The invention provides novel means and methods for manipulating cocoa and milk ingredients, Tor example, tu produce edible oil-iri-wnter suspensions and optionally drying the suspensions to reduce the moisture or water activity level. In one embodiment, coqoa products am used to produce a gel network formed by cocoa starches and/or proteins. The suspension is formed with milk proteins and cocoa solids and also comprises crystallized cocoa butter as a dispersed component, and water or skim milk as the continuous phase or aqueous phase, and the suspension is optionally dried to reduce the moisture content and/or manipulate the final texture or characteristics. The compositions, products, and ingredients possible according to the invention provide nove! methods and components for low or reduced calorie or sugar free chocolate products or ingredients having the same cocoa content as conventional tjhocoiale and/or falling within the standard of identity for chocolate products. In addition, the production and packaging options far chocolate products arc expanded by the use of the invention as the viscosity of the chocolate product or ingredient can be varied easily without specific reliance on cocoa butler content.
