MANUFACTURING
The Aalst Chocolate approach to manufacturing chocolate.
"CHOCOLATE PRODUCTION
IS WHERE ENGINEERING MEETS ART."
Efigenio Mangubat,
Production Manager of Aalst Chocolate
FOR THOSE WHO DEMAND A DIFFERENCE:
Few pleasures are as universal and yet elusive as the love of fine chocolate. For this ‘food of the gods’ is savoured all over the world but reveals its true and richly complex flavours only after long and arduous hours of careful processing.
At Aalst Chocolate, we see the manufacture of quality chocolate as akin to the making of fine wines in its blend of soil and skill. Our quest begins with the search for distinctive cocoa grown in diverse local conditions on different continents. To this selection we add a lifetime of discernment and the technical precision of a master craftsman. The result? Products that delight consumers worldwide as well as capture the imagination of professionals who use our chocolate as vital ingredients in their special confections.
We seek to stand out from the competition with our passion for excellence, a passion that has taken us from our home in Singapore to the very heart of the harvest. This dedication to quality from plantation to processing plant, and our close attention to detail is what makes Aalst Chocolate a trusted name for food manufacturers, dessert chefs and bakers in more than 55 countries worldwide.
A BLEND OF SCIENCE & SKILL:
At our state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Singapore and Shanghai we process cocoa into a variety of forms to suit the needs of all our customers worldwide. Our production and packaging lines use the latest European technologies to ensure precise control over every step of the refining process.
Cocoa mass from Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Ecuador and other exotic locations are blended and mixed with the best ingredients sourced from the finest suppliers from Europe to Australia. Adding milk powder, cocoa butter and granulated sugar together we obtain a uniform paste which is then fed into roll refiners to produce a fine paste.
The next step, known as conching, lies at the heart of the process. Akin to slow cooking, conching removes natural acids and undesirable volatile aromatics that may spoil the product’s flavour. As the mass is blended, the ingredients are evenly dispersed. This combination of slow movement and gentle heat serves to develop a chocolate with a smooth consistency and the most desirable aromas and textures.
After conching, the liquid chocolate is stored in tanks at precisely controlled temperatures. Then, before it can be moulded into bars or chips, the chocolate has to be tempered or pre-crystallised so that the cocoa butter hardens correctly to achieve a stable texture, the most attractive gloss and a uniform melting profile.
To ensure that our products exceed the highest of customer expectations and ensure they are safe for consumption, we continually invest heavily in research and development, importing new technologies and best practices to keep ahead of the curve in the competitive chocolate market.
OUR COMMITMENT TO YOUR SATISFACTION:
Safety and quality is never taken for granted at Aalst Chocolate. Every batch of chocolate we make undergoes rigorous testing in our quality control and quality assurance laboratories to ensure that our chocolate is both safe for consumption and fulfils your precise requirements for taste, texture and consistency.
Our factory is HACCP-certified for your peace of mind and all of our processes have control measures in place to prevent contamination or other risks that might threaten the integrity of the plant. We are also Halal and Kosher-certified to address the dietary requirements of all our consumers in the markets in which we operate.
This commitment to quality goes all the way to the sourcing of our cocoa. From the West African coast to the slopes of South America, we make regular visits to our suppliers to see for ourselves how the crop is grown, harvested and handled. By doing so, we ensure that the cocoa we source stands up to the high quality standards we set for ourselves, and so offer our customers the assurance that our raw materials will deliver upon the promise of our end product.
Tuas, Singapore
OUR PRODUCTION FACILITIES
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We implements significant investments regularly to upgrade our state of the art chocolate manufacturing equipment. We outpace dynamic international standards and global customer demands. Different recipes, taste profile, packing and shapes configuration are customizable at the production stage to suit the requirements of our clients worldwide.
The Singapore plant’s current annual capacity is about 30,000mT.
Our factories are HACCP-certified, and we are constantly seeking for certifications and new accreditations, as we strives for continuous improvement in our work processes and control measures to meet rigorous international and dynamic standards and requirements of the marketplace.
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AWARD-WINNING TASTE AT YOUR FINGERTIPS:
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2020 Monde Selection Gold Award
Monde has awarded Aalst Chocolate Gold Medal for the Pâtissier Artisan Dark Chocolate 61% in 2020 for the third consecutive time.
2017 Monde Selection Gold Award
Monde has once again awarded Aalst Chocolate Gold Medal for the Pâtissier Artisan Dark Chocolate 61% in 2017.
2014 Monde Selection Gold Award
In 2014, Monde has awarded Aalst Chocolate Gold Medal for the Pâtissier Artisan Dark Chocolate 61%. This coveted quality label assures consumers that the product has been tested and approved by an independent professional jury made up of more than 70 professionals, Michelin starred chefs and members of the French Culinary Academy.
2007 ★ ★ Superior Taste Award
Independent chefs from the prestigious International Taste and Quality Institute (iTQi) based in Brussels, Belgium, have also been won over by our quality. In 2007, the iTQi selected our Aalst Pâtissier Signature Plus Dark 56% chocolate for a Superior Taste Award with a 2 Star ranking. The award recognises the high quality of this product, which we formulated for the demanding Japanese market.
Click here to find out more of our premier Pâtissier range.