Evaluation of the Miscibility of Novel Cocoa Butter Equivalents by Raman Mapping and Multivariate Curve Resolution–Alternating Least Squares

Cocoa butter (CB) is an ingredient traditionally used in the manufacturing of chocolates, but its availability is decreasing due to its scarcity and high cost. For this reason, other vegetable oils, known as cocoa butter equivalents (CBE), are used to replace CB partially or wholly. In the present work, two Peruvian vegetable oils, coconut oil (CNO) and sacha inchi oil (SIO), are proposed as novel CBEs. Confocal Raman microscopy (CRM) was used for the chemical differentiation and polymorphism of these oils with CB based on their Raman spectra. To analyze their miscibility, two types of blends were prepared: CB with CNO, and CB with SIO. Both were prepared at 5 different concentrations (5%, 15%, 25%, 35%, and 45%). Raman mapping was used to obtain the chemical maps of the blends and analyze their miscibility through distribution maps, histograms and relative standard deviation (RSD). These values were obtained with multivariate curve resolution–alternating least squares. The results show that both vegetable oils are miscible with CB at high concentrations: 45% for CNO and 35% for SIO. At low concentrations, their miscibility decreases. This shows that it is possible to consider these vegetable oils as novel CBEs in the manufacturing of chocolates.

Preparation of Low-Diacylglycerol Cocoa Butter Equivalents by Hexane Fractionation of Palm Stearin and Shea Butter

Herein, we prepared 1,3-dipalmitoyl-2-oleoyl glycerol (POP)-rich fats with reduced levels of diacylglycerols (DAGs), adversely affecting the tempering of chocolate, via two-step hexane fractionation of palm stearin. DAG content in the as-prepared fats was lower than that in POP-rich fats obtained by previously reported conventional two-step acetone fractionation. Cocoa butter equivalents (CBEs) were fabricated by blending the as-prepared fats with 1,3-distearoyl-2-oleoyl glycerol (SOS)-rich fats obtained by hexane fractionation of degummed shea butter. POP-rich fats achieved under the best conditions for the fractionation of palm stearin had a significantly lower DAG content (1.6 w/w%) than that in the counterpart (4.6 w/w%) prepared by the previously reported method. The CBEs fabricated by blending the POP- and SOS-rich fats in a weight ratio of 40:60 contained 63.7 w/w% total symmetric monounsaturated triacylglycerols, including 22.0 w/w% POP, 8.6 w/w% palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-3-stearoyl-rac-glycerol, 33.1 w/w% SOS, and 1.3 w/w% DAGs, which was not substantially different from the DAG content in cocoa butter (1.1 w/w%). Based on the solid-fat content results, it was concluded that, when these CBEs were used for chocolate manufacture, they blended with cocoa butter at levels up to 40 w/w%, without distinctively altering the hardness and melting behavior of cocoa butter.

PERBANDINGAN KARAKTERISTIK FISIKOKIMIA ANTARA COCOA BUTTER ALTERNATIVE (CBA) DENGAN LEMAK KAKAO UNTUK PENGEMBANGAN STANDAR NASIONAL INDONESIA

<p><em>Cocoa butter alternative</em> (CBA) atau alternatif lemak kakao memegang peranan penting dalam industri pengolahan cokelat atau konfeksioneri. CBA terdiri dari <em>Cocoa Butter Equivalents </em>(CBE), <em>Cocoa Butter Replacers </em>(CBR), <em>Cocoa Butter Substitutes</em> (CBS) yang terbagi berdasarkan komposisi kimia dan kompatibilitas dengan lemak kakao. Belum ada standar nasional dan internasional yang mengatur dan membedakan karakteristik ketiga produk tersebut. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui karakteristik CBE, CBR dan CBS dan dianalisis untuk pengembangan konsep Rancangan Standar Nasional Indonesia (RSNI) Alternatif Lemak Kakao. Metode penelitian adalah sampling dan membeli produk CBE, CBR dan CBS ke industri-industri. Analisis terhadap CBE, CBR dan CBS dilakukan untuk mengetahui karakteristiknya serta membandingkannya dengan SNI 3748:2009 Lemak Kakao. Parameter mutu yang dianalisis adalah titik leleh, kadar air, kadar asam lemak bebas, bilangan peroksida, bilangan iod, dan asam lemak trans. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa CBE, CBR, CBE mempunyai kisaran rerata titik leleh sebesar 18,5-34,11 °C, kadar air 0,12-0,17%, kadar asam lemak bebas 0,06-0,10%, bilangan peroksida 0,21-2,65 mek O₂/kg, bilangan iod 2,15-38,7 gram I₂/100 g, dan asam lemak trans 0,4-0,11%. Parameter titik leleh, kadar air, kadar asam lemak bebas, bilangan peroksida, dan bilangan iod CBE, CBR dan CBS memenuhi semua syarat mutu SNI 3748:2009 Lemak Kakao. Nilai asam lemak trans CBA memenuhi syarat WHO (2010). Konsep RSNI Alternatif Lemak Kakao (CBA) yang diusulkan berdasarkan analisis tersebut adalah titik leleh 32-45 °C untuk CBR dan CBS, untuk CBE tidak ditetapkan, kadar air maksimum 0,3%, kadar asam lemak bebas maksimum 0,3 %, bilangan peroksida maksimum 3,0 mek O₂/kg, bilangan iod untuk CBE, CBR dan CBS maksimum 40, 60 dan 20 gram I₂/100 g berturut-turut.</p><div><div><p> </p></div></div>

Cocoa Shell as a Step Forward to Functional Chocolates—Bioactive Components in Chocolates with Different Composition

Chocolate is considered as both caloric and functional food. Its nutritional properties may be improved by addition of fiber; however, this may reduce polyphenols content. The aim of this research was to determine the influence of cocoa shell addition (as a source of fiber) and its combination with different ingredients (cocoa butter equivalents (CBE), emulsifiers, dairy ingredients) on polyphenols of dark and milk chocolates. Total polyphenol (TPC) and total flavonoid (TFC) contents were determined spectrophotometrically, identification and quantification of individual compounds by high pressure liquid chromatography and antioxidant capacity by ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. Results showed that even though addition of cocoa shell to chocolate results in reduced contents of TPC, TFC, and individual compounds, it is not significant compared to ones reported by other authors for commercial chocolates. Other ingredients influence determined values for all investigated parameters; however, additional research is needed to reveal exact mechanisms and implications.

Differential scanning calorimetry of cocoa butter and chocolate glaze

Nowadays there is a wide market for cocoa butter equivalents, substitutes and improvers for the confectionery and dairy industries. An urgent task is the development of operational instrumental methods for cocoa butter and its substitutes quality control. Thermophysical parameters are among the most important characteristics of the fat phase for the food technology. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is becoming one of the most promising methods for analytical control of fat and oil products. Thermophysical data (temperatures of the maximums of endothermic peaks and their areas) for cocoa butter and chocolate glaze typical samples applied at dairy processing enterprises of the Central black soil region for the production of chocolate glazed curd bars were obtained in the work performed with its help. DSC data were compared with chromatographic data on triglyceride composition of the fat phase of cocoa butter, cocoa butter equivalents, lauric and non-lauric substitutes, and POP and SOS cocoa butter improvers. It was shown that the DSC method can control the quality of cocoa butter and chocolate glaze, identify chocolate products of different origin and triglyceride composition. Melting thermograms obtained by DSC are highly sensitive to the fat phase triglyceride composition. DSC allows reliable identification of samples of cocoa butter and glaze by melting curves in the temperature range from -100 to +50 ° C. It was found that the main melting peak of cocoa butter and its substitutes, due to the presence of a certain set of triglycerides, is observed in the temperature range from -5 to +30 °C. When examining glazes, the melting peak changes: it bifurcates, expands or narrows. Additional application of computer separation of the unseparated peaks superposition on the DSC melting curves increases the information content of the method and improves the reliability of the fat phase identification. The DSC method is characterized by sample preparation simplicity, has good reproducibility and other metrological characteristics and can be an independent method for fat and oil products identifying and quality control..