Use of palm mid-fraction in white chocolate formulation

Samples of two types of palm mid-fraction (PMF I, a commercial sample and PMF II, from a laboratory-scale acetone fractionation of PMF I) and a Malaysian deodorised cocoa butter sample were used as the main components in the fat phase for white chocolate formulation. The monounsaturated triacylglycerol contents of these fats were 853, 899 and 903 g kg-1, respectively. All the fats had free fatty acid contents of less than 10 g kg-1 and melting points in the range of 34.0-34.5 degrees C. The solid fat content profiles for the three fats were very steep. Differential scanning calorimeter analyses showed that all the fats had two melting peaks, T1 and T2. Results of the study showed that the tempering time to produce a well-tempered chocolate using PMF I was longer than that using PMF II, whereas, the time to produce a well-tempered cocoa butter chocolate increased with increase in the tempering temperature. Chocolates made with PMF I and II were well tempered between 17 and 19 degrees C and with cocoa butter at 23 degrees C. Thermal analyses, carried out on the chocolate showed that PMF I and II produced three melting peaks, T1, T2' and T2 whereas most of the cocoa butter chocolates exhibited only one melting peak, T2. Storage studies showed that most of the chocolates had good bloom resistance for up to 12 weeks storage.