Cocoa butter

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Cocoa butter
Cocoa butter p1410148.JPG
Raw cocoa butter
Fat composition
Saturated fats
Total saturated57–64%:
stearic acid (24–37%), palmitic acid (24–30%), myristic acid, (0–4%), arachidic acid (1%), lauric acid (0–1%)
Unsaturated fats
Total unsaturated36–43%
Monounsaturated 29–43%:
oleic acid (29–38%), palmitoleic acid (0–2%)
Polyunsaturated 0–5%:
linoleic acid (0–4%),
α-Linolenic acid (0–1%)
Properties
Food energy per 100 g (3.5 oz)3,699 kilojoules (884 kcal) [1]
Melting point 34.1 °C (93.4 °F), 35–36.5 °C (95.0–97.7 °F)
Solidity at 20 °C (68 °F)solid
Refractive index 1.44556–1.44573
Iodine value 32.11–35.12, 35.575
Acid value 1.68
Saponification value 191.214, 192.88–196.29

Cocoa butter, also called theobroma oil, is a pale-yellow, edible fat extracted from the cocoa bean (Theobroma cacao). It is used to make chocolate, as well as some ointments, toiletries, and pharmaceuticals. [2] Cocoa butter has a cocoa flavor and aroma. Its melting point is slightly below human body temperature. It is an essential ingredient of chocolate and related confectionary products. Cocoa butter does not contain butter or other animal products; it is vegan. [3]

Contents

Extraction and composition

The main constituent of cocoa butter is the triglyceride (fat) derived from palmitic acid, oleic acid, and stearic acid. CocoaButTriglyc.svg
The main constituent of cocoa butter is the triglyceride (fat) derived from palmitic acid, oleic acid, and stearic acid.

For use in chocolate manufacture, the cocoa beans are first fermented and then dried. The beans are then roasted and separated from their hulls to produce cocoa nibs. [4] About 54–58% of the cocoa nibs is cocoa butter. The cocoa nibs are ground to form cocoa mass, also known as cocoa liquor or chocolate liquor. Chocolate liquor is pressed to separate the cocoa butter from the non-fat cocoa solids. [5] Cocoa butter is sometimes deodorized to remove strong or undesirable tastes. [6]

Cocoa butter contains a high proportion of saturated fats also with the monounsaturated oleic acid in each triglyceride. The predominant triglycerides are POS, SOS, and POP, where P = palmitic, O = oleic, and S = stearic acid residues. [7] [8] [9] [10] Cocoa butter, unlike non-fat cocoa solids, contains only traces of caffeine and theobromine. [11]

Typical fatty acid composition (%) [12]
Fatty acid Percentage
Arachidic acid (C20:0)1.0%
Linoleic acid (C18:2)3.2%
Oleic acid (C18:1)34.5%
Palmitic acid (C16:0)26.0%
Palmitoleic acid (C16:1)0.3%
Stearic acid (C18:0)34.5%
Other Fatty Acids0.5%

Adulterants and substitutes

Some food manufacturers substitute less expensive materials in place of cocoa butter. Several analytical methods exist for testing for diluted cocoa butter. Adulterated cocoa butter is indicated by its lighter color and its diminished fluorescence upon ultraviolet illumination. Unlike cocoa butter, adulterated fat tends to smear and have a higher non-saponifiable content. [13]

Owing to the high cost of cocoa butter, [14] [15] substitutes have been designed to use as alternatives. In the United States, 100% cocoa butter must be used as the product's fat source for the product to be called chocolate. The EU requires that alternative fats not exceed 5% of the total fat content. [12]

Substitutes include: coconut, palm, [12] soybean, rapeseed, cottonseed and illipe oils; and shea butter, mango kernel fat [16] and a mixture of mango kernel fat and palm oil, [17] and PGPR.

Uses

Cocoa butter soap manufactured by The Hershey Company Historic Trademarks - Hershey's Toilet Soap.jpg
Cocoa butter soap manufactured by The Hershey Company

Cocoa butter is a major ingredient in practically all types of chocolates, especially white, milk, and couverture chocolate. [18] This application continues to dominate the consumption of cocoa butter.

Pharmaceutical companies use cocoa butter extensively. As a nontoxic solid at room temperature that melts at body temperature, it is considered an ideal base for medicinal suppositories. [19]

Personal care

For a fat melting around body temperature, cocoa has good stability. This quality, coupled with natural antioxidants, prevents rancidity – giving it a storage life of two to five years. [20] The velvety texture, pleasant fragrance and emollient properties of cocoa butter have made it a popular ingredient in products for the skin, such as soaps and lotions.

History

Cocoa butter was first made by boiling cocoa mass with water and skimming off the fat floating over it. [21] In the 18th century, the first hydraulic presses were used to press cocoa butter and the (more effective) Van Houten press began to be employed in the second half of the 19th century. [22] A by-product of chocolate factories, cocoa butter was mainly used for cosmetic and pharmaceutical preparations until the late 19th century. [23] It eventually became a common chocolate ingredient with the rise of chocolate in confectionery.

Physical properties

Untempered chocolate mass that has been left to cool at room temperature after conching, showing large cocoa butter crystals and a crumbly consistency. Untempered chocolate.jpg
Untempered chocolate mass that has been left to cool at room temperature after conching, showing large cocoa butter crystals and a crumbly consistency.

Cocoa butter typically has a melting point of around 34–38 °C (93–100 °F), so chocolate is solid at room temperature but readily melts once inside the mouth. Cocoa butter displays polymorphism, having different crystalline forms with different melting points. Conventionally the assignment of cocoa butter crystalline forms uses the nomenclature of Wille and Lutton [24] with forms I, II, III, IV, V, and VI having melting points 17.3, 23.3, 25.5, 27.5, 33.8, and 36.3 °C (63.1, 73.9, 77.9, 81.5, 92.8, and 97.3 °F), respectively. The production of chocolate aims to crystallise the chocolate so that the cocoa butter is predominantly in form V, which is the most stable form that can be obtained from melted cocoa butter. (Form VI either develops in solid cocoa butter after long storage or is obtained by crystallisation from solvents). A uniform form V crystal structure will result in smooth texture, sheen, and snap. This structure is obtained by chocolate tempering. Melting the cocoa butter in chocolate and then allowing it to solidify without tempering leads to the formation of unstable polymorphic forms of cocoa butter. This can easily happen when chocolate bars are allowed to melt in a hot room and lead to the formation of white patches on the surface of the chocolate called fat bloom or chocolate bloom. [4]

Cocoa butter from different places has different properties. Malaysian and Indonesian cocoa butter generally crystallizes faster, and into a harder chocolate than Brazilian cocoa butter. Brazilian cocoa butter, after slowly crystallizing, forms a softer chocolate. West African cocoa butter has properties between the two. [25]

Further reading

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chocolate</span> Food produced from cacao seeds

Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cocoa beans that can be a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring in other foods. The cacao tree has been used as a source of food for at least 5,300 years, starting with the Mayo-Chinchipe culture in what is present-day Ecuador. Later, Mesoamerican civilizations consumed cacao beverages, of which one, chocolate, was introduced to Europe in the 16th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cocoa bean</span> Fatty seed of Theobroma cacao

The cocoa bean, also known as cocoa or cacao, is the dried and fully fermented seed of Theobroma cacao, the cacao tree, from which cocoa solids and cocoa butter can be extracted. Cacao trees are native to the Amazon rainforest. They are the basis of chocolate and Mesoamerican foods including tejate, an indigenous Mexican drink.

<i>Theobroma cacao</i> Species of tree grown for its seeds

Theobroma cacao is a small evergreen tree in the Malvaceae family. Its seeds - cocoa beans - are used to make chocolate liquor, cocoa solids, cocoa butter and chocolate. Although the tree is native to the tropics of the Americas, the largest producer of cocoa beans in 2022 was Ivory Coast. The plant's leaves are alternate, entire, unlobed, 10–50 cm (4–20 in) long and 5–10 cm (2–4 in) broad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chocolate bar</span> Confection

A chocolate bar is a confection containing chocolate, which may also contain layerings or mixtures that include nuts, fruit, caramel, nougat, and wafers. A flat, easily breakable, chocolate bar is also called a tablet. In some varieties of English and food labeling standards, the term chocolate bar is reserved for bars of solid chocolate, with candy bar used for products with additional ingredients.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hot chocolate</span> Heated beverage of chocolate in milk or water

Hot chocolate, also known as hot cocoa or drinking chocolate, is a heated drink consisting of shaved or melted chocolate or cocoa powder, heated milk or water, and usually a sweetener. It is often garnished with whipped cream or marshmallows. Hot chocolate made with melted chocolate is sometimes called drinking chocolate, characterized by less sweetness and a thicker consistency.

<i>Theobroma grandiflorum</i> Species of tree

Theobroma grandiflorum, commonly known as cupuaçu, also spelled cupuassu, cupuazú, cupu assu, or copoazu, is a tropical rainforest tree related to cacao. Native and common throughout the Amazon basin, it is naturally cultivated in the jungles of northern Brazil, with the largest production in Pará, Amazonas and Amapá, Colombia, Bolivia and Peru. The pulp of the cupuaçu fruit is consumed throughout Central and South America, especially in the northern states of Brazil, and is used to make ice creams, snack bars, and other products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chocolate liquor</span> Pure cocoa mass in solid or semi-solid form

Chocolate liquor, also called cocoa liquor, paste or mass, is pure cocoa in liquid or semi-solid form. It is produced from cocoa bean nibs that have been fermented, dried, roasted, and separated from their skins. The nibs are ground to the point cocoa butter is released from the cells of the bean and melted, which turns cocoa into a paste and then into a free-flowing liquid.

White chocolate is a form of chocolate made of cocoa butter, sugar and milk. Unlike milk and dark chocolate, it does not contain cocoa solids, which darken the chocolate. White chocolate has an ivory color, and can smell of biscuit, vanilla or caramel, although it can also easily pick up smells from the environment and become rancid with its relatively short shelf life. Like milk and dark chocolate, white chocolate is used to make chocolate bars and as a coating in confectionery.

Cocoa may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polyglycerol polyricinoleate</span> Emulsion used in food production

Polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR), E476, is an emulsifier made from glycerol and fatty acids. In chocolate, compound chocolate and similar coatings, PGPR is mainly used with another substance like lecithin to reduce viscosity. It is used at low levels, and works by decreasing the friction between the solid particles in molten chocolate, reducing the yield stress so that it flows more easily, approaching the behaviour of a Newtonian fluid. It can also be used as an emulsifier in spreads and in salad dressings, or to improve the texture of baked goods. It is made up of a short chain of glycerol molecules connected by ether bonds, with ricinoleic acid side chains connected by ester bonds.

Mango oil, mango kernel fat, or mango butter, is an oil fraction obtained during the processing of mango butter. Mango oil is a seed oil extracted from the stone of the mango, the fruit of the Mangifera indica tree. The oil is semi-solid at room temperatures, but melts on contact with warm skin, making it appealing for baby creams, suncare balms, hair products, and other moisturizing products. The oil is a soft yellow color with a melting point of 32–42 °C (90–108 °F).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Types of chocolate</span> Classification of different chocolate types

Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cocoa beans mixed with fat and powdered sugar to produce a solid confectionery. There are several types of chocolate, classified primarily according to the proportion of cocoa and fat content used in a particular formulation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of chocolate</span>

The history of chocolate dates back more than 5,000 years, when the cacao tree was first domesticated in present-day southeast Ecuador. Soon after domestication, the tree was introduced to Mesoamerica, where cacao drinks gained significance as an elite beverage among different cultures including the Maya and the Aztecs. Cacao was extremely important: considered a gift from the gods, it was used as a currency, medicinally and ceremonially. Multiple cacao beverages were consumed, including an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting the pulp around cacao seeds, and it is unclear when a drink that can be strictly understood as chocolate originated. Early evidence of chocolate consumption dates to 600 BC; this product was often associated with the heart and was believed to be psychedelic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tejate</span> Maize and cacao beverage from Oaxaca

Tejate is a non-alcoholic maize and cacao beverage traditionally made in Oaxaca, Mexico, originating from pre-Hispanic times. It remains very popular among the indigenous Mixtec and Zapotec peoples, especially in rural areas. It is also very popular in Oaxaca and the surrounding regions. Principal ingredients include toasted maize, fermented cacao beans, toasted mamey pits (pixtle) and flor de cacao. These are finely ground into a paste. The paste is mixed with water, usually by hand, and when it is ready, the flor de cacao rises to the top to form a pasty foam. It can be served as-is or with some sugar syrup to sweeten it. The drink is served cold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cocoa solids</span> Mixture remaining after cocoa butter is extracted from cocoa beans

Dry cocoa solids are the components of cocoa beans remaining after cocoa butter, the fatty component of the bean, is extracted from chocolate liquor, roasted cocoa beans that have been ground into a liquid state. Cocoa butter is 46% to 57% of the weight of cocoa beans and gives chocolate its characteristic melting properties. Cocoa powder is the powdered form of the dry solids with a small remaining amount of cocoa butter. Untreated cocoa powder is bitter and acidic. Dutch process cocoa has been treated with an alkali to neutralize the acid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chocolate bloom</span> Coating that can appear on chocolate

Chocolate bloom is either of two types of whitish coating that can appear on the surface of chocolate: fat bloom, caused by changes in the fat crystals in the chocolate; and sugar bloom, due to crystals formed by the action of moisture on the sugar. Fat and sugar bloom damage the appearance of chocolate but do not limit its shelf life. Chocolate that has "bloomed" is still safe to eat, but may have an unappetizing appearance and surface texture. Chocolate bloom can be repaired by melting the chocolate down, stirring it, then pouring it into a mould and allowing it to cool and re-solidify, bringing the sugar or fat back into the solution.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to chocolate:

Cacao may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dark chocolate</span> Chocolate with high cocoa solid content

Dark chocolate is a form of chocolate made of cocoa solids, cocoa butter and sugar. Dark chocolate without added sweetener is known as bitter chocolate,unsweetened chocolate, plain chocolate, or 100% chocolate. Dark chocolate has a higher cocoa percentage than white chocolate, milk chocolate, and semisweet chocolate. Dark chocolate is valued for claimed—though unsupported—health benefits, and for being a sophisticated choice of chocolate. Similarly to milk and white chocolate, dark chocolate is used to make chocolate bars and as a coating for confectionery.

The chocolate industry in the Philippines developed after the introduction of the cocoa tree to Philippine agriculture. The growing of cacao or cocoa boasts a long history stretching from the colonial times. Originating from Mesoamerican forests, cacao was first introduced by the Spanish colonizers four centuries ago. Since then the Philippine cocoa industry has been the primary producer of cocoa beans in Southeast Asia. There are many areas of production of cacao in the Philippines, owing to soil and climate. The chocolate industry is currently on a small to medium scale.

References

  1. ↑ "Cocoa butter amounts converter". Convert-to.com. 15 August 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  2. ↑ "Cocoa butter". Encyclopædia Britannica. July 1998. Retrieved 10 September 2007.
  3. ↑ Adams, Ashley (12 August 2019). "Is Cocoa Butter Vegan and Dairy-Free?". The Spruce Eats. Dotdash Meredith . Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  4. 1 2 Industrial Chocolate Manufacture and Use, 4th Edition, ed S.T. Beckett, Chapter 12, G. Talbot
  5. ↑ "Cocoa butter pressing". The Grenada Chocolate Company. Archived from the original on 6 October 2007.
  6. ↑ The Nibble. "The World's Best White Chocolate Page 3: Percent Cacao & Cocoa Butter" . Retrieved 3 March 2009.
  7. ↑ Lonchampt, P.; Hartel Richard, W. (2004). "Fat bloom in chocolate and compound coatings". European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology. 106 (4): 241–274. doi:10.1002/ejlt.200400938.
  8. ↑ "Composition of the Cocoa Bean". Hershey Center for Health & Nutrition. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  9. ↑ Liendo, Rigel; Padilla, Fanny C.; Quintana, Agricia (November 1997). "Characterization of cocoa butter extracted from Criollo cultivars of Theobroma cacao L.". Food Research International. 30 (9): 727–731. doi:10.1016/S0963-9969(98)00025-8. PMID   11048595.
  10. ↑ El-Saied, Hani M.; Morsi, M. K.; Amer, M. M. A. (June 1981). "Composition of cocoa shell fat as related to cocoa butter". Zeitschrift für Ernährungswissenschaft. 20 (2): 145–151. doi:10.1007/BF02021260. PMID   7269661. S2CID   30329861.
  11. ↑ "USDA nutrient database". Nal.usda.gov. 5 October 2016. Archived from the original on 3 March 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  12. 1 2 3 Frank, Jill (24 October 2014). "Cocoa Butter Alternatives in Chocolate". Prospector.
  13. ↑ Thomas, Alfred (2002). "Fats and Fatty Oils". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. doi:10.1002/14356007.a10_173. ISBN   978-3-527-30673-2.
  14. ↑ "Cocoa butter prices, bean futures soar". www.foodbusinessnews.net. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  15. ↑ Moriarty, Andrew. "Cocoa Price: The full story behind the cocoa bean price increase". www.mintecglobal.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  16. ↑ Van Pee, Walter M.; Boni, Luc E.; Foma, Mazibo N.; Hendrikx, Achiel (1981). "Fatty acid composition and characteristics of the kernel fat of different mango (Mangifera indica) varieties". Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 32 (5): 485–488. Bibcode:1981JSFA...32..485V. doi:10.1002/jsfa.2740320510.
  17. ↑ Sonwai, Sopark; Kaphueakngam, Phimnipha; Flood, Adrian (2012). "Blending of mango kernel fat and palm oil mid-fraction to obtain cocoa butter equivalent". Journal of Food Science and Technology. 51 (10): 2357–69. doi:10.1007/s13197-012-0808-7. PMC   4190219 . PMID   25328175.
  18. ↑ Beckett, Steve T. (2017). Beckett's Industrial Chocolate Manufacture and Use. John Wiley & Sons. p. 735. Couverture: Usually refers to a high fat (i.e. over 31% cocoa butter), normally high‐quality chocolate which gives high gloss and good snap.
  19. ↑ Chew, Norma (24 November 2011). "What Are The Benefits of Cocoa Butter?". LiveStrong. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
  20. ↑ Skrzypiec, Marcin (12 January 2016). "Can Cocoa Powder Go Bad?". Can It Go Bad?. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
  21. ↑ Dand, Robin (1997). The International Cocoa Trade. p. 233.
  22. ↑ Clarence-Smith, William Gervase (2003). Cocoa and Chocolate, 1765-1914. Taylor & Francis. pp. 48–52. The French experimented with pressing out cocoa butter from at least 1760 [...] Cocoa butter enriched certain kinds of eating chocolate in the 1870s
  23. ↑ Deite, Carl (1888). A Practical Treatise on the Manufacture of Soap and Candles. H. C. Baird & Company. p. 140. Cocoa butter is obtained as a by-product in chocolate factories [...] much employed for cosmetic and pharmaceutical preparations.
  24. ↑ Wille, R. L.; Lutton, E. S. (1966). "Polymorphism of cocoa butter". Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society. 43 (8): 491–6. doi:10.1007/BF02641273. PMID   5945032. S2CID   45024885.
  25. ↑ Hartel, von Elbe & Hofberger (2018), p. 468, 503.

Sources

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