Health plus hedonics boost chocolate sales.

Ever since Hernando Cortez discovered that Montezume drank 50 golden cups of cocoa daily, chocolate has been the subject of considerable medical speculation.

To the Aztecs, drinking chocolate conferred on their emperor universal knowledge and wisdom. Within a century of its introduction into

Such beliefs launched chocolate's appeal across Europe. Its popularity accelerated unchecked when the Pope declined to consider chocolate as a "fast breaker," thus freeing its consumption from potential moral opprobrium.

But only within the last 10 years has medical research identified chocolate's healthy properties. These properties include as a potent antioxidant capability inhibiting (low-density lipoprotein) LDL cholesterol buildup, as a human immune system modulator, as a stress and ulcer reducer, and as a cancer fighter.

However, researchers still must prove that chocolate's healthy components are absorbed by the body and not just excreted as expensive urine.

Japanese confectioners have been marketing the health benefits of cocoa since 1995, according to Japanscan, a market research publication concentrating on the Japanese food, drink and nutraceutical market. The demand for cocoa has doubled from 10,500 tons in 1994 to 21,600 tons in 1997.

"Healthy" chocolate products were introduced in 1996. Japanese confectioners hope that these products will continue to revitalize the market by broadening chocolate's appeal through targeting middle-aged adults who are not traditional chocolate consumers. [Japanscan: 1998]

Meanwhile in the United States, there are a wealth of low fat and sugar-free confections available that are touted as "healthy" treats. Among those are Nestle's Sweet Success Bar and Milky Way Lite; Hershey's Sweet Escapes; and Snackwells line from Nabisco.

Contributing to the texture and deliciousness of some of the healthy products is Benefat, the Danisco-Cultor trade name for salatrim, a family of reduced calorie fats. Unlike traditional fats that contribute nine kilocalories of fat per gram, Benefat averages five, or five-ninths that of traditional fat.

"It reduced both fat and calories in a finished confection. Benefat is a very stable fat." says Karen Penichter, marketing director of bakery and confectionery, Danisco-Cultor. "Benefat functions and tastes like fat," she says.