Cocoa butter substitutes and equivalents

Cocoa butter substitutes and equivalents differ greatly with respect to their method of manufacture, source of fats, and functionaHty they are produced by several physical and chemical processes (17,18). Cocoa butter substitutes are produced from lauric acid fats such as coconut, palm, and palm kernel oils by fractionation and hydrogenation from domestic fats such as soy, com, and cotton seed oils by selective hydrogenation or from palm kernel stearines by fractionation. Cocoa butter equivalents can be produced from palm kernel oil and other specialty fats such as shea and ilHpe by fractional crystallization from glycerol and selected fatty acids by direct chemical synthesis or from edible beef tallow by acetone crystallization. 

This principle has been exploited, with regard to 1,3 regio-specific lipases, in the production of specialty fats such as cocoa butter substitutes and equivalents (section 12.6). It is worth noting that lipases lacking specificity produce products similar to those produced by chemically catalysed interesterification as shown in Figure 12.6. 

Despite the considerable amount of work and patents filed in this field, industrial production of enzyme derived cocoa butter substitutes and equivalents has been very scanty. This is due to scale-up and other engineering problems generally discussed in the preceding section. With persistent research and development efforts in this field, large-scale, continuous production could soon be realized. 

Substitutes and Equivalents. In the past 25 years, many fats have been developed to replace part or all of the added cocoa butter ia chocolate-flavored products. These fats fall into two basic categories commonly known as cocoa butter substitutes and cocoa butter equivalents. Neither can be used ia the United States ia standardized chocolate products, but they are used ia small amounts, usually up to 5% of the total weight of the product, ia some European countries. 

Cocoa butter substitutes of all types enjoy widespread use ia the United States chiefly as ingredients ia chocolate-flavored products. Cocoa butter equivalents are not widely used because of their higher price and limited supply. 

Cocoa butter substitutes do not chemically resemble cocoa butter and are compatible with cocoa butter only within specified limits. Cocoa butter equivalents are chemically similar to cocoa butter and can replace cocoa butter ia any proportion without deleterious physical effects (15,16). 

The non-cocoa fats used in confectionery are mixtures known as cocoa butter alternatives (CBAs), of which the most important are cocoa butter equivalents (CBEs). These are formulated from non-hydrogenated fat fractions with a tri-acylglycerol composition almost identical with cocoa butter and which are miscible with cocoa butter in all proportions. Other alternative fats such as cocoa butter replacers (CBRs) and cocoa butter substitutes (CBSs) are used, particularly in the manufacture of specialized forms of chocolate application such as coatings. 

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... 

Solvent fractionation is the term used to describe the crystallization process of a desired fat fraction from oil that is solubillized in a suitable solvent. Fat fractions may be selectively crystallized at different temperatures, after which the fractions are separated and the solvent removed. This procedure is suitable for the preparation of value-added products. The production of cocoa butter equivalents, cocoa butter substitutes, cocoa butter replacers, and medium-chain triacyl-glycerols (MCTs) are well-known applications for this type of fractionation. 

Food industries are looking for alternative fats to cocoa butter (CB) from natural matrices that are denoted as cocoa butter replacers (CBRs), cocoa butter equivalents (CBEs) and cocoa butter substitutes (CBSs) fat [41 83], CBRs are defined as non-lauric fats that could replace cocoa butter either partially or completely in the chocolate or other food products. On the other hand, a cocoa butter equivalent (CBE) is a type of fat that has a very similar chemical composition, but its triglycerides derive from other source than cocoa beans, such as palm kernel oil, palm oil, mango seed fat, kokum butter, sal fat, shea butter, illipe butter, soya oil, rape seed oil, cotton oil, ground nut oil and coconut oil [43]. 

Fig. 8.14. Solid Fat Index curves of cocoa butter, cocoa butter equivalent (CBE, used as an extender), and higher-temperature-melting cocoa butter substitutes (CBSs).

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