diabetes This kind of diabetes usually occurs after the age of 40 and is characterised by a partial lack of insulin. Type-II is often accompanied by obesity and is typified by a greater stability in blood sugar levels. 1.3.2. Food and Diabetes Every diabetic and especially persons suffering from type 1 knows the importance of an individual approach of his diet. The formulation of concrete dietetic measures belongs to the field of physicians and dieticians. Therefore, we always advice customers to bring this information to their dietician in order to obtain personalised advice. Nevertheless, the ideal nutrition for everybody and especially for persons suffering from diabetes consists of (8): - 50 to 55 % sugars, preferably slowly absorbable sugars combined with a diet rich in fibres - 15 to 20 % proteins - max. 30 % fats, of which as little as possible saturated fats. Concerning the intake of carbohydrate, the glycaemic index (6) is essential. The lower it is the better, because the least it will influence the blood sugar level. Because diabetics have only little or no insulin to keep the blood sugar level at an acceptable height, foodstuffs with a low glycaemic index are more suitable for them. Hereunder you will find a table with the best-known sugars and their glycaemic index (3,4) Type of sugar Origin Energetic value Sweetening power Glycaemic index SUGARS Glucose Starch syrup 4 Kcal/g 0.75 100 Honey Bee 4 Kcal/g 0.75 85 Malt syrup Malt 4 Kcal/g 0.5 80 Chicory syrup Chicory 4 Kcal/g 0.5 80 Sucrose Sugar beet/ -cane 4 Kcal/g 1 70 Lactose Milk 4 Kcal/g 0.15 34 Fructose Fruit & vegetables 4 Kcal/g 1.4 30 POLYOLS Obtained through hydrogenation of Maltitol maltose 2.4 Kcal/g 0.85 25 Sorbitol glucose 2.4 Kcal/g 0.5 20 Xylitol Almond shell 2.4 Kcal/g 1 20 This table shows that maltitol has a very low glycaemic index. This means that the blood sugar level is hardly influenced by the use of maltitol. Compared to fructose that also has a low glycaemic index, it is important to know that fructose has the disadvantage of increasing the amount of triglycerides in the blood. We know that a surplus of triglycerides in the blood increases the risk of cardio-vascular diseases. Therefore fructose is a thick maker, and as such not appropriate for diabetics at all. Moreover fructose is not tooth friendly and has the same energetic value as sugar. 2. Cocoa Cocoa is an extremely complex substance composed of more than 800 different molecules, among others caffeine and theobromine. It contains a number of essential micronutrients such as iron and vitamin B6. Most chocolate research however concentrates on flavonoïds. These are part of the family of polyfenols and are the most abundant anti-oxidants in our food. It is now proven that cocoa contains higher concentrations of polyfenols than red wine and tea, commonly known as the principal sources of it. Physicians recommend regular consumption of red wine and tea, because of the protective effect of polyfenols against the so-called free radicals. These aggressive substances break down the cell membranes thus stimulating the aging process, they reduce the immunity and slow down the functioning of the nervous system. They are also notorious as one of the causes of cancer. Moreover, the flavonoïds of cocoa prevent, just as aspirin does, the coagulation of blood platelets, and as such slow down the process of arteriosclerosis (10). 3. Inulin Inulin is a soluble nutritional fibre that is found in nature. It is the energy reserve of 36 000 plants, vegetables and fruit. For applications in the food industry inulin is extracted from the roots of chicory. The nutritional fibre inulin is not decomposable by the digestion enzymes and comes therefore unaltered in the large intestine, where it is used by the healthy intestine flora as nutritive substratum (inulin = prebiotic). 4. Fat structure/ cholesterol Next to the addition of maltitol and inulin, Cavalier is conscious of the fact that sugar free products also need to be optimal what the fat composition is concerned (as little saturated fats and as many unsaturated fats as possible). Cavalier does this as follows: - Only vegetable fats are used. Pure animal butter, often used in conventional chocolate, is banned. - The vegetable fats used in the biscuits, chocolates and other filled products are selected carefully and have a favourable proportion of 80% unsaturated fats and 20% saturated fats. - Although the cocoa butter present in our chocolates is mostly saturated, it is not replaced. On one side cocoa butter combined with cocoa gives the authentic real good taste to chocolate. On the other hand cocoa butter consists of 62% saturated fats (34% stearic acids and 28% palm acids) and 38% unsaturated fats. The content of unsaturated fats in cocoa butter is increased by the rapid transformation of the stearic acid (saturated) in the body into oil acids (unsaturated). These mono-unsaturated oil acids have a positive influence on the blood vessels, exactly the same way as olive oils does. Concerning the relation cocoa butter-cholesterol we can state that: - Cocoa butter does not influence the presence of cholesterol in the plasma, because of the high amount of stearic acids it contains. - Consumption of cocoa butter doesn't increase the cholesterol level, whereas a similar consumption of butter fat causes a raise in the cholesterol level of 18%. Nutritional values of Cavalier chocolates In order to give you an idea of the nutritional information of Cavalier products, you will find here included 3 examples: Cavalier milktablet Milktablet with sugar Cavalier dark tablet Dark tablet with sugar Cavalier praline assortment praline assortment with sugar Energy Kcal 469 580 415 532 496 577 kj 1962 2426 1721 2226 2075 2443 be 2.7 4.3 2.2 3.9 2.5 4.0 Protein g 7.2 7.2 5.8 5.3 6.4 5.7 Digestible carbohydrate g 52.2 51.2 46.1 46.7 47.6 48.2 Sugars (mono + dissacharides) g 8.6 50.5 0.9 43.9 7.1 43.4 Polyols g 42.9 0 42.2 0 38.4 0 Lactose g 8.6 8.6 0 0 6.8 4.0 Starch g 0.6 0.7 3.0 2.7 0.8 0.7 Fats g 34.1 36.2 30.0 36.1 38.0 40.1 Saturated fats g 21.1 23 19.0 22.8 21.8 19.3 Mono-unsaturated fats g 11.4 12.5 10.4 12.6 12.0 17.4 Poly-unsaturated fats g 0.9 0.7 0.6 0.7 2.5 2.8 Sodium mg 87 84.2 107 104 81 67 Fibres g 2.7 2.1 13.2 7.9 3.2 2.7 Cholesterol mg 23 22.5 0.8 1 11 12.6 References: (1) Slama G, effect of crystalline maltitol on glycaemia, '93 (2) Storey DM,Zumbe A, J-Nutr. 1998 Mar 128(3): 587-92 (3) Adrian J, Potus J, Frange R. La science alimentaire-1995 (4) Food News Roquette Frères, August 2001 (5) Roberfroid M.F., probioticum en prebioticum. Twee belangrijke begrippen in de menselijke voeding Dietecom, 33-36, dec 1994 (6) Christophe A., Beginselen der voedingsleer, p.93 (7) Connor H., sucrose and fructose in the diabetic diet, journal of human nutrition and dietetics 91, 4, 243-250 (8) Commissie dienstbetoon, WVVH, dieet bij suikerziekte (9) Karim M et al. J Nutr 2000; 130:2105S2108S (10) Rein D et al. Am J Clin Nutr 2000;72:30-5 (11) Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/ World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food Additives |