FOOD FORMULATOR PLAYBOOKUsing Cocoa Butter Alternatives in Chocolate

What’s Driving the Need for Cocoa Butter Alternatives?

GLOBAL DEMAND

for chocolate is growing…as discretionary income increases in developing

markets.

WHAT MAKES A CHOCOLATE BARso delicious?

CHOCOLATE LIQUOR + COCOA BUTTER +

PROCESSING =

creamy, delicious chocolate

DEFINITION:COCOA BUTTER OR CACAO BUTTERnouncacao fat that makes up 50% of the cocoa nib

fatty acid composition: stearic (C10:0) 34.5% oleic (C10:1) 34.5% palmitic (C10:0) 26.0% linoleic (C10:2) 3.2% arachidic (C20:0) 1.0% palmitoleic (C16:1) 0.3% other fatty acids 0.5%

COCOA BUTTER IS IN

HIGH DEMANDbut ~30% of cacao crops are lost each year due to pests

and disease.

THE SOLUTION:3 cocoa butter alternatives

ALTERNATIVE #1: COCOA BUTTER SUBSTITUTE (CBS)• Palm oil or coconut oil-based

• Normally contains lauric fatty acids

• Does not require tempering.

• In the presence of enzymes like lipase (found in cocoa beans) and under the right conditions, lauric fat can produce a soapy off-note.

• Not compatible with cocoa butter, but can be mixed in at a low percentage.

ALTERNATIVE #2: COCOA BUTTER REPLACER (CBR)

• Includes non-lauric containing fats like palm oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil and cottonseed oil.

• Does not require tempering.

• Partially compatible with cocoa butter.

ALTERNATIVE #3: COCOA BUTTER EQUIVALENT (CBE)• Can contain shea, illipe and sal nut oils, as well as

palm, mango kernel fat and palm oil.

• Has physical properties and a fatty acid profile similar to cocoa butter.

• Requires tempering.

• Compatible with cocoa butter.

BENEFITS OF USING ALTERNATIVES

• Availability.

• Cost reduction.

• Improved fat composition & fat stability in the finished product.

• Many alternatives don’t require tempering, so it’s easier to achieve gloss and snap and reduces production time and costs.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

• Naming requirements – Does your country allow you to call your product chocolate if it includes a cocoa butter alternative?

• Melt profile – Cocoa butter melts at 34° C (93° F), which makes it creamy in the mouth and encourages optimal flavor release. Make sure your alternative ingredient has a melting point that is close to body temperature.

READY TO MAKE SOME

CHOCOLATE?Search chocolate ingredients at

www.ulprospector.com.

Read more about cocoa butter alternatives at

knowledge.ulprospector.com/1085/fbn-cocoa-butter-alternatives-

chocolate/