Heat processing has been a popular method for extracting oils for many years, and has been effective. But as science and nutrition research has developed it has shown a number of serious health issues with heat pressing.
In the extraction process (such as olive oil from olives) the yield is dramatically increased by using high heat and high pressure to extract the oil. This speeds up the whole process meaning more oil can be produced in a short period of time- making a cheap and affordable product. Sounds great, but it’s not. Essential fats (such as omega-3) are very susceptible to oxidation. These high temperature and pressure conditions are great for increasing this reaction, causing the fats to oxidise with the oxygen in the air. Oxidised fats are nutritionally useless and sometimes harmful. So now this affordable health supplement is nothing more than an expensive, nutritionally poor oil.
It is a similar story with the processing of chocolate as it is with oils. high temperatures are used which causes the polyphenols (powerful antioxidants) to react with the oxygen in the air and become oxidised. Then, as if to add insult to injury, highly refined sugar is usually added to make the final product- chocolate.
So with this knowledge, why do companies still make supplements and foods in this way? Well, because we buy them, and we buy them because they are cheap. Cold processing of foods and supplements dramatically decreases the chance of oxidation, which preserves the important nutrients. Some manufacturers conduct processing in oxygen free environments which ensures no oxidation can occur. The only problem with cold processing is that it is a much slower process with a smaller yield, which sadly makes it a more expensive product.
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