Ethyl formate palmitate

More than 300 compounds had been identified in cocoa volatiles, 10% of which were carbonyl compounds (59,60). Acetaldehyde, 2-methylpropanal, 3-methylbutanal, 2-methylbutanal, phenylacetaldhyde and propanal were products of Strecker degradation of alanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, phenyl-acetaldehyde, and a-aminobutyric acid, respectively. Eckey (61) reported that raw cocoa beans contain about 50-55% fats, which consisted of palmitic (26.2%), stearic (34.4%), oleic (37.3%), and linoleic (2.1%) acids. During roasting cocoa beans these acids were oxidized and the following carbonyl compounds might be produced - oleic 2-propenal, butanal, valeraldehyde, hexanal, heptanal, octanal, nonanal, decanal, and 2-alkenals of Cg to C-q. Linoleic ethanal, propanal, pentanal, hexanal, 2-alkenals of to C q, 2,4-alkadienals of Cg to C-q, methyl ethyl ketone and hexen-1,6-dial. Carbonyl compounds play a major role in the formation of cocoa flavor components. 

The sodium or potassium salt of palmitic acid, or of stearic acid or the mixed salts of several acids obtained from ordinary fats, is the common substance known as soap. This particular reaction of hydrolysis, is, therefore, known, also, as a reaction of saponification (soap formation). Strictly speaking the reaction of saponification applies only to the alkaline hydrolysis of fats, i,e., of glycerol esters, but, as the hydrolysis of other esters is a reaction of exactly the same character, the term is used to apply equally to the hydrolysis of any ester in presence of an alkali. In the case of the lower alcohol and lower acid esters, e.g., ethyl acetate, the salt formed is not a soap but is a crystalline salt, sodium acetate. 

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