Composition Analysis of Cocoa Butter by Differential Scanning Calorimetry

Consumer properties of chocolate depend largely on the quality of cocoa butter, which affects the technological processes of chocolate production. This article introduces a new method of calorimetry-based mathematical modeling applied to polymorphic forms of cocoa butter. The authors studied various samples of cocoa butter from different manufacturers using the method of differential scanning calorimetry. The results of experimental studies were processed as a Gaussian distribution. The new method of cocoa butter quality assessment relied on experimental data processed as distribution dependencies of polymorphic cocoa butter forms. The latter were identified as follows: 1) a low-melting form (10–18 °C); 2) polymorphic form α (17–24 °C); 3) metastable form β' (27–29 °C); 4) polymorphic form β (28–30 °C). The authors also calculated the proportion of polymorphic forms of cocoa butter according to their melting point. The method facilitated the quality assessment of cocoa butter, which renders good prospects for the chocolate industry.