article_snippet.sent: A gene that affects the melting point of cocoa butter could lead to the creation of new types of chocolate - as well as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
article_snippet.sent: A gene involved in determining the melting point of cocoa butter could lead to the creation of new types of chocolate as well as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, scientists claim.  
article_snippet.sent: Lead researcher Mark Guiltinan, professor of plant molecular biology at Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences said that cocoa butter with altered melting points may find new uses in specialty chocolates, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
article_snippet.sent: For example, a chocolate with a higher or lower melting point would be useful for production of chocolate with specific textures and specialty applications. '
article_snippet.sent: The "snap" and "melt" of chocolate are two very important textural features that determine the appeal of chocolate to consumers, and having new varieties of the cocoa plant that produce butter with different melting points would be a valuable resource to control those characteristics,’ Professor Guiltinan explained.
article_snippet.sent: ‘Medical applications could include production of drug-delivery products with slower release of drugs than is possible with current cocoa-butter-based systems.
article_snippet.sent: The natural melting point of cocoa butter is close to human body temperature.
article_snippet.sent: This trait gives chocolate its melt-in-your-mouth texture and provides a creamy texture to lotions applied to the skin .
article_snippet.sent: A cocoa butter body scrub is shown left and a stock image of drugs, right .
article_snippet.sent: Cocoa butter exact composition determines Cocoa butter melting temperature, which is very close to human body temperature.
article_snippet.sent: This is why chocolate feels smooth in the mouth and cosmetics containing cocoa butter have a creamy texture when applied to skin.
article_snippet.sent: The "snap" and "melt" of chocolate are very important textural features that determine the appeal of chocolate to consumers (stock image), and having new varieties of the cocoa plant that produce butter with different melting points would be a valuable resource to control those characteristics,’ Professor Guiltinan said .
highlights_snippet.sent: Discovery could lead to chocolate with unique textures and new drugs too .
  