Summary

Of Master`s Thesis research
"Influence of cocoa butter alternatives on chocolates, sensory, fluiddynamic characteristic, processing"

One of the most important components of chocolates is the cocoa butter, which is responsible for many of the functionality properties. Furthermore, it represents a large faction of the raw material costs. For this reason there is an ongoing search for cocoa butter alternatives. Law in Germany prohibits up to now, the use of cocoa butter alternatives. Due to a possible change in EU law, which would allow the use of cocoa butter alternatives, preliminary work needs to be done in this field.

Goal of the present work is to include three selected cocoa butter alternatives in three different sorts of chocolates and to determine how the manufacturing technology has to be changed. The emphasis is to study the impact of the substitution on the sensory, processability and fluid dynamic characteristics.

The data analysis showed that the sensory of chocolates with cocoa butter alternatives is at least equal, in some cases even better than that of the original chocolate. According to the sensory results the use of the cocoa butter alternatives FF1 and FF3 in milk, dark and white chocolates cannot be objected. At the same time, the use of these cocoa butter alternatives decreases the costs. For dark chocolates FF1 and for milk and white chocolates FF2 is suitable. These chocolate masses are good for bars and coatings.

The studies of the processing properties, such as the mixing of masses, the measured viscosity values, yield points and T-points also show, that chocolates with cocoa butter alternatives are equivalent. This is valid only if during tempering the temperatures are changed by ±2°C compared to the standard masses.

According to the presently valid OICCC regulations the fluid dynamic characteristics of chocolates are determined by the Casson method. Many authors questioned the validity of this 50 years old method. Due to this reason, the fluid dynamic characteristics were also determined by the method of Tscheuschner. This is a scientifically sounder method, but because of the subjectivity during data analysis it is not better suited for the manufacturing praxis than the method of Casson.

The results were obtained through the sensory methods quick tasting, ranking test, profile test, hedonic and paired-sample tests of chocolate bars. Additionally the viscosity and yield point were measured and compared using the Tscheuschner and Casson methods. Furthermore mixing experiments were performed where three extreme mixing proportions of the masses were demonstrated.

These studies were carried out under the assumption, that the use of cocoa butter alternatives decreases the costs of chocolate production. The results show that through minor modification of the manufacturing technology costs can be saved.