Pancho Pistolas's Journal: A new form of chocolate?!

So I'm reading in an article in Time magazine about how one of my favorite chocolate makers (Callebaut) has invented a new form of chocolate that they call "Vulcano". It's supposed to be low-fat-- about 90% fewer calories than regular chocolate-- and it melts at a much higher temperature than chocolate-- around 130 degrees Fahrenheit; however, it melts readily in the presence of saliva enzymes(!). That just sounds...weird.

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1911921,00.html

[note that this article actually came out earlier in July, but this is the first I'm hearing of it.]

If it was anybody but Callebaut, my first reaction would be the same one that I had to Olestra (i.e., ::shudder::), which I've never consumed. Even now I'm dubious of even trying it. This is my natural reaction when someone offers me something to eat and doesn't want to tell me what's in it or how it's made. However, as someone who regularly uses good chocolate as a raw material in confections and pastry, I can vouch for the serious quality that goes into Callebaut's products-- even if I find them a bit sweet. These guys know their chocolate and I'd expect this stuff to hold to their standards.

But part of me worries at this development. Just what the heck is IN it? And if they're so hush-hush about its ingredients, how do we know it isn't just another version of trans-fats? If it's basis for usage depends on all those little bubbles in it, its crunch texture, and its high melting point, how can anybody (i.e., pastry chefs) actually do anything with it other than crumble it on stuff or mix it into other things? Will it be just a novelty that never takes? And of course it does make me worry about what else Callebaut is doing, especially if this defines any new directions away from making really good chocolate.

A small part of me sees it as a new frontier to explore. I mean, technically, if its safe and all its cracked up to be (no pun), it's a brand new ingredient to play with (squee!), with new recipes waiting to be made, new confections waiting to be created. But it's a relatively small part, since we already have a product with many of its properties (hint: it's called 'cocoa powder').

And of course I'm wondering what it's going to cost, since Callebaut may well be the one and only supplier for a long time.

Still, I'd like to try it...

[Follow-up: as of right now, 'Vulcano' seems to have disappeared without any trace. Cursory searches on the 'net show links to news articles talking about it (again, around July), but searches of the Callebaut website didn't list any mention of it. Wierd. Guess I won't get to try it. But now I wanna know: What happened?!]

Recalling the whole trans fat debacle

[johndiii]

"This is good for you. Trust us." That doesn't carry a lot of weight with me. I can have a healthy die using just fresh, relatively natural ingredients. Particularly if I avoid processed things. In fact, the most processed thing that I buy is probably chocolate. That and (locally baked) bread. Occasionally cookies or chips of some kind, if the ingredient list passes muster, but that's very infrequent.

Eating in restaurants is a shot in the dark, but that's also a relatively small part of my diet. I t