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

Efraín M. Castro-Alayo,Fiorella P. Cárdenas-Toro,Ilse S. Cayo-Colca,Llisela Torrejón-Valqui

doi:10.3390/foods10123101

Efraín M. Castro-Alayo, Fiorella P. Cárdenas-Toro + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/foods10123101

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Abstract

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.

Highlights

In the manufacture of chocolates, one of the main ingredients is cocoa butter (CB), which is the main contributor to the high fat content of chocolate
We found differences between the area ratios of the peaks at 1733.84 and 1745.43 cm−1, which can be used as differentiation patterns between CB, coconut oil (CNO), and sacha inchi oil (SIO)
In the present work, the usefulness of the confocal Raman microscopy (CRM) technique to identify the chemical properties of cocoa butter, coconut oil and sacha inchi oil is demonstrated. These latter vegetable oils are proposed as candidates to be cocoa butter equivalents in the manufacture of chocolates

Summary

Introduction

In the manufacture of chocolates, one of the main ingredients is cocoa butter (CB), which is the main contributor to the high fat content of chocolate. Cost and technical limitations have increased CB demand, it is the main lipid phase in chocolate manufacturing. It is used in combination with other vegetable oils, such as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated soybean oil and palm oil [2,3,4]. CB can be substituted with vegetable fats by blending to produce chocolate or replace CB either partially or wholly [2]. These are the so-called cocoa butter equivalents (CBE), which should be compatible with CB without presenting any eutectic behavior [5]. European regulation only allows six vegetable oils to be used as CBE, illipe, palm oil, sal, shea, kokum gurgi and mango kernel [11,13]

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