A cocoa butter equivalent composition, its preparation and use

Abstract

The application provides a cocoa butter equivalent oil and fat composition, a preparation method thereof and application thereof. The cocoa butter equivalent oil and fat composition provided by the application has similar FAC and TAG compositions, similar SFC curves, similar melting and crystallization curves, similar crystal structure and good compatibility to natural cocoa butter. Chocolate application experiments show that the cocoa butter equivalent oil and fat composition provided by the application has the characteristics of good demolding property, good mouth dissolving property, better cool and clean taste, excellent anti-blooming property and significantly improved nutritional function.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the food field, specifically a cocoa butter composition, its preparation method, and its application. Background Technology

[0002] Cocoa butter, also known as cocoa extract, is a creamy yellow, hard, natural vegetable oil extracted from cocoa beans, the fruit of the tropical woody plant cocoa tree. It belongs to the nut oil category. Cocoa butter is mainly composed of three monounsaturated triglycerides: 1,3-dispalmitoyl-2-oleic acid glyceride (POP), 1-palmitoyl-2-oleic acid-3-stearic acid glyceride (POSt), and 1,3-distearate-2-oleic acid glyceride (StOSt). These three components account for 7.5%–22.6%, 35.8%–41.4%, and 22.8%–31.3% of the total triglycerides, respectively. This unique triglyceride composition results in an extremely narrow melting point range for cocoa butter, between 34 and 38°C, which is close to human body temperature. This unique melting characteristic imparts a wonderful texture to food, making it widely used as a raw material for high-end confectionery, chocolate, cakes, ice cream, etc., with huge market demand. With the continuous improvement of living standards and the development of the food industry, natural cocoa butter, limited by climate, region, yield, and price, can no longer meet market demand. Currently, cocoa butter substitutes on the market are mainly divided into two categories: cocoa butter substitutes and cocoa butter esters. Cocoa butter substitutes are further divided into lauric acid-based and non-lauric acid-based substitutes. Lauric acid-based substitutes are cheaper but prone to developing a soapy taste; non-lauric acid-based substitutes have good heat resistance but are less brittle and may have a waxy texture. Cocoa butter esters refer to a type of substitute fat with a triglyceride composition similar to cocoa butter. They can be miscible with natural cocoa butter in any proportion and, compared to cocoa butter substitutes, do not pose the health risks of trans fatty acids, making them a high-quality cocoa butter substitute. Currently, cocoa butter esters on the market are mainly obtained through two methods: enzymatic transesterification and blending. The blending method refers to enriching various oils rich in POP, POSt, and StOSt (such as palm oil, dirot butter, mango butter, and avocado butter) and then mixing them in a certain proportion to obtain cocoa butter-like products. Although the physical blending method for preparing CBE is relatively simple, and some oils can even be directly blended to prepare CBE without fractionation, this method has high requirements for raw materials. The POSt content in natural oils is generally low, and it is difficult to achieve the same content as cocoa butter (CB) through physical blending alone. Furthermore, the raw oil is affected by factors such as climate and price, which limits the method to some extent.

[0003] The raw oils used to prepare cocoa butter-like products via enzymatic transesterification can be broadly classified into two categories: POP-type triglycerides, represented by oils such as melting point extracts from palm oil and tallow tree oil; and OOO-type triglycerides, represented by oils such as sunflower seed oil, tea oil, and olive oil. Enzymatic transesterification can utilize inexpensive raw materials to produce cocoa butter-like products, but it suffers from drawbacks such as the generation of byproducts. Additionally, there are reports in the literature of using microorganisms to produce cocoa butter-like products, but this is still in its early stages. Among all reports, enzymatic transesterification has received increasing attention and research due to the wide availability of raw oil sources and its promising development prospects.

[0004] CN105936922B describes a method for preparing cocoa butter-like substances using enzymatic transesterification of palm oil at 33°C. The method is characterized by using palm oil and stearic acid at 33°C as substrates, adding n-hexane and a natural antioxidant, and performing lipase-catalyzed transesterification in an organic solvent reaction system. After the reaction, the mixture is kept at this temperature, filtered to remove the lipase, yielding reactant A. Hexane is then added, and the mixture is crystallized at 0-4°C for 3-6 hours. After filtration, the filtrate is rotary evaporated to remove the hexane, yielding reactant B. Acetone is then added, and the mixture is crystallized at 0-4°C for 4-6 hours. After filtration, the crystals are collected to obtain the cocoa butter-like substance. The reaction system contains organic solvents and requires two fractionation processes using different solvent systems, making the process complex.

[0005] CN105831370B describes a method for preparing cocoa butter-like products, characterized by uniformly mixing mango kernel oil and palm oil intermediate extract at a volume ratio of 7:3, and then mixing them with methylpentane at a volume ratio of 1:6 to form a mixed oil; after two-stage extraction, the liquid oil is separated by vacuum distillation, and the solvent is recovered by vacuum distillation of the obtained stearin, which is a cocoa butter-like product mainly containing symmetrical triglycerides, with a total content of POP, POSt, and StOSt of 72%.

[0006] CN105602720B describes a method for solvent extraction of mango kernel lipids. The method involves mixing an extraction solvent with mango kernel lipids to form a mixed oil, followed by three-stage solvent extraction to obtain mango kernel lipid fractions rich in POSt and StOSt, or a mixture of POSt and StOSt. The mango kernel lipid fractions obtained by this invention can be blended with oils rich in POP to prepare cocoa butter-like products and cocoa butter modifiers. However, the multi-stage solvent extraction process is costly.

[0007] CN106035922B describes a continuous method for preparing cocoa butter-like substances. A specific lipase at position 1,3, a 28°C palm oil intermediate extract, and methyl stearate are mixed and melted in a specific ratio. After thorough stirring, the mixture is poured into a chromatography column for transesterification. The molten substrate is continuously added to the column, achieving continuous preparation of cocoa butter-like substances. Although this method allows for continuous preparation of cocoa butter-like substances without solvents, it uses methyl stearate as a raw material. Lahimer, Lewis, and others have reported that methyl stearate has tumor-inducing properties and its use in food production is strictly prohibited. Therefore, national standards do not allow its use as a raw material in the food industry.

[0008] Therefore, a method for preparing cocoa butter-like oils is still needed.

[0009] Most fatty acids that make up natural fats contain an even number of carbon atoms. Odd-chain fatty acids (OCFAs) are fatty acids containing an odd number of carbon atoms. Although present in small quantities, OCFAs are widely distributed in organisms. Detectable amounts of OCFAs are found in the plasma, red blood cells, liver, and adipose tissues of higher animals. These are mostly saturated fatty acids, primarily pentadecanoic acid (C15:0) and heptadecanoic acid (C17:0). Diet is the main source of OCFAs in the human body. Related studies have shown a positive correlation between C15:0 and C17:0 and health, including preventive effects against coronary heart disease and type II diabetes. Furthermore, supplementing cultured liver cells with C15:0, within a certain concentration range, can significantly reduce the production of reactive oxygen species. OCFAs may have a positive effect on delaying aging caused by mitochondrial dysfunction or other metabolic diseases. Therefore, OCFAs play an important nutritional and health role in the human body. Summary of the Invention

[0010] To address the aforementioned technical problems, in one respect, the present invention provides a cocoa butter-like oil composition, characterized in that, by weight percentage, the composition satisfies the following conditions:

[0011] (1) C17:0 / SAFA is 0.45-0.50, where C17:0 represents heptadecanoic acid and SAFA represents saturated fatty acids with more than 10 carbon atoms;

[0012] (2) C17:0OSt / C53 is 0.85-1.0, where C17:0OSt is a glycerol ester with C17:0 at positions 1 and 3 or oleic acid at position 2, and C53 represents a triglyceride in which the total number of carbons in the carbon chain of the fatty acids contained in the triglyceride is 53.

[0013] In one embodiment, the C53 / C52 ratio in the composition is 1.55-2.0 by weight percentage, wherein C52 represents a triglyceride containing fatty acids with a total carbon number of 52.

[0014] In one embodiment, the C53 / C54 ratio in the composition is 1.5-2.5 by weight, wherein C54 represents a triglyceride containing fatty acids with a total carbon number of 54.

[0015] In one embodiment, the composition has C53 / TAG(C52+C54+C50) > 0.90 by weight percentage, wherein TAG(C50+C52+C54) represents the sum of the contents of triglycerides containing fatty acids with 50, 52 and 54 carbon atoms in their carbon chains.

[0016] In one embodiment, the composition contains less than 2% DAG by weight, where DAG represents diglycerides.

[0017] In one embodiment, the composition contains less than 3% SSS by mass, where SSS represents a triglyceride with 3 molecules of S bound, and S represents a saturated fatty acid with 14 or more carbon atoms.

[0018] In one embodiment, the composition contains 92-98% S2U by mass percentage, where S2U represents a triglyceride with 2 molecules of S and 1 molecule of U, where S represents a saturated fatty acid with 14 or more carbon atoms and U represents an unsaturated fatty acid with 16 or more carbon atoms.

[0019] In one embodiment, the composition contains 0-4% SU2 by mass, where SU2 represents a triglyceride with 2 molecules of U and 1 molecule of S, where S represents a saturated fatty acid with 14 or more carbon atoms and U represents an unsaturated fatty acid with 16 or more carbon atoms.

[0020] In one embodiment, the composition contains 0-4% UUU by weight, where UUU represents a triglyceride with 3 molecules of U, and U represents an unsaturated fatty acid with 16 or more carbon atoms.

[0021] In one embodiment, the composition contains less than 5% C16:0 by weight, where C16:0 represents palmitic acid.

[0022] In one embodiment, the C17:0 / C18:0 ratio in the composition is 0.8-1.0 by weight, where C17:0 represents heptadecanoic acid and C18:0 represents stearic acid.

[0023] In one embodiment, the C18:0 / C16:0 ratio in the composition is greater than 13.0 by weight, where C18:0 represents stearic acid and C16:0 represents palmitic acid.

[0024] On the other hand, the present invention provides a method for preparing the aforementioned cocoa butter-like oil composition, comprising:

[0025] (1) Contacting at least one fatty acid or its derivative with at least one odd-chain fatty acid (OCFA) or its derivative and performing transesterification reaction, wherein the fatty acid or its derivative contains at least 42% by mass of 1,3-distearate-2-oleic acid glyceride (StOSt);

[0026] (2) Purify the product obtained in step (1) by molecular distillation;

[0027] (3) The product obtained from fractionation and / or refining step (2).

[0028] In one embodiment, the fatty acid or its derivative is selected from at least one of soybean oil, high-oleic sunflower seed oil, sunflower seed oil, cottonseed oil, rice bran oil, tea seed oil, safflower seed oil, palm oil, corn oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, olive oil, almond oil, walnut oil, flaxseed oil, shea butter, mango kernel oil, mangosteen seed oil, salsa seed oil, and their extracts or their respective transesterification products and transesterification product extracts.

[0029] In one embodiment, the fatty acid or its derivative is shea butter stearin, and the amount of shea butter stearin in the composition is 50-80% based on the total amount of the composition.

[0030] In one embodiment, the odd-chain fatty acid is one or more of pentadecanoic acid or heptadecanoic acid.

[0031] In one embodiment, the odd-chain fatty acid is heptadecanoic acid, which accounts for 25-35% of the fatty acids in the composition;

[0032] Preferably, the odd-chain fatty acid is heptadecanoic acid, which accounts for 28-32% of the fatty acids in the composition.

[0033] On the other hand, the present invention provides a cocoa butter-like oil composition obtained by the aforementioned preparation method.

[0034] On the other hand, an oil composition is provided, the oil composition comprising the cocoa butter-like oil composition described above in this invention.

[0035] In one or more embodiments, the oil composition comprises cocoa butter, cocoa butter substitute, or cocoa butter alternative.

[0036] On the other hand, the present invention contains a chocolate syrup comprising the fat composition described herein, cocoa ingredients, optional dairy products, optional sweeteners, and optional emulsifiers.

[0037] In one embodiment, the cocoa component is selected from one or more of cocoa powder, cocoa butter, and cocoa liquor.

[0038] In one embodiment, the emulsifier is selected from one or more of phospholipids, sucrose fatty acid esters, glycerol fatty acid esters, polyglycerol fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, and polyglycerol ricinoleate; preferably, the emulsifier is 0.1 to 1.5 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the total chocolate paste.

[0039] The dairy product is selected from one or more of the following: milk, concentrated milk, skim milk, condensed milk, light condensed milk, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, buttermilk, buttermilk powder, whey, whey powder, casein, sodium caseinate, and whey protein contained in fresh cream; preferably, the dairy product is skim milk powder or whole milk powder; preferably, the amount of dairy product added is 5 to 20 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the total weight of the chocolate syrup.

[0040] The sweetener is selected from any one or more of sucrose, lactose, glucose, fructose, maltose, starch sugar, and artificial sweeteners; preferably, sucrose includes one or more of white granulated sugar, brown sugar, fine white sugar, rock sugar, and yellow rock sugar; preferably, artificial sweeteners include natural sweeteners and synthetic sweeteners, selected from one or more of stevia, licorice, disodium glycyrrhizate, tripotassium glycyrrhizate, trisodium glycyrrhizate, saccharin, sodium saccharin, sodium cyclohexylsulfamate, asparagine methyl ester alitane, aspartame, sucralose, allulose, inulin, fructooligosaccharides, mogrosides, maltitol, isomaltitol, isomaltulose, lactitol, steviol glycosides, sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, mannitol, and erythritol; preferably, the amount of sweetener added is 35-50 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of chocolate syrup.

[0041] On the other hand, the present invention provides a chocolate product comprising or prepared from the aforementioned chocolate syrup.

[0042] In one embodiment, the chocolate product is chocolate sauce, chocolate bars, or chocolate coating.

[0043] On the other hand, the present invention provides a food product comprising the aforementioned cocoa butter-like oil composition, the cocoa butter-like oil composition prepared by the aforementioned method, or the aforementioned oil composition.

[0044] In one embodiment, the cocoa butter-like oil composition is 0.01-50 parts by weight relative to 100 parts by weight of the total food product;

[0045] Preferably, the cocoa butter-like oil composition is 1-40 parts by weight.

[0046] The present invention also provides the use of the oil containing odd-number fatty acids of the present invention or the oil composition of the present invention in the preparation of chocolate sauce or chocolate products containing the chocolate sauce having improved meltability, gloss, heat resistance and / or anti-blooming properties.

[0047] Preferably, the chocolate product is a chocolate bar.

[0048] This invention also provides a method for improving the melt-in-your-mouth properties, gloss, heat resistance, and / or bloom resistance of chocolate products, comprising the steps of preparing the chocolate product using the aforementioned oil composition as the oil component, or preparing the chocolate product using the aforementioned chocolate syrup. Conventional methods can be used to prepare the chocolate product. For example, this method typically includes mixing and grinding raw materials, heating the mixture to prepare a chocolate syrup, temperature adjustment, and molding, etc. Exemplary methods for preparing chocolate products are as described in the Embodiments section of this application.

[0049] Beneficial effects

[0050] The cocoa butter-like oil composition provided by this invention has similar FAC and TAG compositions, similar SFC curves, similar melting and crystallization curves, and similar crystal structures to natural cocoa butter. The physicochemical properties, solid fat properties, crystallization and melting properties, and temperature-regulating crystal stability (β-form) of the prepared oil composition are consistent with those of natural cocoa butter, exhibiting good compatibility. Chocolate application experiments show that the cocoa butter-like composition provided by this invention has good release properties, good mouth melting properties, a cooler and crisper taste, excellent anti-blooming properties, and significantly improved nutritional and functional properties. Therefore, the preparation method provided by this invention is suitable for preparing cocoa butter-like products with properties similar to natural cocoa butter. Attached Figure Description

[0051] Figure 1 The crystallization curves are for the preparation example and the comparative example, where curve number 1 corresponds to comparative example 1, curve number 2 corresponds to comparative example 2, curve number 3 corresponds to preparation example 1, curve number 4 corresponds to preparation example 4, curve number 5 corresponds to preparation example 2, curve number 6 corresponds to preparation example 3, and curve number 7 corresponds to comparative example 3.

[0052] Figure 2Melting curves for the preparation examples and comparative examples are shown, where curve number 1 corresponds to comparative example 1, curve number 2 corresponds to comparative example 2, curve number 3 corresponds to preparation example 1, curve number 4 corresponds to preparation example 4, curve number 5 corresponds to preparation example 2, curve number 6 corresponds to preparation example 3, and curve number 7 corresponds to comparative example 3.

[0053] Figure 3 This is the XRD pattern of oil and fat composition I.

[0054] Figure 4 This is the XRD pattern of oil and fat composition II.

[0055] Figure 5 This is the XRD pattern of oil and fat composition III.

[0056] Figure 6 This is the XRD pattern of oil and fat composition IV.

[0057] Figure 7 The XRD pattern is shown in Comparative Example 1.

[0058] Figure 8 The XRD pattern is shown in Comparative Example 2.

[0059] Figure 9 The XRD pattern is shown in Comparative Example 3.

[0060] Figure 10 For comparison, see the XRD pattern of Example 4. Detailed Implementation

[0061] definition

[0062] As used in this article, S represents saturated fatty acids with 14 or more carbon atoms; U represents unsaturated fatty acids with 16 or more carbon atoms; P represents palmitic acid; St represents stearic acid; O represents oleic acid; C17:0 represents heptadecanoic acid; SSS represents a triglyceride with 3 molecules of S; S2U represents a triglyceride with 2 molecules of S and 1 molecule of U; SU2 represents a triglyceride with 2 molecules of U and 1 molecule of S; UUU represents a triglyceride with 3 molecules of U; Shea ST indicates stearin extracted from shea butter; SAFA indicates saturated fatty acids with 10 or more carbon atoms; MUFA indicates monounsaturated fatty acids with 16 or more carbon atoms; PUFA indicates polyunsaturated fatty acids with 16 or more carbon atoms; FAC indicates fatty acid composition; TAG indicates triglycerides; SFC indicates solid fat content; POP indicates 1,3-dispalmitoyl-2-oleic acid glyceride; POSt indicates 1-palmitoyl-2-oleic acid-3-stearic acid glyceride; StOSt indicates 1,3-distearate-2-oleic acid glyceride; C17:0O St indicates a triglyceride where 1 and 3 are C17:0 or stearic acid-2 is oleic acid, including 1-heptadecanoic acid (C17:0)-2-oleic acid-3-stearic acid (C18:0) glycerides or 1-stearic acid (C18:0)-2-oleic acid-3-heptadecanoic acid (C17:0) glycerides, which may contain isomers, but other isomers are <1%; C50 indicates that the total number of carbons in the fatty acid carbon chains of the triglyceride is 50. The triglycerides are categorized as follows: C52 represents triglycerides with a total of 52 carbon atoms in their fatty acid carbon chains; C53 represents triglycerides with a total of 53 carbon atoms in their fatty acid carbon chains; C54 represents triglycerides with a total of 54 carbon atoms in their fatty acid carbon chains; TAG(C50+C52+C54) is the sum of the contents of triglycerides with 50, 52, and 54 carbon atoms in their fatty acid carbon chains.

[0063] As used in this article, the term "derivatives" of fatty acids refers to a class of long-chain organic compounds with other functional groups (such as hydroxyl, carboxyl, amino, nitro, etc.) attached to the carbon chain of fatty acids. These include hydroxy fatty acid derivatives, a series of hydroxy fatty acid derivatives obtained by halogenation, sulfidation, sulfonation, epoxidation, and hydroxylation of double bonds on unsaturated fatty acids such as oleic acid, for example, 9,10-dihydroxystearic acid, 9,10,12,13-tetrahydroxystearic acid, 9,10,12,13-hexahydroxystearic acid, etc.; ester derivatives, ester compounds formed by the reaction of fatty acids with alcohols, such as fatty acid methyl esters, fatty acid ethyl esters, fatty acid glycerides, and biowaxes; and amine derivatives, formed by the reaction of fatty acids with amines.

[0064] As used herein, “OCFA derivatives” refers to fatty acid glycerides linked to OCFA. These fatty acid glycerides can be obtained by transesterification and / or fractionation of animal and vegetable oils with OCFA fatty acids. They can also refer to OCFA algal oil. The algal oil bodies in OCFA algal oil can be derived from oil-producing algae, such as, but not limited to, *Schizochytrium*, *Schizochytrium*, and *Cryptodinium*.

[0065] In this article, odd-carbon number fatty acids may include C13 fatty acids, C15 fatty acids, C17 fatty acids, C19 fatty acids, C21 fatty acids, etc., preferably C15 fatty acids and C17 fatty acids, and more preferably containing C17 fatty acids.

[0066] As used herein, conventional vegetable oils include, but are not limited to, common edible oils such as soybean oil, cottonseed oil, rice bran oil, tea seed oil, safflower seed oil, palm oil, corn oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, olive oil, almond oil, walnut oil, flaxseed oil, shea butter, senna resin, safflower oil, and mango kernel oil, as well as their extracts and transesterification products, such as palm stearin and shea butter stearin. In some embodiments, the present invention uses shea butter stearin to perform transesterification and fractionation with odd-number fatty acids to prepare the oils containing odd-number fatty acids described herein. In some embodiments, the odd-number fatty acids include at least C17 fatty acids.

[0067] The transesterification reaction in this invention can be carried out using methods conventional in the art, including but not limited to chemical transesterification or enzymatic transesterification. For example, for enzymatic transesterification, immobilized lipases (e.g., DF enzymes) are typically used as catalysts, with the amount of catalyst usually being 5-20% of the substrate weight. The reactants are reacted at room temperature or under heating conditions (e.g., 50-100°C) to obtain the transesterification product. For chemical transesterification, a catalyst (e.g., sodium methoxide) can be added to the dehydrated reactants, and the reaction is carried out at 100-110°C for 30-60 minutes under normal pressure or vacuum conditions (e.g., 0.1 bar), and then the reaction is terminated to complete the transesterification reaction. The amount of catalyst is usually 0.1-0.5% of the weight of the raw oil. Citric acid solution can be added to terminate the reaction, and the amount added can be determined according to the actual reaction conditions. Preferably, this invention uses enzymatic transesterification to prepare the oil containing odd-number fatty acids.

[0068] In this paper, solvent extraction is employed for fractionation. Typically, the oil obtained from transesterification is mixed with a solvent (such as n-hexane or acetone), heated until clear, and then placed in a water bath at 50-60°C for 5-30 minutes. The temperature is then lowered to 10-20°C and maintained at this temperature for 2-6 hours. After filtering off the solid phase, further solvent removal and dehydration are performed to obtain the oil containing odd-number fatty acids of this invention. The amount of solvent used can be 3-10 times the volume of the oil (oil:solvent = weight g: volume ml). Optionally, the oil can be refined using methods well-known in the art, such as decolorization and deodorization. An exemplary decolorization temperature is 100-120°C, the decolorization time is 0.1-1 hour, the pressure is 5-30 mbar, and the decolorizing agent can be a conventional decolorizing agent in the art, such as bleaching clay, with an amount of 0.5-5% of the oil weight. An exemplary deodorization temperature is 200-250℃, a vacuum degree is 3-10mbar, and a deodorization time is 1-3 hours.

[0069] In some embodiments, the oil containing odd-number fatty acids described in this invention can be an oil prepared by enzymatic transesterification of shea butter stearin and an odd-number fatty acid such as heptadecanoic acid. The molar ratio of shea butter stearin to an odd-number fatty acid such as heptadecanoic acid can be 1:(1-3). An enzyme, such as DF enzyme, at 5-10% of the weight of shea butter stearin can be added, and enzymatic transesterification is carried out at a temperature of 60-80°C. After the reaction, the enzyme is removed, and the oil to be extracted according to this invention is obtained after purification (e.g., by molecular distillation). In molecular distillation, the distillation temperature can be 200-250°C (e.g., 230°C), the rotation speed can be 250-500 r / min (e.g., 300 r / min), and the vacuum degree can be 0.5 × 10⁻⁶. -3 -5×10 -3 mbar (e.g., 1×10) -3 (mbar). Then, the solvent fractionation method described herein can be used for fractionation. After fractionation, the solvent and water are removed, and optionally, decolorization and deodorization are performed to obtain the oil containing odd-number fatty acids as described in this invention.

[0070] The technical solution of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. It should be understood that the following embodiments are merely illustrative and explanatory of the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. All technologies implemented based on the above content of the present invention are covered within the scope of protection intended by the present invention.

[0071] Unless otherwise stated, the raw materials and reagents used in the following examples are commercially available products or can be prepared by known methods.

[0072] Example 1: Preparation of oil and fat composition

[0073] Raw material preparation

[0074] 1. Oil raw material A was purchased from commercial cocoa butter (purchased from ADM Oils & Fats Company).

[0075] 2. Oil raw material B Shea ST (commercial shea butter stearin) was purchased from Yihai Kerry (Shanghai) Chocolate Co., Ltd.

[0076] 3. Oil raw material C

[0077] Sample preparation: Take 1.8 kg of Shea ST and 1.1 kg of heptadecanoic acid, heat and mix them in a molar ratio of 1:2, and place them in a 5L glass jacketed reactor. Add 8% by weight of DF immobilized enzyme (Amano Enzyme Products Co., Ltd.) to the reactor. React at 70℃ and 80 r / min for 2 h. After the reaction is completed, filter the solution through a 200-mesh sieve at the bottom of the reactor to collect the liquid. The immobilized enzyme remains in the reactor for continued use. Collect the crude reaction product and mix it for purification.

[0078] Molecular distillation for the purification of triglycerides: The crude product from the above reaction was subjected to molecular distillation at a temperature of 225℃, a rotation speed of 300 r / min, and a vacuum degree of 1×10⁻⁶. -3 mbar is used to remove fatty acids, monoglycerides, and diglycerides to obtain raw material C.

[0079] Preparation Example 1

[0080] Solvent fractionation: Weigh 100g of the purified oil raw material C and place it in a 1L conical flask. Add 5 times the amount of n-hexane, heat until clear, place in a 50℃ water bath for 15min, cool to 20℃, keep warm for 3h, filter to remove the solid phase, and obtain the liquid phase.

[0081] Oil refining: The above liquid phase fraction was first desolventized using a rotary evaporator at 55°C, 100 r / min, 10 mbar vacuum, and 0.5 h to remove n-hexane. Next, dehydration was performed at 90°C, 10 mbar vacuum, and 1 h. Finally, decolorization and deodorization were carried out using conventional methods. Decolorization was performed at 105°C with approximately 2% (by weight) of clay added as a decolorizing adsorbent, under a 10 mbar vacuum, for 0.5 h, followed by filtration. Deodorization was performed at 230°C, 5 mbar vacuum, with nitrogen purging, for 2 h. The refined oil composition I was obtained.

[0082] Preparation Example 2

[0083] Solvent fractionation: Weigh 100g of the purified oil raw material C and place it in a 1L conical flask. Add 5 times the amount of n-hexane, heat until clear, place in a 50℃ water bath for 15min, cool to 15℃, keep warm for 3h, filter to remove the solid phase, and obtain the liquid phase.

[0084] Oil refining: The above liquid phase fraction was first desolventized using a rotary evaporator at 55°C, 100 r / min, 10 mbar vacuum, and 0.5 h to remove n-hexane. Next, dehydration was performed at 90°C, 10 mbar vacuum, and 1 h. Finally, decolorization and deodorization were carried out using conventional methods. Decolorization was performed at 105°C with approximately 2% (by weight) of clay added as a decolorizing adsorbent, under a 10 mbar vacuum, for 0.5 h, followed by filtration. Deodorization was performed at 230°C, 5 mbar vacuum, with nitrogen purging, for 2 h. The refined oil composition II was then obtained.

[0085] Preparation Example 3

[0086] Solvent fractionation: Weigh 100g of the purified oil raw material C and place it in a 1L conical flask. Add 5 times the amount of n-hexane and heat until clear. Place it in a 50℃ water bath for 15min, cool it down to 15℃, keep it warm for 2h, filter to remove the solid phase, and place the liquid phase in a 15℃ water bath to further cool it down to 5℃. Keep it warm for 10h and then filter to obtain the solid phase.

[0087] Oil refining: The solid phase fraction was first desolventized using a rotary evaporator at 55°C, 100 rpm, 10 mbar vacuum, and 0.5 h to remove n-hexane. Next, dehydration was performed at 90°C, 10 mbar vacuum, and 1 h. Finally, decolorization and deodorization were carried out using conventional methods. Decolorization was performed at 105°C with approximately 2% (by weight) of clay added as a decolorizing adsorbent, under a 10 mbar vacuum, for 0.5 h, followed by filtration. Deodorization was performed at 230°C, 5 mbar vacuum, with nitrogen purging, for 2 h. The refined oil composition III was then obtained.

[0088] Preparation Example 4

[0089] Solvent fractionation: Weigh 100g of the purified oil raw material C and place it in a 1L conical flask. Add 5 times the amount of n-hexane, heat until clear, place in a 50℃ water bath for 15min, cool to 13℃, keep warm for 2h, filter to remove the solid phase, and obtain the liquid phase.

[0090] Oil refining: The above liquid phase fraction was first desolventized using a rotary evaporator at 55°C, 100 r / min, 10 mbar vacuum, and 0.5 h to remove n-hexane. Next, dehydration was performed at 90°C, 10 mbar vacuum, and 1 h. Finally, decolorization and deodorization were carried out using conventional methods. Decolorization was performed at 105°C with approximately 2% (by weight) of clay added as a decolorizing adsorbent, under a 10 mbar vacuum, for 0.5 h, followed by filtration. Deodorization was performed at 230°C, 5 mbar vacuum, with nitrogen purging, for 2 h. The refined oil composition IV was obtained.

[0091] Comparative Example 1: Commercial cocoa butter, purchased from ADM Oils & Fats Company;

[0092] Comparative Example 2: Raw material C;

[0093] Comparative Example 3:

[0094] Solvent extraction: Weigh 100g of the purified oil raw material C and place it in a 1L conical flask. Add 5 times the amount of n-hexane and heat until clear. Place in a 50℃ water bath for 15min, cool to 15℃, keep warm for 2h, filter to remove the solid phase, and place the liquid phase in a 15℃ water bath to further cool to 5℃. Keep warm for 10h and then filter to obtain liquid phase 1.

[0095] The above liquid phase 1 portion of the oil refining process first underwent solvent removal using a rotary evaporator at 55°C, 100 r / min, 10 mbar vacuum, and 0.5 h to remove n-hexane. Next, dehydration was performed at 90°C, 10 mbar vacuum, and 1 h. Finally, decolorization and deodorization were carried out using conventional methods. Decolorization was performed at 105°C, with approximately 2% (by weight) of clay added as a decolorizing adsorbent, under 10 mbar vacuum, for 0.5 h, followed by filtration. Deodorization was performed at 230°C, 5 mbar vacuum, with nitrogen purging, for 2 h. The refined oil composition of Comparative Example 3 was obtained.

[0096] Comparative Example 4:

[0097] Raw material B and composition II were melted at 80°C and mixed evenly according to the mass ratio of raw material B to composition II of 30:70 to obtain the oil composition of Comparative Example 4.

[0098] Example 2: Physicochemical property testing of oil and fat compositions

[0099] (1) Measurement method

[0100] 1. The FAC and TAG analyses of the oil were performed according to the analytical methods published by You Linna, Chen Yan, Wang Xiangyu, et al. in "Research on Enzymatic Preparation Process of Cocoa Butter and Analysis of Product Properties [J]. China Oils and Fats, 2023".

[0101] 2. Determination of solid lipid content in temperature-controlled samples: Place the solid lipid tube containing the oil sample in a 100℃ oven for 15 minutes, then remove it and transfer it to a 60℃ water bath for at least 5 minutes. Then maintain it at 0℃ for 90±5 minutes. Next, transfer the solid lipid tube containing the sample to 26℃ and maintain it for 40±0.5 hours. Then transfer the solid lipid tube from 26℃ to 0℃ and maintain it for 90±5 minutes. Finally, place each solid lipid tube individually in a water bath at 10℃, 20℃, 25℃, 30℃, 35℃, and 40℃ for 60-65 minutes. Wipe the outer wall and bottom of the solid lipid tube dry with paper before placing it in the instrument to detect the solid lipid content of the temperature-controlled sample.

[0102] 3. Melting, crystallization, and crystal form determination of oil samples: Place the solidified fat tube containing the oil sample in a 100℃ oven for 15 minutes, then remove it and transfer it to a 60℃ water bath for at least 5 minutes. Then maintain the temperature at 0℃ for 90±5 minutes. Next, transfer the solidified fat tube containing the sample to 26℃ and maintain it for 40±0.5 hours. After the temperature maintenance is complete, remove the sample for measurement.

[0103] (2) Analysis results of FAC, TAG and SFC in preparation and comparative examples

[0104] Table 1. Preparation Examples and Comparative Examples: FAC, TAG, and SFC

[0105]

[0106]

[0107] (3) Results of melting and crystallization curve determination of oil compositions in preparation example and comparative example

[0108] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the crystal form of the prepared example has similar crystallization and melting curves to that of natural cocoa butter.

[0109] (4) Results of crystal form analysis of oil compositions in preparation and comparative examples

[0110] Table 2 Crystal form analysis of oil compositions from preparation examples and comparative examples.

[0111] sample Crystal form XRD spectrum Oil and fat composition I β Figure 3 Oil and fat composition II β Figure 4 Oil and fat composition III β Figure 5 Oil and fat composition IV β Figure 6 Comparative Example 1 β Figure 7 Comparative Example 2 β Figure 8 Comparative Example 3 β+β’ Figure 9 Comparative Example 4 β Figure 10

[0112] like Figure 3-10 As shown, the crystal form of the oil composition in the preparation example is similar to that of natural cocoa butter.

[0113] 2.2 Compatibility of the preparation example with natural cocoa butter

[0114] The table below shows the compatibility analysis of oil composition II and natural cocoa butter. The leftmost column shows the different mixing ratios of oil composition II and natural cocoa butter in the samples.

[0115] Table 3. Compatibility analysis of oil composition II with natural cocoa butter.

[0116]

[0117]

[0118] The smaller the absolute value of SFC, the better the compatibility.

[0119] The physicochemical properties, solid fat properties, crystallization and melting properties, temperature-regulating crystal form and stable β-crystal form of the prepared oil composition are basically consistent with those of natural cocoa butter, and it has good compatibility with cocoa butter.

[0120] Example 3: Application of oil and fat composition in chocolate products

[0121] Using any one of the fat compositions from Preparation Examples 1 to 4 and Comparative Examples 1 to 4, chocolate bars were prepared according to the conventional chocolate preparation method as per Formulation Table 4.

[0122] Table 4 Recipe for making chocolate bars

[0123]

[0124] According to the formula in Table 4, sugar, cocoa powder, and skim milk powder are mixed with 50% by weight of any one of the oil compositions in Preparation Examples 1-4 and Comparative Examples 1-4, and then the mixture is ground in a ball mill for 20 minutes. Then, the remaining oil composition and lecithin are added and the mixture is ground and mixed for another 15 minutes before being discharged.

[0125] The ground slurry was placed in a 55°C oven to completely melt any crystals formed during cooling, yielding the chocolate slurry. For the preparation of pure chocolate, the chocolate blocks were prepared using a marble tempering process according to the chocolate recipe in Table 4. The tempering process involved cooling the chocolate slurry to 40–45°C. One-third of the slurry was then placed on a marble work surface and quickly spread with a spatula. The slurry was then piled into the center of the marble work surface using a spatula to ensure even cooling. This process was repeated, and the temperature was measured. When the temperature reached 26–27°C, the chocolate was returned to the slurry container and stirred thoroughly until the temperature returned to 29–30°C. This confirmed successful tempering, and the mixture was ready for molding. The chocolate slurry was poured into molds and cooled in a 7–10°C cooler for 15 minutes. The chocolate blocks were then unmolded.

[0126] Application testing of chocolate bars

[0127] For the demolding test, the poured chocolate blocks were placed in a cool air environment at 7-10℃ for 15 minutes and then demolded. The number of blocks that demolded naturally was recorded (16 blocks / plate).

[0128] The prepared chocolate bars were placed at 20℃ for 24 hours for mouth melting test. The mouth melting properties were evaluated according to the following criteria: "-" Good melting in the mouth, no waxy feel, distinctly cool sensation; "*" Good melting in the mouth, almost no waxy feel, cool sensation; "**" Poor melting in the mouth, distinctly waxy feel. Cool sensation: "-" Distinctly cool sensation; "*" Cool sensation; "**" No cool sensation.

[0129] For the bloom resistance test, prepared chocolate bars were placed at 20℃ for 2 days, and then tested in a bloom chamber under two different temperature conditions. Condition 1: Alternating placement at 20℃ and 32℃ (each temperature / 12h); Condition 2: Constant temperature 25℃. The bloom resistance of the chocolate bars was monitored weekly, and the degree of bloom was evaluated. Gloss, 0 points; loss of gloss, 1 point; appearance of grayish-white spots or film, 2 points; obvious appearance of white spots or film, 3 points; complete bloom, 4 points.

[0130] Table 5. Effects of the preparation examples and comparative examples on the production of chocolate bars.

[0131]

[0132]

[0133] The above results show that the cocoa butter produced by the method of the present invention has a high similarity to natural cocoa butter, good compatibility with cocoa butter, and chocolate application tests show that it has good demolding properties, good melting properties, a cooler taste, excellent anti-blooming properties, and significantly improved nutritional and functional properties. Therefore, the invented process method is suitable for the preparation of cocoa butter with properties close to natural cocoa butter.

[0134] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A cocoa butter-like oil composition, characterized in that, The composition, by weight percentage, satisfies the following conditions: (1) C17:0 / SAFA is 0.45-0.50, where C17:0 represents heptadecanoic acid and SAFA represents saturated fatty acids with more than 10 carbon atoms; (2) C17:0OSt / C53 is 0.85-1.0, where C17:0OSt is a glycerol ester with C17:0 at positions 1 and 3 or oleic acid at position 2, and C53 represents a triglyceride in which the total number of carbons in the carbon chain of the fatty acids contained in the triglyceride is 53.

2. The cocoa butter-like oil composition according to claim 1, wherein the C53 / C52 ratio in the composition is 1.55-2.0 by mass percentage, wherein C52 represents triglycerides containing fatty acids with a total carbon number of 52 in their carbon chains; Preferably, the C53 / C54 ratio in the composition is 1.5-2.5 by mass percentage, wherein C54 represents a triglyceride in which the total number of carbons in the carbon chain of the fatty acids is 54; Preferably, the composition has C53 / TAG(C52+C54+C50) > 0.90 by mass percentage, wherein TAG(C50+C52+C54) represents the sum of the contents of triglycerides containing fatty acids with 50, 52 and 54 carbon atoms in their carbon chains; Preferably, the composition contains less than 2% DAG by mass percentage, where DAG represents diglycerides; Preferably, the composition contains SSS < 3% by mass percentage, where SSS represents a triglyceride with 3 molecules of S bound, and S represents a saturated fatty acid with 14 or more carbon atoms. Preferably, the content of S2U in the composition is 92-98% by mass percentage, where S2U represents a triglyceride with 2 molecules of S and 1 molecule of U combined, where S represents a saturated fatty acid with 14 or more carbon atoms and U represents an unsaturated fatty acid with 16 or more carbon atoms. Preferably, the composition contains 0-4% SU2 by mass percentage, where SU2 represents a triglyceride with 2 molecules of U and 1 molecule of S, where S represents a saturated fatty acid with 14 or more carbon atoms and U represents an unsaturated fatty acid with 16 or more carbon atoms. Preferably, the composition contains 0-4% UUU by mass percentage, where UUU represents a triglyceride with 3 molecules of U bound, and U represents an unsaturated fatty acid with 16 or more carbon atoms. Preferably, the C16:0 content in the composition is less than 5% by mass, where C16:0 represents palmitic acid; Preferably, the C17:0 / C18:0 ratio in the composition is 0.8-1.0 by mass percentage, where C17:0 represents heptadecanoic acid and C18:0 represents stearic acid; Preferably, the C18:0 / C16:0 ratio in the composition is greater than 13.0 by mass percentage, where C18:0 represents stearic acid and C16:0 represents palmitic acid.

3. The method for preparing the cocoa butter-like oil composition according to claim 1 or 2, comprising: (1) Contacting at least one fatty acid or its derivative with at least one odd-chain fatty acid (OCFA) or its derivative and performing transesterification reaction, wherein the fatty acid or its derivative contains at least 42% by mass of 1,3-distearate-2-oleic acid glyceride (StOSt); (2) Purify the product obtained in step (1) by molecular distillation; (3) The product obtained from fractionation and / or refining step (2); Preferably, the fatty acid or its derivative is selected from soybean oil, high-oleic sunflower seed oil, sunflower seed oil, cottonseed oil, rice bran oil, tea seed oil, safflower seed oil, palm oil, corn oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, olive oil, almond oil, walnut oil, flaxseed oil, shea butter, mango kernel oil, mangosteen seed oil, salsa seed oil, and at least one of their extracts or their respective transesterification products and transesterification product extracts; Preferably, the fatty acid or its derivative is shea butter stearin, and the amount of shea butter stearin in the composition is 50-80% based on the total amount of the composition; Preferably, the odd-chain fatty acid is one or more of pentadecanoic acid or heptadecanoic acid; Preferably, the odd-chain fatty acid is heptadecanoic acid, which accounts for 25-35% of the fatty acids in the composition; Preferably, the odd-chain fatty acid is heptadecanoic acid, which accounts for 28-32% of the fatty acids in the composition.

4. The cocoa butter-like oil composition obtained by the preparation method according to claim 3.

5. An oil composition comprising the cocoa butter-like oil composition of claim 1 or 2, or the cocoa butter-like oil composition prepared by the method of claim 3; Preferably, the oil composition comprises cocoa butter, cocoa butter substitute, or cocoa butter alternative.

6. A chocolate syrup comprising the cocoa butter-like oil composition of claim 1 or 2, the cocoa butter-like oil composition prepared by the method of claim 3, or the oil composition of claim 5, cocoa component, optional dairy product, optional sweetener, and optional emulsifier; Preferably, the cocoa component is selected from one or more of cocoa powder, cocoa butter, and cocoa liquor; The emulsifier is selected from one or more of phospholipids, sucrose fatty acid esters, glycerol fatty acid esters, polyglycerol fatty acid esters, sorbitan fatty acid esters, and polyglycerol ricinoleate; preferably, the emulsifier is 0.1 to 1.5 parts by weight based on 100 parts by weight of the total chocolate paste. The dairy product is selected from one or more of the following: milk, concentrated milk, skim milk, condensed milk, light condensed milk, whole milk powder, skim milk powder, buttermilk, buttermilk powder, whey, whey powder, casein, sodium caseinate, and whey protein, which are derived from fresh cream; preferably, the dairy product is skim milk powder or whole milk powder; preferably, the amount of dairy product added is 5 to 20 parts by weight, based on 100 parts by weight of the total weight of the chocolate syrup. The sweetener is selected from any one or more of sucrose, lactose, glucose, fructose, maltose, starch sugar, and artificial sweeteners; preferably, sucrose includes one or more of white granulated sugar, brown sugar, fine white sugar, rock sugar, and yellow rock sugar; preferably, artificial sweeteners include natural sweeteners and synthetic sweeteners, selected from one or more of stevia, licorice, disodium glycyrrhizate, tripotassium glycyrrhizate, trisodium glycyrrhizate, saccharin, sodium saccharin, sodium cyclohexylsulfamate, asparagine methyl ester alitane, aspartame, sucralose, allulose, inulin, fructooligosaccharides, mogrosides, maltitol, isomaltitol, isomaltulose, lactitol, steviol glycosides, sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, mannitol, and erythritol; preferably, the amount of sweetener added is 35-50 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of chocolate syrup.

7. A chocolate product comprising or prepared from the chocolate paste of claim 6; Preferably, the chocolate product is chocolate sauce, chocolate bars, or chocolate coating.

8. A food product comprising the cocoa butter-like oil composition of claim 1 or 2, the cocoa butter-like oil composition prepared by the method of claim 3, or the oil composition of claim 5; Preferably, the cocoa butter-like oil composition is 0.01-50 parts by weight relative to 100 parts by weight of the total food product; More preferably, the cocoa butter-like oil composition is 1-40 parts by weight.

9. The use of the cocoa butter-like oil composition of claim 1 or 2, the cocoa butter-like oil composition prepared by the method of claim 3, or oils containing odd-number fatty acids in the preparation of chocolate sauce or chocolate products containing said chocolate sauce with improved melt-in-your-mouth properties, gloss, heat resistance and / or anti-blooming properties; Preferably, the chocolate product is a chocolate bar.

10. A method for improving the meltability, gloss, heat resistance and / or bloom resistance of a chocolate product, comprising the step of preparing the chocolate product using a cocoa butter-like oil composition as described in claim 1 or 2, a cocoa butter-like oil composition prepared by the method of claim 3, an oil composition as described in claim 5, or a chocolate paste as described in claim 6.

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