Physical Damage

The simplest detrimental environmental defect in confections is scratching or scuffing of the chocolate shell of an enrobed confection due to improper handling. Even properly tempered chocolate is relatively soft for the first few hours after it has set. For days after a confection first sets, the cocoa butter in it continues to crystallize, and the chocolate continues to harden. It is in these first hours that chocolates are most susceptible to damage from improper handling. Touching chocolates at this stage, even with gloves, will almost invariably lead to unsightly bloom in the days ahead. A properly used cooling tunnel on an enrober will reduce, but not eliminate, the vulnerability of chocolate that has recently set. Even after the chocolate has had sufficient time to crystallize fully, it can still be easily damaged by improper handling.