Cocoa butter fractions

The invention concerns with fractions of cocoa butter, with specific N-profiles, which can be obtained by solvent fractionation of cocoa butter. The olein fraction and the stearin fraction to be obtained, can be blended with either natural cocoa butter, and/or butter fat and/or cocoa butter extender fat. The products can be used a.o. as chocolate filling, or as chocolate coating for frozen products.

This invention relates to confectionary fats derived from cocoa butter by 
fractionation and to a fractionation process for deriving such fats. 
It has already been proposed in GB 2 013 705 to fractionate animal or 
vegetable fats from acetone in two stages, first at 14.degree. C. to 
16.degree. C. to recover a hard stearin fraction, the remaining olein 
fraction being refractionated at 4.degree. to 6.degree. C. to recover a 
second, semisolid stearin fraction and a liquid oil olein fraction, the 
process being applicable to cocoa butter but primarily concerned with the 
fractionation of palm oil and butter, the separated or combined stearin 
fractions of which may be blended with cocoa butter. 
According to GB 2 177 107 such methods of simple fractionation are 
incapable of separating soft low quality cocoa butter cleanly into two 
phases respectively liquid and solid at ambient temperatures from 
20.degree. C. to 30.degree. C. and a special method of fractionating soft 
low quality cocoa butter unsuitable for direct use in chocolate 
manufacture, from hexane at -10.degree. C. to 0.degree. C. is disclosed to 
recover a stearin fraction for use in confectionery by the removal of a 
fraction composed of liquid triglycerides and having an iodine value of at 
least 58, compared with acetone fractionation at 15.degree. C. yielding an 
olein of iodine value 50. A second fractionation of the remaining olein 
fraction may be applied to recover a second stearin fraction at 
-10.degree. C. to -5.degree. C. The stearin fractions may be blended with 
directly useable or low quality cocoa butter or palm midfraction. 
The present invention provides an olein fraction of cocoa butter suitable 
for use in confectionary and particularly for chocolate coatings in ice 
cream and frozen desserts. The invention therefore provides a cocoa butter 
fraction having a solids content which expressed by N value at 30.degree. 
C. is less than 5 preferably less than 1.0 and a minimum of 40 at 
20.degree. C. with an iodine value range from 35 to 45. Solids content N 
values are determined by pulsed NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) applied 
to the stabilised fat. 
Such fractions may be characterised by the presence not only of 
di-unsaturated and tri-unsaturated triglycerides but also a proportion of 
1,3-dipalmityl triglycerides preferably at least 25%, and a palmitic/oleic 
acid ratio above 0.7. In consequence they are not completely liquid at 
ambient temperature. 
A fractionation process for the recovery of such olein fractions from cocoa 
butter should therefore be carried out which ensures that a proportion of 
POP remains in the olein fraction. The invention also provides a process 
for the recovery of such fractions in which cocoa butter is fractionated 
from an organic solvent, such as hexane or preferably acetone, preferably 
at a temperature wherein 25-45 wt % of the original cocoa butter is 
separated as the olein fraction from a remaining stearin fraction. The 
temperature used is in general between 16 and 30.degree. C., preferably 
about 18.degree. C. The preferred solvent: cocoa butter ratio is 6:1 to 
8:1. The olein fraction which is separated comprises 25 to 45% of the 
cocoa butter, preferably about 40%. This olein fraction has a solids 
content at 30.degree. C. which is less than 5.0 and a minimum of 40 at 
20.degree. C. with an iodine value range from 35 to 45. All parts in this 
specification are by weight. 
Cocoa butter olein fractions made in accordance with the present invention 
can be used to soften hard cocoa butter to give a predetermined solids 
content. For example, a Malaysian cocoa butter with 10% added cocoa butter 
olein according to the present invention has a very similar solids content 
to a West African cocoa butter. To match Brazilian cocoa butter, which is 
softer, from 12% to 15% of the cocoa butter olein must be added to 
Malaysian cocoa butter. Therefore we prefer to add 5-75 wt %, in 
particular 12-15 wt % based on the cocoa butter of the cocoa butter olein 
fraction to a natural cocoa butter. In this way blends can be obtained 
with the following N-profile: N.sub.20 =52-77; N.sub.25 =40-70, N.sub.30 
=8.0-38 and N.sub.35 =0.0-0.8. These compositions also can contain 15% to 
25% of butter fat. 
In this way a cocoa butter olein in accordance with the present invention 
can be used in partial replacement of cocoa butter and butter fat in milk 
chocolate compositions. Thus, a blend of 75 wt % cocoa butter with 25% 
butter fat is equivalent in hardness to 60 wt % of the cocoa butter with 
15 wt % butter fat, balance cocoa butter olein according to the present 
invention. The invention therefore provides blends of cocoa butter olein 
with cocoa butter suitable for use in confectionery and comprising from 5% 
to 75% cocoa butter olein according to the invention with 25% to 15% of 
butter fat, balance cocoa butter. 
The invention also provides a blend of 5% to 75% cocoa butter olein 
according to the invention balance cocoa butter. Such compositions exhibit 
improved solids content values compared with simple blends of the same 
amount of butter fat with cocoa butter. 
Very useful compositions, with respect to their N-values are obtained by 
blending the cocoa butter olein fraction of the invention with butter, in 
general in the ratio 95-65 wt % olein: 5-35 wt % butterfat. These blends 
preferably contain 95-80 wt % cf the olein fraction. This way blends are 
obtained, that display the following N-profile: N.sub.20 =8.0-46, N.sub.25 
=5.0-32 and N.sub.30 =less than 2.0. 
The cocoa butter olein fractions of the present invention may also be used 
as the principal fat component in confectionery compositions for chocolate 
fillings and in particular, as a basis for chocolate coating fat for 
frozen desserts such as ice cream. Surprisingly such coating fats exhibit 
advantage over the use of cocoa butter itself in this application, where 
weight control and appearance are important factors. A substantially lower 
pick up weight compared with cocoa butter is observed in dipping methods 
for applying these coatings, without sacrificing setting time, the coated 
product exhibiting good appearance and gloss and with a smooth finish. 
The effect of the fractionation process according to the present invention 
is to concentrate substantially all the di- and tri-unsaturated 
triglycerides in the olein fraction, which also includes a proportion of 
the lower melting symmetrical triglycerides of cocoa butter, i.e. 2-oleyl 
dipalmityl, and 2-linoleyl disaturated triglycerides. 
The residual stearin fraction which may be recovered in accordance with the 
present invention is substantially free from di-unsaturated triglycerides. 
In addition it contains more of the higher-melting symmetrical disaturated 
triglycerides e.g. StOSt, POSt than the parent cocoa butter, but less POP 
than stearin fractions obtained by processes hitherto. These are directed 
to producing a harder fraction than the parent cocoa butter, by 
fractionation principally to remove di-unsaturated and tri-unsaturated 
triglycerides in a liquid olein fraction. The stearin fractions obtained 
by the fractionation process are characterised by an N.sub.40 value of 
less than 2.0, in particular less than 0.5, an N.sub.35 value of 5-25, in 
particular 8-20, an N.sub.30 value of 60-93, in particular 65-90, an 
N.sub.25 value of 80-95, in particular 83-93 and an N.sub.20 value of more 
than 83, in particular more than 87. The 1,3-gipalmitry triglyceride 
content of this fraction is 2.0-15.0 wt % and the combined 
1-palmityl-3-stearyltriglyceride and 1,3-distearyltriglyceride content is 
60-95 wt %. These stearin fractions may be used with cocoa butter extender 
fat compositions comprising or consisting of palm mid fractions. The 
present invention therefore provides fat compositions suitable for 
replacing at least part of the cocoa butter normally used in confectionery 
fats and comprising a blend of the cocoa butter stearin with a palm mid 
fraction, in which the cocoa butter stearin consists substantially of 
symmetrical disaturated triglycerides free from triglycerides containing 
more than one double bond and a limited proportion only of the POP 
originally present in the cocoa butter, i.e. the fraction mentioned above. 
In these blends of stearin fraction and CBE the weight ratio of the two 
components is 20-90 wt % stearin fraction to 80-10 wt % CBE. This way 
blends with the following N-profile can be obtained: N.sub.20 =75-95, 
N.sub.25 =60-83, N.sub.30 =3-50 and N.sub.35 =less than 4.0. 
The palm mid fraction may be prepared as described in our British Patent 
927805. Additional vegetable butters and their fractions may also be 
present, for example shea fat and its stearin fractions, illipe fat and 
sal fat (shorea robusta) and its stearin fractions, in accordance with 
this patent specification. Useful compositions are also obtained by 
blending of the cocoa butter stearin fractions of the invention with 
natural cocoa butter. The blends preferably consist of 70-10 wt % stearin 
and 30-90 wt % natural cocoa butter. In this way blends with the following 
N-profile can be obtained: N.sub.20 =70-95; N.sub.25 =65-92, N.sub.30 
=41-70 and N.sub.35 =0.6-4.2. 
Other useful compositions consist of the olein fraction of the invention 
and a cocoa butter extender, preferably the same palm mid fraction 
mentioned above, wherein the weight ratio is 30-70 wt % of the olein 
fraction and 70-30 wt % of the CBE. A blend hereof displays the following 
N-values: N.sub.20 =52-68, N.sub.25 =34-42; N.sub.30 =less than 0.5.

EXAMPLE 1 
Refined West African cocoa butter was fractionated from acetone at 
16.5.degree. C. in an acetone:oil ratio of 7:1 to recover stearin in 60% 
yield and olein fraction. These were analysed as shown in Table 1, from 
which it can be seen that the olein fraction contains a substantial amount 
of POP. 
Chocolate fillings based on cocoa butter were made from equal parts of a 
fat blend according to the invention and a mixture of additional 
ingredients composed of 60% sugar and 20% each of skimmed milk powder and 
10/12 cocoa powder. 0.4% lecithin was included in the total composition. 
Fat blends were prepared from 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% butter fat, balance 
the above cocoa butter olein prepared in accordance with the invention. 
The fillings were tempered to avoid the formation of graininess in the 
product. Cups filled with these products and stored at 20.degree. C. 
exhibited no post-hardening after 8 weeks, during which penetration values 
of the samples in the order above ranged from 47.5 to 49.5; 61 to 67.5; 
90.7 to 94 and 124.7 to 129.5. 
All the samples were found satisfactory as chocolate fillings in comparison 
with a standard chocolate filling fat blend with good characteristics. 
EXAMPLE 2 
Ice cream blocks were coated by dipping using a coating composition 
prepared according to the following recipe: 
Sucrose 41.0% 
Cocoa Mass 12.0% 
Cocoa butter olein 27.5% 
Full cream milk powder 14.2% 
Butter fat 5.0% 
Lecithin 0.3% 
The temperature of the coating was 46.degree. C. and the setting time and 
pick up weight were measured and the appearance of the coating examined, 
in comparison with a control test in which the olein was replaced in the 
formulation by the same weight of cocoa butter. Results appear in Table 2. 
TABLE 1 
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Triglyceride 
Group W.Afr.CB CB st CB Oleine 
______________________________________ 
C 50 PPS 0.7 0.7 1.0 
POP 16.0 10.7 27.9 
PLnP 1.7 0.2 5.7 
C 52 PSS 1.2 1.9 0.2 
POS 38.7 43.4 32.1 
POO 2.2 0.6 5.8 
PLnS 3.5 1.1 7.3 
PLnO 0.4 0.0 0.6 
C 54 SSS 0.4 1.3 0.0 
SOS 28.8 37.2 7.8 
SOO 2.9 0.0 6.3 
SLnS/000 2.0 1.2 4.0 
SLnLn 0.3 0.0 1.1 
C 56 AOS 1.2 1.6 0.3 
IV 38.0 33.0 43.0 
POP + POS + SOS 
83.5 91.3 67.7 
______________________________________ 
S = Stearic Acid 
P = Palmitic Acid 
O = Oleic Acid 
Ln = Linoleic Acid 
A = Arachidic Acid 
TABLE 2 
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Test Olein Cocoa butter 
______________________________________ 
Setting times (secs) 
57 72 
Pick up weight (g) 
20.7 27.7 
Fracture Clean cut None (soft) 
no fracture 
Appearance Good, good 
Good appearance 
gloss dull 
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These results show an improvement over the cocoa butter product. 
EXAMPLE 3 
Brazilian cocoa butter was fractionated at 12.degree. C. as a control and 
at 18.degree. C. in accordance with the invention, from acetone in a 7:1 
acetone:oil ratio. The stearin fractions recovered were blended with the 
parent cocoa butter in a 70:30 cocoa butter:stearin ratio. In Table 3 the 
solid content of these compositions is compared with that of West African 
cocoa butter by NMR determination at temperatures from 20.degree. C. to 
40.degree. C. In Table 4 the triglyceride composition of the two stearin 
fractions is compared with that of the parent cocoa butter. 
It will be seen from Table 3 that when these two stearins were blended with 
the parent cocoa butter, both stearins elevate the solids content of the 
cocoa butter below 40.degree. C., but that the 18.degree. C. fraction 
produces a blend more nearly approximating to the solids content of West 
African cocoa butter. 
TABLE 3 
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N20 N25 N30 N32.5 N35 N40 
______________________________________ 
A Brazilian CB 
63.5 55.8 27.7 6.0 0.4 0.0 
B Bz CBs (12C) 
81.1 77.7 52.2 19.6 2.2 0.0 
C Bz CBs (18C) 
93.1 91.5 88.3 53.0 18.4 0.0 
D 70 BzCB:30CBs(12) 
69.4 62.3 35.2 9.4 0.1 0.0 
E 70BzCB:30CBs(18) 
73.5 66.9 47.0 15.2 1.0 0.0 
F W.African CB 
76.2 70.0 49.4 13.4 0.7 0.0 
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TABLE 4 
______________________________________ 
POP PLnP POSt POO PLnSt StOSt StOO 
______________________________________ 
A Bz CB 
15.4 1.9 36.6 5.0 3.3 23.4 6.5 
B CBs 12 
15.5 1.0 41.2 2.2 2.4 27.7 2.4 
C CBs 18 
4.0 0.1 32.8 0.2 1.1 51.1 0.0 
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EXAMPLE 4 
The fractionation according to example 1 was repeated, using an acetone: 
fat ratio of 6:1 and starting from different sources of cocoa butter. The 
results are given in table 5 for the yields of stearin fraction mentioned. 
TABLE 5 
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From CB West African Malaysian Brazilian 
______________________________________ 
N20 95.0 94.2 87.5 
N25 91.2 93.2 83.1 
N30 73.3 89.1 66.9 
N32.5 44.1 63.0 35.7 
N35 15.9 19.2 8.6 
N40 0.0 0.0 0.0 
Yield 60% 70% 70% 
IV 30.4 29.9 31.0 
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Symmetrical monounsaturated content (SOS) 
POP POST STOST 
______________________________________ 
10.7 43.4 37.2 
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EXAMPLE 5 
A cocoa butter stearin fraction with the N-profile mentioned in table 6, 
which was obtained by fractionation of a cocoa butter and which had the 
N-profile of table 6, was mixed with different amounts of palm mid 
fractions (50, 60 and 70%). The N-profiles of the blends are mentioned in 
table 6. These results show, that the mixtures have properties which are 
quite close to those of the cocoa butter. 
TABLE 6 
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CBst +50% PMF +60% PMF +70% PMF CB 
______________________________________ 
N20 89.1 78.6 79.2 81.1 76.2 
N25 86.5 63.8 62.4 64.3 70.0 
N30 74.3 29.9 25.7 24.1 49.4 
N32.5 36.1 0.9 1.2 0.5 13.4 
N35 5.2 0.0 0.5 0.1 0.7 
N40 1.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
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EXAMPLE 6 
Ice-lollies were dipped by using a coating composition, according to the 
recipe of table 7. The particulars of the materials and of the process are 
also mentioned in table 7. The results show that in a very short setting 
time (42 sec) a good pick-up weight could be achieved. 
TABLE 7 
______________________________________ 
Ice cream coatings with CBf as only fat component 
Ice-lolly 
CBf analysis 
Recipe dipping test 
______________________________________ 
N20 48.3 Sugar 41.1% Setting time 
42 secs 
N25 36.0 Cocoa Powder 
5.4% Pick up weight 
29.5 g 
N30 0.0 CB oleine 42.6% 
N32.5 0.0 Skim milk 10.6% Hardness glmm 
69 
(stab. 40 hrs 
powder (by Stevens penetro- 
at 20.degree. C.) meter) 
IV 43.8 Lecithin 0.2% Dipping 30.degree. C. 
temperature 
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EXAMPLE 7 
Blends were made of cocoa butter olein with the N-profile of table 8 with 
different amounts of butter fat (10-30 wt %). 
The blends displayed the N-profile of table 8. 
TABLE 8 
______________________________________ 
Blends of CBf and Butterfat 
Stabilised 40 hrs at 20.degree. C. 
CBf +10% Bu +20% Bu +30% Bu 
______________________________________ 
N20 48.3 44.8 33.5 10.0 
N25 36.0 29.5 20.1 6.2 
N27.5 15.8 7.8 4.2 3.9 
N30 0.0 0.2 0.7 0.9 
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EXAMPLE 8 
A blend was made of cocoa butter and cocoa butter olein in a weight ratio 
4/1. 
This blend was used as a milk chocolate coating in a recipe according to 
table 9. The results were compared with a coating of cocoa butter only. 
From the results it can be concluded, that the CB-olein reduces the yield 
value and viscosity of tempered chocolate, while not making the products 
softer by penetration. 
TABLE 9 
______________________________________ 
Normal Milk chocolate coating with CBf (and CB) 
30% fat 
4/1 
Recipe CB/CBf CB 
______________________________________ 
% Cocoa Powder 6 6 
% Skim milk powder 18 18 
% Sugar 46 16 
% CB 19.9 24.9 
% CB oleine 5.0 -- 
% Butterfat 4.5 4.5 
% Lecithin 0.4 0.4 
Demoulding time 22 21 
(mins) 
Yield value (Pa) 21 29 
Hardness by Penetration 
after 5 weeks 
20.degree. C. 
18 15 
25.degree. C. 
33 46 
Viscosity due to 5.5 8 
Tempering (PaS) 
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EXAMPLE 9 
The blends according to table 10 were made. These blends displayed the 
N-profile of this same table. 
TABLE 10 
______________________________________ 
Blends of West African cocoa butter and cocoa butter 
olein 
W.A.-CB CB olein N.sub.20 
N.sub.25 
N.sub.30 
N.sub.35 
______________________________________ 
90 10 75.8 67.1 35.4 0.6 
70 30 68.9 59.0 26.7 0.5 
50 50 61.9 51.0 17.9 0.3 
30 70 54.9 42.8 9.1 0.0 
______________________________________ 
EXAMPLE 10 
The blends according to table 11 were made. The N-profiles of the blends 
are mentioned in table 11. 
TABLE 11 
______________________________________ 
Blends of West African cocoa butter and cocoa butter 
stearin. 
W.A.-CB CB stearin N.sub.20 
N.sub.25 
N.sub.30 
N.sub.35 
______________________________________ 
90 10 81.3 73.8 43.9 1.1 
70 30 85.3 79.1 52.1 2.1 
50 50 87.3 84.3 60.2 3.0 
30 70 93.3 89.6 68.4 3.9 
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EXAMPLE 11 
Blends were made of cocoa butter olein and a palm mid fraction. The 
N-values of the blends are mentioned in table 12. 
TABLE 12 
______________________________________ 
Blends of cocoa butter olein and palm mid fraction. 
CB-olein PMF N.sub.20 N.sub.25 
N.sub.30 
______________________________________ 
70 30 53.7 35.1 0 
50 50 59.8 38.0 0 
30 70 66.0 41.0 0 
______________________________________ 
EXAMPLE 12 
Blends were made of cocoa butter stearin and palm mid fraction. These 
blends displayed the N-profile of table 13. 
TABLE 13 
______________________________________ 
CB stearin 
PMF N.sub.20 
N.sub.25 
N.sub.30 
N.sub.35 
______________________________________ 
70 30 92.1 81.9 47.6 3.5 
50 50 87.2 71.5 25.5 2.2 
30 70 82.4 61.0 3.3 0 
______________________________________ 
EXAMPLE 13 
Blends were made of West African cocoa butter, cocoa butter stearin and 
palm mid fraction, according to table 14. These blends possessed the 
N-profiles of table 14. 
TABLE 14 
______________________________________ 
W.A.-CB CB stearin PMF N.sub.20 
N.sub.25 
N.sub.30 
N.sub.35 
______________________________________ 
90 5 5 80.1 71.2 33.4 0.8 
80 5 15 79.7 68.6 34.1 0.7 
80 10 10 80.9 71.2 36.9 1.0 
80 15 5 82.1 73.8 42.5 1.3 
______________________________________ 
EXAMPLE 14 
Blends were made with the composition mentioned in table 15. These blends 
displayed the N-profiles mentioned in the table. 
TABLE 15 
______________________________________ 
W.A.-CB 
CB olein PMF N.sub.20 
N.sub.25 
N.sub.30 
N.sub.35 
______________________________________ 
90 5 5 77.3 67.9 34.1 0.6 
80 5 15 76.9 65.3 27.2 0.4 
80 10 10 75.4 64.6 28.5 0.5 
80 15 5 73.9 63.8 29.7 0.5 
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