Food Formulator Playbook — Cocoa Butter Alternatives in Chocolate

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/