18 - Enzymatic and Other Modification Techniques to Produce Cocoa Butter Alternatives

Abstract

Cocoa butter (CB) is an essential ingredient in chocolate as it forms the continuous phase of chocolate. It is responsible for the gloss, texture, and typical melting behavior of chocolate. Although cocoa butter is the ideal ingredient, the varying supply and increasing price depending on fluctuating cocoa bean prices forced manufacturers to seek alternatives. Cocoa butter can be replaced by other vegetable fats, collected under the name Cocoa Butter Alternatives (CBAs). The CBAs are divided into three main categories according to their functionality and similarity to cocoa butter: the Cocoa Butter Equivalents (CBEs), the Cocoa Butter Replacers (CBRs), and the Cocoa Butter Substitutes (CBSs). A CBE should allow processing of chocolate products in an identical manner to that of cocoa butter-based products. The specific fatty acid profile and their distribution on the glycerol backbone in natural oils and fats affect their functional properties like crystallization and melting behavior. Therefore, the use of only one technique is not sufficient and several techniques need to be combined together to produce a cocoa butter alternative fat. Interesterification is an important modification technique resulting in the redistribution of the fatty acids along the glycerol backbone, which results in a change of the physicochemical properties of the fat.