(PMCA — June 20, 2013 – Bethlehem, PA) — Twenty-seven students recently completed PMCA’s short course, “Chocolate and Compound Manufacture and Use”. The course was held in York, PA from Tuesday, June 4 through Friday, June 7.
Experienced industry professionals led the class through a series of presentations on topics ranging from the use of raw materials through processing finished product. On the schedule was a trip to the Blommer Chocolate Company in East Greenville, PA. Here the theory came alive as students were able to see the process in operation from raw cocoa beans to bulk chocolate and its use in molded blocks and chocolate drops as well as the production of cocoa powder of many colors by state-of-the-art methods. While at Blommer Chocolate, Rose Potts, Corporate Manager of Sensory and Product Guidance led a sensory session whereby students had the opportunity to experience various flavor differences based on bean types and process variables.
Wolfgang Candy Company, York, PA generously hosted the hands on portion of the course. Students had the opportunity to hand temper chocolate and use it to make products such as clusters, molded items and hand-dipped centers. They also experimented with several different variables on a commercial enrober to gauge the effect each had on the resulting quality of the product. Students also produced hollow bunnies, turkeys and other items on a commercial moulding line.
On the final day of the course students evaluated their finished product from the hands on experience and discussed quality control issues. They filled bags and boxes with their creations and said so long to all the friends they made, or met again, during the course.
2013 Chocolate & Compound Course Student Commentary:
“This was a very worthwhile course. I would highly recommend it to others. I much appreciate the time, energy and resources of the instructors, and Blommer and Wolfgang facilities”.
“Excellent and very well-organized course. Extremely informative with a good balance of theory and practical work”.
“All instructors were very open for discussion and demonstrated a high knowledge base on topics”.
The success of a course of this type involves many months of planning along with participation and contributions from a variety of PMCA member companies.
Instructors for the course and their corresponding companies were as follows:
Peter Jamieson, Ingredion
Rose Potts, Blommer Chocolate Company
Stacy Reed, Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate
Eric Schmoyer, Barry Callebaut
Marlene Stauffer, Blommer Chocolate Company
Ed Wilson, AAK USA
Dennis Zak, TMResource, LLC
The following companies made a variety of contributions to the course:
For Donations of Product, Supplies & Equipment:
AAK USA, Barry Callebaut, Blommer Chocolate Company, Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate, Ingredion, Hans Brunner GmbH, TMResource LLC, The Warrell Corporation, Wolfgang Candy Company
The following students received a certificate of completion for the course:
Suzanne Agro, Lindt & Sprungli
Patricia Buldo, Takasago International Corp.
Oliver Capel, Kerry Ingredients and Flavors
Amanda Cox, Nothing But Chocolate
Adam Demchak, The Hershey Company
Elyse Engelhardt, AAK USA
Sabrina Fisher, Wolfgang Candy Company
Richard Foley, GEM Gourmet Foods
Supriyo Ghosh, Bruker Corp.
Jodi Grace, The Warrell Corporation
Didem Icoz, Ingredion
Andrew Iskander, Snyder’s-Lance
Ramakanth Jonnala, The Hershey Company
Angelica Kaina, Hawaiian Host Company
Steve Levi, Barry Callebaut
Hector Martinez, Cortes Hermanos & Co.
Emily Obyle, The Hershey Company
Wiwid Paramita, Kerry Ingredients and Flavors
Jonathan Perez, Wolfgang Candy Company
Bertram Pischke, Herding Filtration
Michelle Rober, Blommer Chocolate Company
David Rowe, Kerry Ingredients and Flavors
Jared Sutara, Chris Candies, Inc.
Sarah Teichert, AAK USA
Sandra Thomas, The Hershey Company
Adam Turner, Bissinger’s Handcrafted Chocolatier
Yahaira Jaime Valentin, Cortes Hermanos & Co.
Scott Wasilak, Blommer Chocolate Company
PMCA is a non-profit international trade association in the confectionery industry whose goals are to provide interactive forums for the open exchange of information through its annual production conference, to promote and direct basic and applied scientific research through its research program at leading universities and to educate and train current and future confectionery technical and manufacturing personnel worldwide through its short course program. The organization was originally founded in 1907 as the Pennsylvania Manufacturing Confectioners’ Association.