It's for shelf stability and it's one of those things that if you're used to it you don't taste it anymore. I still prefer a lot of the nicer brands that don't have it but I genuinely cannot taste it when I have the occasional Hershey bar
It was originally for stability. But for the last three quarters of a century, we've had better options. It's just that the fans of the products using butyric acid had become used to it and preferred it. Similar to parmesan cheese, where people who have it a lot like it, but others find the flavour strong and unpleasant.
I work with Peter's chocolate, Callebaut, Cocoa Republic and Valrhona, and none of them have that. I've been to the Callebaut factory just outside of Montreal, it produces all the dark chocolate for oreos and a slew of small time candymakers stateside, and they do not use that acid (because they're an amazing brand and I wholeheartedly endorse them).
I realize I'm citing a lot of foreign chocolate producers that I'm importing, but a lot of domestic candymakers work with those brands to produce their products.
I wonder if this is why growing up I always thought I hated chocolate. I do hate hersheys still, got over it for some candy bars, generally love chocolate baked goods.
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u/Xentonian 7h ago
Compound chocolate exists everywhere and some people like it a lot.
But compare an Australian compound chocolate freckle, or a Hershey's kiss and they taste nothing alike.
American chocolate - compound or otherwise - often contains butyric acid which tastes and smells intensely like vomit.