Europeans dominate the top 20 chocolate-consuming countries. Even so, chocolate sales in the U.S. are anything but scary, especially around Halloween. In 2019, the National Confectioners Association reported chocolate candy sales accounted for 56% of the $22.1 billion in confection sales.
Beyond US and European consumption, the World Cocoa Foundation predicts the global demand for chocolate will continue to grow as discretionary income increases in developing markets like Brazil, China and India.
In every chocolate bar, to achieve creaminess, cocoa liquor is mixed with extra cocoa butter, resulting in high demand for cocoa butter compared to other cocoa products. Compounded with the reality that cocoa plants are fragile to pest attacks and changing weather patterns, production of cocoa beans in recent years has struggled.
Work is in progress to increase cocoa crop yield. FoodNavigator reported in 2018 that 38% of cocoa crops were being lost to disease and pests. Likely, cocoa butter substitutes will continue to be a key solution for long-term, profitable chocolate production.
What is Cocoa Butter?
Cocoa butter (cacao fat) naturally occurs in the cocoa bean at about 50% of the cocoa nib. Cocoa butter is resistant to oxidation due to high levels of natural tocopherols and fatty acid composition.
Typical Fatty acid composition (%)
Stearic (C18:0) 34.5%
Oleic (C18:1) 34.5%
Palmitic (C16:0) 26.0%
Linoleic (C18:2) 3.2%
Arachidic (C20:0) 1.0%
Palmitoleic (C16:1) 0.3%
Other Fatty Acids 0.5%
When tempered properly to achieve the correct crystal formulation, cocoa butter creates a finished chocolate with a high gloss and texture snap. Additionally, cocoa butter contracts when solidified, which enables efficient molding production.
Cocoa Butter Substitutes:
Often the ingredients used for cocoa butter substitutes undergo additional processing steps which raise the price. But with demand for cocoa butter on the rise and difficulty achieving high crop yields, the price of these alternatives will be more in line with productivity.
Cocoa Butter Substitute (CBS)
- Palm oil or coconut oil based and normally contains lauric fatty acids.
- Does not require tempering.
- Lauric fat in the presence of enzymes like lipase (found in cocoa beans), under the right conditions (moisture, temperature), can react and produce a soapy off-note.
- Not compatible with cocoa butter, although can be mixed in at a low percentage.
Cocoa Butter Replacer (CBR)
- Non-lauric containing fats like palm oil, soybean oil, rapeseed oil and cottonseed oil.
- Does not require tempering.
- Partially compatible with cocoa butter.
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.
Beyond availability and potential cost reduction, cocoa butter alternatives have some advantages when used in manufacturing.
First, cocoa butter alternatives improve the finished product’s fat composition profile and fat stability. This enables consistent products, reduces fat migration in multi-layer products, and counters softness resulting from nut or milk ingredients.
Second, because many cocoa butter alternatives do not require tempering, it’s much easier to achieve essential texture characteristics like gloss and snap. The chances of fat bloom over shelf life are also reduced.
Consider Naming Requirements & Melt Profile
- In the US, the standard of identity (21 CFR 163) requires exclusive use of cocoa butter as the fat source for a product to be called chocolate. Any addition of a cocoa butter substitute will require you to change the name of your product from chocolate. However, some products have transitioned into these alternate naming requirements by using the history of an established brand name.
- The European Union has a little more flexibility outlined in the European Chocolate Directive 2000/36/EC, allowing up to 5% replacement of cocoa butter, while still maintaining chocolate as the product name.
- Cocoa butter is unique in that it quickly melts at 34° C (93° F), which is just under body temperature. This melting point gives a smooth, creamy texture in the mouth and increases flavor release. When using alternatives for cocoa butter, the fats that melt closer to body temperature will give a similar experience. Those with a higher melting point will give the chocolate a waxy mouthfeel. With an alternative melt profile, flavor release will be perceived differently.
This article was originally authored by Jill Frank, updates made by Jamie Marchetti.
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Hello, we are refined palm oil manufacturers in india for last 23 years, with some products of shortening manufacturing as well.
we are interested to manufacture CBE ad other substitutes in India and need consultancy for helping us procure machinery and understand various derivatives that we can manufacture with pal oil/ palm kernel or other palm products.
if you provide assistance, please get back to me
thanks
Kiran
[email protected]
Hi,
I own an export company in west Africa that specializes in the export of shea butter which could be used as a CBE.
I must confess, it has been very difficult getting access to confectioneries to do business. I know shea butter and nuts are in high demand by confectioneries especially in Europe but I have no idea how to join the supply chain.
Please advice me on how I could tailor my business or requirements i would need to do business.
Regards
Hello,
I’m looking for mango butter for a big work at school. Do you know where i can find it. I’m looking for a substitute to cocoa butter . Thanks a lot
Thank you so much!! Your tip helped me understanding the cocoa butter substitutes.
Your work in the field of chocolate industries is progress to increase cocoa crop yield. Research out of Penn State in June showed success with a low dose glycerol spray to reduce the almost 30% of cocoa production that is lost due to disease. However, cocoa butter alternatives may continue to be another key solution for long-term, profitable chocolate production.
Thanks for your article which is very helpful and useful for understanding the cocoa butter substitutes and cocoa butter alternatives. In your opinion, which is the best butter cocoa butter?
Hi Jill,
Thanks for the article it was really insightful. I’m currently doing research into the production of cacao butter but I’m finding it hard to discover what, if at all, the difference is between various types of butter. Is there a part of the process used by butter makers that make it stand out from other kinds of butter or does it come down to the quality of bean from which the butter is extracted? If possible, could you tell me where I can find out this information? Thank you in advance.
John Riley
We are going to manufacture chocolate products in Nepal. We have already processed the machinery required for our production from China. Now, we are looking for the raw material required for our production. I am very glad to know that you have so long experience in processing palm oil. We need the Cocoa fat substitute for the chocolate products. We are not using Chocolate tempering machine for our production. If you can supply the Cocoa fat substitute oil for our chocolate please send me the quotation of your material with it’s specification.
Hoping for your quick reply.
Regards
Hi Jill,
Thank you for your article it helps me so much to understand the differences between CBS and CBE.
I come from indonesia, as you know Indonesia is a tropical country so it little bit difficult to use real cocoa butter in chocolate, and then I plan to use cocoa butter alternative to increase our melting point to help the product.
As you mentioned in your article, it said that CBS is not compatible with cocoa butter, but can be mixed in at a low percentage. Is true? so we still can mix cbs with real cocoa butter? in a low percentage? and if it can, how much the maximum percentage we can substitute the cbs in our recipe if we still want to use real coca butter in our chocolate?
I’d be very happy if you can reply my comment, because I little bit difficult looking for supplier Cocoa butter improvement (for heat stability) or cocoa butter equivalen in small amount and I plan to use cocoa butter substitute but everybode said it is not compatible with cocoa butter.
Thank You so much Jill!
Have a nice day
DEAR SIR,
I used RBD coconut oil 24 C melting, coating chocolate for ice cream, melting of chocolate in the mouth bad.
I need ice cream coating chocolate FAT. So please provide suggestion which FAT will be best for chocolate coating ice cream, and please send specification. Hoping for your kind consideration for this matter.
Thanking you,
Nijamuddin
Singapoore samarkand forigen company
Uzbekistan country
100000, STR
100000 TASHKENT
REPUBLIC OF UZBEKISTAN
MOBILE NO:+998909772429
Hi,Thank you for your article .is there a need before packaging CBS a crystallizer (votator) ?
Hello! I know it’s a long shot… but is there any chance you recall the name of the research paper mentioned above,or where it might have been published? I would love to read it, if possible?
Thank you so much for this article, by the way. I really appreciate your taking the time to share your knowledge.
Please may I know application of mango butter
Hi, Trone. Please check out our list of mango product distributors at https://www.ulprospector.com/en/na/Food/search?k=mango+butter&st=1.
Hi
Can Mango Stone KERNAL fat be used as Coca Butter substrate? Pl guide
Regards
Hi Jamie, First of all congratulations on the article, it is very didactic. My name is Luis, I work for a CBS fat importer in Brazil. I would like to receive information from webinars, trends and subject information. Give me your email please to talk about the market, development and trends.
Thank you
Hi
we are the leading coconut , palm kernel and palm oil refining industries in the South India. Now we plan to step in to coco butter substitute. we need to fractionate palm kernel oil directly without refining. Can you suggest me in this regard.
I can guide you on it.
I can be contacted in my mail, whats up cell for discussion.
Thanks
Dr. Klingsuk Mondal, Ph,D
Consultant
I can guide you on it.
I can be contacted in my mail, whats up cell for discussion.
Thanks
Dr. Klingsuk Mondal, Ph,D
Consultant