Effects of Shear and Cooling Rate on the Crystallization Behavior and Structure of Cocoa Butter: Shear Applied During the Early Stages of Nucleation

Abstract

Here we investigated the effects of applied shear and temperature during the early stages of nucleation on the isothermal crystallization behavior and microstructure of cocoa butter (CB). Results showed that the composition of nucleating triacylglycerols (TAGs) as well as crystalline microstructure and polymorphism of CB were affected by mixing and temperature gradients while still in the molten state. The initial crystalline material isolated from CB after it had been subjected to shear had a similar TAG composition as native CB. However, in the absence of shear, high melting TAGs such as trisaturates (SSS) along with lower amounts of monounsaturated TAGs (SUS) were present, possibly due to fractionation. After subjecting CB to shear in its molten state, crystallization rates were faster due to the cocrystallization of different TAGs into a mixed crystal; however, the polymorphic transition into the more stable β-V form was found to be slower due to inherent complexity in TAG composition. Under static co...