Physical Chemical Properties of Shea/Cocoa Butter Blends and their Potential for Chocolate Manufacture

Mahua oil fraction: A sustainable and functional 1,3-dipalmitoyl-2-oleoylglycerol (POS)-enriched cocoa butter equivalent for chocolate production

This study explored the potential of palmitic-oleic-stearic (POS) triacylglycerols-enriched mahua oil fractions as a cost-effective and sustainable cocoa butter equivalent in chocolate production. Dark compound chocolates were formulated with varying CBE levels (5%-40%) to resemble the triacylglycerol profile of cocoa butter (35% POS, 22% SOS, 17% POP). All formulations exhibited acceptable particle size distributions (D90: 10.9-18.1 μm) and consistent rheological properties (Casson viscosity: 5.6-7.9 Pa; yield stress: 90-119 Pa). Throughout the 12-week storage period, compound chocolates containing up to 20% CBE exhibited higher hardness values (7-11 N), while 30% and 40% CBE demonstrated a slight reduction (5-9 N). Fat blooming was absent in all formulations, as evidenced by the low whitening index (18-21). The sensory evaluation revealed high consumer acceptability for the 10% CBE chocolate (hedonic score: 6.9-7.4). These findings suggest that mahua oil-derived CBE is a promising and sustainable alternative to cocoa butter in chocolate production.

Chocolate microstructure: A comprehensive review

Chocolate is a food with complex microstructure properties. In this study, chocolate surface and internal microstructures are discussed considering final product quality and stability. In addition, the effects of the solids and continuous phase components and the interactions between them, and also process effects on the microstructure were reviewed. Irregularities in the internal microstructure affect the surface and cause problems such as unstable cocoa butter crystals, a whitish, streaky appearance, chewy especially fat bloom in this layer and in general, a low quality and sensory in final product. Optimization of the particle size and cooling conditions of the solids is required to modify the surface topography for roughness and pores morphology. Reducing surface porosity can increase fat bloom resistance. For this purpose, reducing surface hydrophobicity by considering proteins with di-sulfide bonds and their concentrations and the use of different bulk sweeteners should be taken into consideration. The morphology of the surface microstructure may be used for product characterization as well as to investigate the environmental conditions exposed during processing and storage. It should be noted that chocolate has a three-phase microstructural system, considering the air present in the gaps at the interface. The importance of the third phase for continuous phase mobility is critical. Additionally, this phase affects behavior in the oral cavity due to melting and release of volatile components.

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.