Analyzing the Chemical Composition and Quality Attributes of Cocoa Butter from Different Producers: A Comparative Study

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Food Industries and Agriculture Research Center, Standard Research Institute of Iran

2 Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Nutrition and food science, Tabriz University of Medical

3 3. Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

4 Department of Food Science and Technology, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University

10.22104/ift.2023.1344

Abstract

_ Cocoa butter is a highly prized and versatile product with a wide range of applications. It is a crucial component of chocolate due to its unique melting properties and ability to dissolve other ingredients. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate the compositional characteristics of cocoa butter from different sources to ensure its quality and authenticity. This study aimed to analyze the triacylglycerols, fatty acids, sterols, sterene compounds, extinction coefficient, and Solid Fat Content (SFC) of cocoa butter from nine diverse samples. The findings revealed that the main triacylglycerols were POP (16.07-17.74), SOS (25.73-28.91), and POS (39.12-40.25), while the primary fatty acids were palmitic (26.25-28.96), stearic (32.46-35.64), and oleic acids (31.51-32.47). The dominant sterols were (55.04-56.98 %), stigmasterol (25.4-26.2 %), and campesterol (9.22-10.53 %), with the ratio of stigmasterol to campesterol (2.5 to 2.7) serving as an indicator of authenticity. The study also found minimal levels of stigmastadiene (0.0001–0.0039 ppm), indicating low oxidation products, and measured the SFC content at different temperatures. Overall, this comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights into the composition of cocoa butter from various sources, offering important information for quality control and detection of adulteration.

Graphical Abstract

Analyzing the Chemical Composition and Quality Attributes of Cocoa Butter from Different Producers: A Comparative Study

Highlights

  • In this study, for the first time, a comprehensive research has been done on the authenticity (triacylglycerol, fatty acid and sterol compositions) and quality characteristics (styrene, extinction coefficient and SFC) of various imported cocoa butters in Iran in terms of important parameters related to the subject.
  • 2-The results indicate that the composition of sterols shows a major difference in distinguishing this type of fat from other edible vegetable oils, the ratio of stigmasterol to campesterol was 2.5 to 2.7 which can be effective for detecting fraud so can be used in standards and technical regulations. This important item has not been considered in any article so far.
  • 3-The use of the content dehydrated sterol compounds or stigmastadiene can be useful in determining the type of cocoa butter that has undergone a thermal process or obtained from the residue separated from the solvent. Because the cocoa butter used in chocolate must be food grade and high quality, evaluation this parameter might be important.

Keywords

Main Subjects


[1]          H. Ewens, L. Metilli, E. Simone: Analysis of the effect of recent reformulation strategies on the crystallization behaviour of cocoa butter and the structural properties of chocolate, CRFS. 4 (2021) 105-114.
[2]          C. W. B. d. MELO, M. d. J. Bandeira, L. F. Maciel, E. d. S. Bispo, C. O. d. SOUZA, S. E. Soares: Chemical composition and fatty acids profile of chocolates produced with different cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) cultivars, Food Sci. Technol. 40 (2020) 326-333.
[3]          M. Norazlina, M. Jahurul, M. Hasmadi, A. Mansoor, M. Patricia, M. Ramlah: Physicochemical properties of bambangan kernel fat and its stearin mixtures with cocoa butter, LWT. 153 (2022) 112556.
[4]          J. Oracz, E. Nebesny, D. Żyżelewicz: Effect of roasting conditions on the fat, tocopherol, and phytosterol content and antioxidant capacity of the lipid fraction from cocoa beans of different Theobroma cacao L. cultivars, Eur J Lipid Sci Technol. 116 (2014) 1002-1014.
[5]          I. A. Santos, D. G. Conceição, M. B. Viana, G. de Jesus Silva, L. S. Santos, S. P. B. Ferrão: NIR and MIR spectroscopy for quick detection of the adulteration of cocoa content in chocolates, Food Chem. 349 (2021) 129095.
[6]          AOCS: Official Methods and Recommended Practices of the American Oil Chemists'' Society, 6th Edn, American Oil Society, p.^pp. (2009).
[7]          AOCS: Preparation of methyl esters of long‐chain fatty acid,  (1973).
[8]          ISO-12228-1: Determination of individual and total sterols contents — Gas chromatographic method — Part 1: Animal and vegetable fats and oils, p.^pp. (2014).
[9]          S. Aued-Pimentel, S. A. D. Silva, E. Takemoto, C. B. Cano: Stigmastadiene and specific extitntion (270 nm) to evaluate the presence of refined oils in virgin olive oil commercialized in Brazil, Food Sci. Technol. 33 (2013) 479-484.
[10]        D. Żyżelewicz, G. Budryn, W. Krysiak, J. Oracz, E. Nebesny, M. Bojczuk: Influence of roasting conditions on fatty acid composition and oxidative changes of cocoa butter extracted from cocoa bean of Forastero variety cultivated in Togo, Food Res. Int. 63 (2014) 328-343.
[11]        ISO-8298: Animal and vegetable fats and oils — Determination of solid fat content by pulsed NMR, p.^pp. (2008).
[12]        Q. Zhang, A. S. Saleh, Q. Shen: Discrimination of edible vegetable oil adulteration with used frying oil by low field nuclear magnetic resonance, Food Bioprocess Technol. 6 (2013) 2562-2570.
[13]        Z. Piravi Vanak: An overview on edible oils with integrity approach, Journal of Food Biosciences and Technology. 8 (2018) 11-18.
[14]        F. Dionisi, P.-A. Golay, B. Hug, M. Baumgartner, P. Callier, F. Destaillats: Triacylglycerol analysis for the quantification of cocoa butter equivalents (CBE) in chocolate: feasibility study and validation, J. Agric. Food Chem. 52 (2004) 1835-1841.
[15]        A. P. B. Ribeiro, R. C. Da Silva, L. A. Gioielli, M. de Almeida Gonçalves, R. Grimaldi, L. A. G. Gonçalves, T. G. Kieckbusch: Physico-chemical properties of Brazilian cocoa butter and industrial blends. Part I Chemical composition, solid fat content and consistency, Grasas y Aceites. 63 (2012) 79-88.
[16]        M. Torres-Moreno, E. Torrescasana, J. Salas-Salvadó, C. Blanch: Nutritional composition and fatty acids profile in cocoa beans and chocolates with different geographical origin and processing conditions, Food Chem. 166 (2015) 125-132.
[17]        V. CISSE, F. YEMİŞÇİOĞLU: Cacao butter and alternatives production, Cukurova Tarım ve Gıda Bilimleri Dergisi. 34 (2019) 51-60.
[18]        K. Pawłowska, M. Kuligowski, I. Jasińska-Kuligowska, M. Kidoń, A. Siger, M. Rudzińska, J. Nowak: Effect of replacing cocoa powder by carob powder in the muffins on sensory and physicochemical properties, Plant Foods Hum. Nutr. 73 (2018) 196-202.
[19]        S. Azadmard-Damirchi, M. Torbati: Adulterations in some edible oils and fats and their detection methods, J Food Qual Hazards Control. 2 (2015) 38-44.
[20]        L. B. Quast, V. Luccas, A. P. B. Ribeiro, L. P. Cardoso, T. G. Kieckbusch: Physical properties of tempered mixtures of cocoa butter, CBR and CBS fats, Int. J. Food Sci. Technol. 48 (2013) 1579-1588.