Author: Herr Dr. Amoneit
Last saved by: Gürbüzoglu, Meltem
Company: IOI Loders Croklaan

Enzymatic Cocoa Butter Equivalents produced by Lipase-Catalyzed Interesterification of High Stearic High Oleic Sunflower Oil
Bhaggan K. and Ma J., IOI Loders Croklaan B.V.
Wormerveer, The Netherlands

Cocoa butter (CB) is a natural fat extracted from the cocoa bean. CB can be replaced by cocoa butter equivalents (CBEs) which have strong similarity of physical characteristics as CB and is fully compatible with CB. Shea stearin is one of the main commercial sources of StOSt, often used to prepare cocoa butter equivalents (CBE) by blending it with palm mid fractions (POP). 
In this study high stearic high oleic sunflower oil (HSHOSF) was used as feedstock to prepare CBEs. The StOSt concentrate was obtained via solvent fractionation of interesterified fats produced by lipase-catalyzed interesterification of HSHOSF and stearic acid with about 50% yield. The total Sat-O-Sat triacyglycerides (TAGs) level of this fraction was approximately 82%. This fraction was then blended with palm mid fraction to make cocoa butter equivalent. The final product contains approximately 82% Sat-O-Sat TAGs (StOSt+POSt+POP). The crystallization behavior of this product matches perfectly CB and the binary test showed a good compatibility of this product with CB. A good performance of this product was also observed in the application test.
Instead of producing StOSt fraction and then blending with palm mid fraction, another approach was investigated to make directly a product containing TAG composition comparable to cocoa butter (main TAGs being POSt, POP and StOSt). The main fraction was obtained via solvent fractionation of interesterified fats also produced by lipase-catalyzed interesterification of HSHOSF and stearic-palmitic acid mixture with 45% yield. The overall Sat-O-Sat TAGs level was approximately 81% (11% POP, 38.5% POSt, 31.5% StOSt). The product met all the physical characteristics of cocoa butter. The binary test showed again a good compatibility of this product with cocoa butter. The application test was also carried out to show a good performance of this product.