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Functionality of cocoa butter equivalents in chocolate products

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Abstract

Although cocoa butter (CB) is an ideal fat for the use in chocolate, limited supply, high demand and fluctuating prices lead the industry to look for alternatives. In the present study, physicochemical properties of commercially available cocoa butter equivalents (CBE) and hard palm mid fraction (PMF) are compared with those of CB. Subsequently, their functionality in real and compound chocolate was evaluated. CBE and PMF contained a comparable (12.0–13.8 %) but significant lower amount of POSt compared to CB (38.7 %). Differences in nonisothermal crystallization and melting profile were observed between CB and CBE. The two-step isothermal crystallization at 20 °C showed that the nucleation started earlier as the StOSt content increased. No significant differences were observed in melting behavior between the reference chocolate (ChocREF) and the chocolates with partial replacement. Hardness was significantly higher for ChocREF. Differences in flow behavior were demonstrated in yield stress, but plastic viscosity of all chocolate products was similar. Although instrumental analyses defined differences, the trained panel and consumers had difficulties to distinguish the chocolate products produced from CBE.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Food Technology and Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Nathalie De Clercq, Sheida Kadivar, Davy Van de Walle & Koen Dewettinck

  2. Division of Agri-Food Marketing and Chain Management, Department of Agricultural Economics, Coupure links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Sara De Pelsmaeker & Xavier Ghellynck

Authors
  1. Nathalie De Clercq
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  2. Sheida Kadivar
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  3. Davy Van de Walle
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  4. Sara De Pelsmaeker
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  5. Xavier Ghellynck
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  6. Koen Dewettinck
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sheida Kadivar.

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The authors have declared no conflict of interest.

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De Clercq, N., Kadivar, S., Van de Walle, D. et al. Functionality of cocoa butter equivalents in chocolate products. Eur Food Res Technol 243, 309–321 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-016-2745-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-016-2745-6

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