Confections

Confectionery industry has a long history. It starts with the discovery of honey. Chopped fruits and nuts mixed with honey was the first confectionery item in the world.

When in the middle ages cane sugar was brought to Europe it was used for the production of sugar sweets.

There are more than 2000 varieties of confections but the fundamental processes of candy making have much in common because in the majority the chief ingredient is sugar.

Next to sugar chocolate is a very common ingredient of many candies. Chocolate was first brought to Europe by Spaniards in the 16th century. At that time it was used as a beverage. Later on the manufacture of chocolate candies was started in France.

The 17th century was a period of considerable progress in confectionery. Many new types of confectionery items appeared. But till the end of the 18th century most of the processes in confectionery production had been carried out manually. Nowadays all the processes in confectionery production are done by machines.

Confectionery items include sweets, lollipops, candy bars, chocolate, cotton candy, and other sweet items of snack food. The term does not generally apply to cakes, biscuits, or puddings which require cutlery to consume.

Confections are divided into several large groups: hard candies, chewy confections, aerated confections and chocolate candies.

Common sweeteners used in confections are refined crystalline cane or beet sugar, liquid sugar, corn syrup, starch, honey and some others.

Various types of candies may be prepared by varying the kind of sweetener and amount of liquid, the cooking and cooling time, and the addition of chocolate, milk products, fruits, nuts, etc.

Excessive consumption of confectionery has been associated with increased incidences of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and tooth decay.

Some sweets contain traces of nuts which pose risks for those who are allergic to them, while others contain dairy products which must be avoided by individuals who are lactose-intolerant.

Contaminants and coloring agents as well as toys and other non-nutritive products in confectionery can be particularly harmful to children. This non-nutritive material can cause injury or pose choking hazards.

Practice 1. Re-read the text and answer the questions:

1. What have you learnt about the history of the confectionary industry?

2. What is the basic ingredient of any confectionary product?

3. What confectionery items do you know?

4. What are the harmful effects of excessive confections eating?

Practice 2. Give the Russian equivalents to the word-combinations from the text:

-confectionery industry

-discovery of honey

-chopped fruits

-the middle ages

-cane sugar

-next to sugar

-chocolate candies

-confectionery items

-candy bars

-cotton candy,

-hard candies

-chewy confections

-aerated confections

-beet sugar

-corn syrup

-cooling time

-excessive consumption

-lactose-intolerant

-non-nutritive material

Practice 3. Match up the words on the left with the definitions on the right:

machines honey sweets candy bar beverage progress cake to chop

movement to an improved or more developed state, or to a forward position a drink of any type a sweet food made with a mixture of flour, eggs, fat and sugar a sweet sticky yellow substance made by bees and used as food to cut something into pieces with an axe, knife or other sharp instrument small pieces of sweet food, made with sugar candy shaped like a thin brick a piece of equipment with several moving parts which uses power to do a particular type of work

Practice 4. Complete the sentences using the words from the table:

chocolate candies nuts beverage hard candies chewy confections aerated confections sweets chocolate candies

1. In the middle ages cane sugar was used in the production of _______.

2. Next to sugar ______ is a very common ingredient of many ______.

3. First chocolate was used as a _______.

4. Confections are divided into several large groups: _____, ______, ______ and ______.

5. Some sweets contain traces of ______.

Practice 5. Complete the table:

noun	verb	adjective
		chewy
sweetener
consumption
	hazard
		crystalline