PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND COMPATIBILITY STUDY ON PALM OIL PRODUCTS WITH COCOA BUTTER

The physico-chemical properties of binary blends of palm oil products with deodorised cocoa butter (DCB, IV 32.7) at levels ranging from 10% to 90% (w/w) were evaluated. Cocoa butter equivalent (CBE, IV 32.4) showed full compatibility with DCB at all concentrations and crystallised to form a strong beta in a mixture of beta + beta' polymorphic forms. Results of solid fat content (SFC) show that the addition of 10% to 20% palm-mid fraction (PMF, IV 41) and cocoa butter substitute (CBS, IV 0.3) with DCB gave rise to eutectic effects and that the mixture crystallised to form a strong beta' in a mixture of beta + beta' polymorphic forms. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) melting thermograms of the CBE and DCB blends showed a single melting peak at +/- 19.5 degrees C. There were two prominent melting peaks observed in the blends containing more than 10% to 20% of CBS and PMF.