Cocoa products, composition

Nutrition should be low in copper. Patients must avoid foodstuffs and beverages containing copper, e. g. edible offal, nuts, cocoa products, mushrooms, potato crisps, rye flour, oat flakes, beans, dried figs, certain types of cheese, meat and fish, pineapple, mineral water (see relevant lists as to the composition of foodstuffs and copper content in food). Vegetarian food, from which copper cannot be easily mobilized, is therefore recommended. Cooking utensils containing copper should not be used. Alcohol is strictly forbidden. 

Over the last two decades, the scientific community has become aware of the potential health-related benefits of antioxidants and the properties of polyphenols-rich dark chocolate and cocoa. More than 200 studies were reported on bioactive compounds, chemical compositions, and health benefits of cocoa and cocoa products. Many of the proposed health-protective activities associated with the crmsumption of cocoa and chocolate have been attributed to flavan-3-ols, including monomers. Reported pharmacological activities of procyanidins include antioxidative and anticancer effects, protection against cardiovascular disease, risk reduction of blood clotting, protection against urinary tract infectirms, decrease of LDL-c, decrease of blood pressure, and improvement of endothelium vasodilatation. Moreover, there is some scientific evidence about an increase in blood flow and perfusion of the brain by... 

There are physical—chemical differences between fats of the same fatty acid composition, depending on the placement of the fatty acids. For example, cocoa butter and mutton tallow share the same fatty acid composition, but fatty acid placement on the glycerin backbone yields products of very different physical properties. 

Composition and Properties. Cocoa butter is a unique fat with specific melting characteristics. It is a soHd at room temperature (20°C), starts to soften around 30°C, and melts completely just below body temperature. Its distinct melting characteristic makes cocoa butter the preferred fat for chocolate products. 

Table 11. Composition of Cocoa Beans and their Products, Whole Weight Basis in %...

Methylxanthine Composition and Consumption Patterns of Cocoa and Chocolate Products... 

This chapter defines the methylxanthine composition of raw and processed cocoa, as well as various chocolate foods and beverages. Patterns of consumption for cocoa and chocolate products are discussed and dietary intakes of caffeine from chocolate products are reported. 

Shively CA, Tarka SM Jr. (1984). Methyixanthine composition and consumption patterns of cocoa and chocolate products. Prog Clin Biol Res. 158 149-78. 

Future authenticity testing of cocoa butter and chocolate products is likely to follow defined paths. To assure the authenticity of cocoa butters databases of the composition of the relevant fats will be required, constructed from a statistically significantly number of samples of proven provenance and processing history. Analyses must be carried out using internationally validated methods and characterized reference materials by a number of respected laboratories. Scientific co-operation within the European Union is beginning to develop such approaches in ensuring the authenticity of other foods such as olive oil. 

Unlike olive oil, the analysis of cocoa butter is not governed by legal definitions. However, the legal definition of chocolate is specific in relation to whether cocoa butter is present alone or as the major vegetable fat, with strict limits on the presence of other vegetable fats in the product. Cocoa butter is also one of the few fats for which artificially manufactured substitutes of similar composition have been constructed and openly marketed. Because of this, analysis of the adulteration of cocoa butter probably has a greater importance than that of any fat other than olive oil, and the approaches to this analysis are described in chapter 3. 

The addition of dispersed saccharides/polysaccharides to enhance the adherence of composite or fat coatings on a bakery product has been suggested in various patents (Anonymous 1979 Haynes et al. 2004 Heuvel et al. 1997 Youcheff et al. 1996). The effect of sugars, cocoa powder, emulsifier and fat type on the WVP (3.5%-100% RH, 20°C) of chocolate coatings was investigated by Gosh et al. (2005) and rmder-lined the favourable effect of sucrose on the WVP of the barrier. 

Fractionation of Palm Kernel Oil. As in palm oil, palm kernel oil can also be fractionated via the dry, detergent, and solvent processes (62). The principles applied are quite similar. The conditions of operation, however, are quite different because of the different triglyceride composition and crystallization behavior of palm kernel oil. In the dry fraction process, the separation of palm kernel olein from the palm kernel stearin is effected by hydraulic pressing under high pressure. In this case, the palm kernel stearin, which is an important material for production of lauric-basic cocoa butter substitute, is the premium product. Its yield ranges from 25 to 40% depending on the process used. 

Because of the similarity in the chemical compositions of the symmetrical-type fats and cocoa butter, they are compatible with each other in almost any proportions, and for this reason these specialty fats are usually called cocoa butter equivalents (105). In certain countries, legislation allows up to about 15% of the cocoa butter in chocolate to be replaced by symmetrical-type specialty fat and the product may still be described as chocolate. In terms of texture and flavor these products are very close to real (cocoa butter) chocolate. 

The deodorization of cocoa butter is necessary to reduce free fatty acid content and to give a product that satisfies the present day requirement of a neutral bland flavor. Deodorization is a suitable method for partially eliminating chlorinated insecticides from cocoa butter. The normal deodorization temperatures are in the range 160-180°C. The oxidative stability of various cocoa butters listed in Table 4 shows extremely high values, and these are unaffected during the deodorization process. Stability against oxidation depends on natural antioxidants present in cocoa butters. The tocopherol composition in Table 5 shows a predominance of... 

The principal ingredients of the massive chocolate product are the cocoa mass, cocoa butter, ground sugar and milk powder. Typical compositions of massive chocolate products are shovm in Tab. 5.20. 

Alcohol fractionation of deoiled lecithin provides alcohol-soluble and alcohol-insoluble fractions enriched with PC and PI respectively. The PC-enriched fraction is an excellent oil-in-water emulsifier. The Pi-enriched fraction is a good water-in-oil emulsifier often used in the chocolate industry to increase the viscosity of the mass, therefore reducing the need for cocoa butter. The typical composition of these lecithin products is shown in Table 2.11. 

Although Table XXV-31 does not involve individual tobacco and/or tobacco smoke compounds, it is included because of the relationship of the entities to tobacco and/or tobacco products. The results of many of the studies cited were published in the early days of the examination of tobacco composition and the attempts to define the precursors in tobacco of various components in MSS. The studies on cocoa and licorice are included because of their level of use in tobacco products. 

In products containing lipids, control of the crystal polymorphic form is also necessary. Lipids form different crystalline structures, or polymorphs, depending on the nature of the fat and the processing conditions. Transitions from less stable to more stable polymorphs are also dependent on composition and processing conditions. For example, tempering (or precrystallization) of chocolate is a process through which the chocolate is sequentially cooled and warmed to promote crystallization of cocoa butter into the desired polymorphic form. Controlling crystallization to produce the proper size distribution of this polymorph provides ... 

The reactivity and nutritional value of a particular TAG depend on stereospecific isomerism. If a particular TAG composition is undesirable, it is possible to randomize the product, most often by treatment with alkaline catalysts. In a randomized fat or oil, the distribution of FA among TAG species is quite random. The randomization is particularly important in solid fats because the melting interval and the texture are changed for example, the melting point of cocoa butter increases from 34.8 to 54.2°C during the randomization. 

Microbiological lipid synthesis undoubtedly offers vast opportunities with respect to the syntheses of PEFA and special TAG such as cocoa butter substitutes. However, the problems related to production economics and the production of biooils with optimal compositions must be solved first. 

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