Characterization of Sunflower Stearin‐Based Confectionary Fats in Bulk and in Compound Coatings

Sunflower stearins obtained by the fractionation of high‐oleic–high‐stearic sunflower oil (HOHS) can be used for cocoa butter equivalents (CBE). The main objectives of this work were: (1) Compare the performance of two sunflower stearin‐based CBE (palm‐free and palm‐containing) with commercial CBE and cocoa butter (CB) in terms of heat stability, hardness, and microstructure and (2) Test these sunflower stearin‐based CBE in milk chocolate and compound‐coating formulations to understand the evolution of their crystalline structure and the bloom development during storage. Sunflower stearin‐based CBE exhibited different polymorphic behaviors, as well as a smaller and more compact microstructure than commercial CBE and CB. Although sunflower stearin‐based CBE contain less‐saturated fatty acids than commercial ones, they had more solids at high temperature and higher hardness and could work as a CB improver. On the other hand, the use of increasing levels of sunflower stearin‐based CBE formulated and tested in this work on chocolate and compound‐coating formulations favored a faster crystallization into a more stable polymorph, and influenced the bloom evolution of these confectionery products.