Scientists find 'shocking' way to reduce chocolate's fat content

New research suggests candy companies may be able to make lower fat versions of chocolate with a little electrical trick. The new approach was described Monday by researchers at Temple University in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Stephanie Nano)

By Don Bishop and KRMG

PHILADELPHIA — If chocolate is one of your favorite indulgences, good news: scientists have found a way to make it lower in fat.

Researchers at Temple University in Philadelphia found that running liquid chocolate through an electric field made it flow more easily.

While a certain level of fat is needed to facilitate processing, candymakers have long looked for a way to reduce chocolate's overall fat content.

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By using electricity, researchers were able to reduce the amount of fat by about 10 percent, said researcher Rongjia Tao, and with further study, could reduce fat content by 20 percent.

The study was partially funded by Mars chocolate company, according to The Associated Press.

For chocolate lovers, the best news is that Tao could not taste any difference in the chocolate that was treated with electricity. In fact, other lab members who tested the chocolate said it tasted better than typical chocolate.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.