Inter-esterified blends of Palm kernel oil, Palm oil, Palm oil Fractions and their derivatives as low Trans and low-cost fats as potential cocoa butter substitutes

Abstract

Cocoa Butter Substitutes (CBS) were produced from Chemical Inter-esterification (CIE) of Fully Hydrogenated Palm Oil (FHPO), Fully hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil (FHPKO), Palm Kernel Oil (PKO), Stearin fraction of Palm Oil (PPO), Olein fraction of Palm Oil (PO) blends in various quantitative proportions and Inter-esterified to form Inter-esterified Fats (IEF). The CIE reactions were carried outat 110○C for 1 hour using Sodium methoxide at 0.2% as a catalystwith a mixing speed of 200 rpm. The physical and chemical properties, melting profile, Solid Fat Content (SFC) were analyzed andcompared with commercially marketed cocoa butter. CIE substantially altered the fatty acid distribution in the triglyceride profileof the fat blends, culminating in a significant change in the melting profile of Inter-esterified Fats (IEF) as compared to their Physical Blends (PB). CBS obtained from CIE of blends of pure Lauric Oils and their fully hydrogenated products are found to be the closest to Cocoa butter in terms of melting profile followed by HPKO: PKO (50:50) and HPKO: PKO (60:40) showing N35 (Solid fat content at 35C of almost 0%) making them most suitable alternative for Cocoa Butter. While Lauric and Non Lauric oil blends such as FHPKO: FHPO (20:80), FHPO: FHPKO (30:70), and 40:60 (PPO: FHPKO) indicated a high potential option as Low trans-CBS in Confectionery Industry and Frozen Dessert Fat as they exhibited similar SFC curves and melting profile to the commercial Cocoa Butter (CB).