Melting behaviour of cocoa butter substitutes synthesised by enzymatic glycerolysis of coconut oil and palm stearin blends

Abstract

Cocoa Butter (CB) is a speciality fat required in various products, but its availability is limited and has adverse health effects. Therefore, an alternative to CB is needed. This study aimed to synthesise cocoa butter substitutes (CBS) rich in monolaurin by enzymatic glycerolysis of coconut oil (CNO) and palm stearin (PS) blends. The ratios of CNO to PS used were 7:3, 6:4, and 5:5 (w/w). Several characteristics related to the melting behaviour of CBS were analysed. The results showed that CBS contained monoacylglycerol (MAG) and diacylglycerol (DAG) about 55.89-57.28% and 34.27-39.57%, respectively, while MAG fraction contained monolaurin of 25.31-37.07%. CBS rich in monolaurin produced from the CNO-PS ratio of 6:4 had the slip melting point and the melting point similar to CB, namely, 34.87±0.08°C and 36.75±0.14°C, respectively. In addition, the melting profile and solid fat content (SFC) were also comparable to CB but slightly lower than CB. The obtained CBS had 5% compatibility with CB to maintain the same melting profile as CB. CBS synthesised by enzymatic glycerolysis of coconut oil and palm stearin blends has the potential to partially replace CB.