PROCESS FOR PREPARING CHOCOLATE CRUMB

1 . A process for preparing chocolate crumb comprising:

a) providing a milk and sugar mixture or mixing together, milk and sugar so as to form a mixture;

b) evaporating liquid from the mixture;

c) adding cocoa mass/liquor to the mixture during and/or after step (a) and/or (b);

d) subjecting the mixture to conditions effective to bring about sugar crystallisation in the mixture;

e) drying the mixture at a temperature in the range of 50 to 95° C. for 35 to 200 minutes so as to form chocolate crumb; and

f) cooling the chocolate crumb by subjecting it to a temperature which is less than the drying temperature.

2 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein step (e) comprises drying the mixture at a temperature in the range of 60 to 95° C. for 45 to 90 minutes.

3 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein step (f) comprises cooling the chocolate crumb to a temperature between 29° C. and the temperature used for drying for 20 to 1000 minutes.

4 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the chocolate crumb has a moisture content in the range of 0.5 to 7%.

5 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the chocolate crumb has a moisture content in the range of 0.5 to 2%.

6 . A process as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the chocolate crumb has a moisture content in the range of 0.8 to 1.3%.

7 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein step (e) further comprises subjecting the mixture to a lowered pressure.

8 . A process as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the mixture in step (e) is subjected to a lower pressure than the chocolate crumb in step (f).

9 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein step (b) comprises subjecting the mixture to heat.

10 . A process as claimed in claim 9 , wherein step (b) comprises additionally subjecting the mixture to a lowed pressure.

11 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the mixture is subjected to heat and/or a lowered pressure between steps (b) and (c) and/or between steps (c) and (d).

12 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the milk is formed from powdered milk and water.

13 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein step (a) further comprises the addition of water.

14 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the milk comprises liquid milk.

15 . A process as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the liquid milk comprises concentrated liquid milk.

16 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the process further comprises adding milk solids prior to undertaking step (d).

17 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the process further comprises the step of adding a fat to the mixture before or during step (e) and/or (f).

18 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least steps (a) to (d) are undertaken in a single reaction vessel.

19 . A process as claimed in claim 18 , wherein steps (a) to (f) are undertaken in a single reaction vessel.

20 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least one of steps (a) to (d) is undertaken in different reaction vessels.

21 . A process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the process further comprises the step of:

g) forming the chocolate crumb into briquettes.

22 . (canceled)

23 . A chocolate crumb formed using the process as claimed in claim 1 .

24 . A confectionery product formed using a chocolate crumb as claimed in claim 23 .