Cocoa butter improvers

The composition and properties of cocoa butter have been summarized (Chalseri and Dimick, 1987) and extensive details of the composition of cocoa butter and CBA fats have been compiled (Wong Soon, 1991 Lipp and Anklam, 1998a Lipp et al., 2001). There are serious problems to be considered when applying sets of historical and some contemporary data to the determination of fat authenticity, particularly where this involves the widely used sterol, triacyl-glycerol and fatty acid data. Improvements in the resolution of chromatography... 

The sterols present in cocoa butter make up about 0.3 to 0.4% of the oil and, as in other oils, they exist as free sterols, esters with fatty acids, and as glucosides and acylated sterol glucosides. Sterol determinations are normally carried out on the saponified material after isolation of the sterol fraction by TLC, although recovery from the TLC plate is lower than can be achieved by the use of HPLC, which also gives improved separation of the desmethylsterols and triterpene alcohols. Gas chromatography can be performed on the non-derivatized sterols provided the column is in good condition but acetylation (which can precede TLC) or silylation gives more consistently reliable resolution and peak shape. 

A fluorescence under UV illumination of an unidentified compound separated by TLC has been used to detect 5% kokum (possibly unrefined) in mixtures with cocoa butter (Deotale el al., 1990). Identification of this compound and its analysis by more specific techniques might be used to improve current methods of quantifying CBEs in chocolate. 

Research on blending milk fat and its fractions with cocoa butter to reduce costs and/or to improve stability against fat bloom in chocolates has had mixed results. Milk fat hard fractions have been reported to inhibit fat bloom formation in both milk and dark chocolates (Versteeg et al., 1994 Dimick et al., 1996b Bricknell and Hartel, 1998) but to accelerate fat bloom in compound coatings based on palm kernel oil (Ransom-Painter et al., 1997). Reddy et al. (1996) showed the importance of modifying the... 

Cocoa butter (CB) has a challenging chemistry and has attracted many efforts to develop lower cost, acceptable alternatives. The following definitions provide a quick introduction to this field (1) cocoa butter equivalents (CBEs) are compounded mostly from tropical oils other than palm. Because their melting and crystallization properties closely resemble CB, they are compatible as diluents at all levels of substitution (2) cocoa butter replacers (CBRs) are made from nondairy oils (typically soybean, cottonseed, or palm) partially hydrogenated for maximum trans-CIS isomer formation to acquire a steep melting profile. They are best used for enrobing bakery products, but their melting profiles can be improved by chill fractionation and (3) cocoa butter substitutes (CBSs) are made primarily from... 

It is a complex mixture of acetone-insoluble phosphatides that consists chiefly of phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl ethanolamine, and phosphatidyl inositol combined with various amounts of other substances such as triglycerides, fatty acids, and carbohydrates. Refined grades of Lecithin may contain any of these components in varying proportions and combinations depending on the type of fractionation used. In its oil-free form, the preponderance of triglycerides and fatty acids is removed and the product contains 90% or more of phosphatides representing ah or certain fractions of the total phosphatide complex. Edible diluents, such as cocoa butter and vegetable oils, often replace soybean oil to improve functional and flavor characteristics. Lecithin is only partially soluble in water, but it readily hydrates to form emulsions. The oil-free phosphatides are soluble in fatty acids, but they are practically insoluble in fixed oils. When ah phosphatide fractions are present, Lecithin is partially soluble in alcohol and practically insoluble in acetone. 

This stearin is extremely hard and can be used effectively to improve the quality of soft cocoa. Attempts have been made to improve the quality of Brazilian cocoa butter by fractionation. 

Cmde fractions can be obtained by solvent fractionation treatments utilizing lower alcohols, such as ethanol, or alcohol-water mixtures. The product is a soluble fraction rich in phosphatidylcholine, whereas phosphatidic acid and phophatidyli-nositol predominate in the insoluble fraction. The shift in the ratio of phosphatidylcholine to phosphatidylethanolamine improves the emulsification and antispattering capabilities of the soluble fraction. The products of this process can be used as they are or can be further purified with adsorbents. The soluble fraction is an excellent oil-in-water emulsifier and is predominately used in margarine. The acidic phospholipids of the insoluble fraction are used in water-in-oil systems. The chocolate manufacturing industry uses this fraction to increase the viscosity of chocolate masses, thereby reducing the requirement for cocoa butter (83, 84). 

The confectionery industry utilizes the emulsification, antistick, and viscosity properties of lecithin and benefits from the concurrent effects of shelf-life extension, texture improvement, and decreased production costs (83). A product such as caramel will not blend correctly in the absence of lecithin. Uniform dispersion of fat, aided by lecithin, will decrease stickiness and provide tenderness for ease of cutting. The natural antioxidant properties of lecithin slow the decay of any product in which it is incorporated. Viscosity is very important in the chocolate industry where shape is often a requirement for consumer acceptability. High concentrations of butter, such as cocoa butter, impart high viscosity, which in turn makes... 

Laurie oils contain mostly S3 while cocoa butter contains mainly S2U and both melt sharply, although over different temperature ranges. The usual reason for the use of interesterification on vegetable oils is to reduce the tail of the SFC/temperature curve and so improve mouth feel. Accordingly, it has been applied to HPKO and HPKOo to make them more similar to PKOs. The problem is that the cost of interesterification comes on top of that of hydrogenation and PKOs still has a much better SFC profile as a CBS. 

Figure 1 Although the mass of each particle or group of particles is the same, increasing the surface area allows more cocoa butter to coat the particles, which improves the flow of the chocolate.

Smooth texture If the chocolate contains too little cocoa butter between the particles, the chocolate will be too thick to flow Into a mold. To Improve the flow of the chocolate without increasing particle size, manufacturers can either add more fat to the mixture or add an emulsifier, such as lecithin. Lecithin is a fat often obtained from soybeans that helps keep the fat molecules evenly suspended, or emulsified. In the chocolate. 

Genetic manipulation of oleaginous yeast will not only further improve the yields and feasibility of single-cell oil production processes but also the generation of novel lipids with high value. Often-named examples are fatty acids similar to natural products like cocoa butter or fish oil, which are becoming... 

Interesterification procedures are used industrially to improve the physical properties of lard, to produce cocoa butter substitutes from cheaper oils (usually combined with hydrogenation and fractionation), to produce fats containing acetic acid, and to produce margarine of appropriate melting behaviour with a minimum content of trans acids and maximum content of polyene acids. This has been achieved, for example, by interesterification of soybean oil (80%) and fully hydrogenated soybean oil (20%). 

Pires JL, Cascardo JCM, Lambert SV, Figueira A (1998) Increasing cocoa butter yield through genetic improvement of Theobroma cacao L. seed fat content variability, inheritance, and association with seed yield. Euphytica 103 115-121... 

Fats and oils are important food constituents. Their nutritional, chemical, and physical properties are influenced by the position of fatty adds, their chain length, and the degree of unsaturation. Usually, lipases are used to obtain modified fats with nutritionally improved properties and they provide high value fats such as cocoa butter that contains palmitic and stearic acids. Commercial lipases are mainly employed in the dairy industry for flavor enhancement in cheese (Mase et al., 2010 Omar et al., 1986), the acceleration of cheese ripening (Fox et al., 1996 Kheadr et al., 2002), the manufacture of cheeselike products, and the Upolysis of butterfat and cream (Purko et al., 1952 Seitz, 1974). Lipases release short-chain fatty acids that develop a tangy flavor and medium chain fatty acids that give a soapy taste to the end product (Sharma et al., 2011). 

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