The advantages of solid fat content determination in cocoa butter and cocoa butter equivalents by the Karlshamns method

Abstract

This paper describes the preparation of samples and the evaluation techniques applied to determine the Solid Fat Content (SFC) by means of pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in confectionery fats characterized by distinct polymorphism (cocoa butter, cocoa butter equivalents and their mixtures). Due to the deviation of SFC values in certain softer cocoa butter equivalents at the temperature of 20 °C, an internal method devised at Karlshamns Oils & Fats AB is applied as well. When compared to the official IUPAC 2.150 (b) method, Karlshamns' method involves a lower temperature and a prolonged period of time at the stage of the final SFC stabilization in the pre-treatment of fat samples. The calculation of SFC in the analysed samples for the purposes of this paper was carried out by employing both methods (the indirect method and a serial procedure). The results are presented graphically. Differences were reflected in the SFC of the fats and their mixtures that were under observation depending on the method and temperatures applied. The obtained results indicated a considerable advantage of employing the Karlshamns method since the results yielded by this method are more lucid. Moreover, the behaviour of fats in the production process can be more easily predicted on the basis of these results.