Effect of sugar, cocoa particles and lecithin on cocoa butter crystallisation in seeded and non-seeded chocolate model systems

TY - JOUR

T1 - Effect of sugar, cocoa particles and lecithin on cocoa butter crystallisation in seeded and non-seeded chocolate model systems

AU - Svanberg, L.

AU - Ahrné, L.

AU - Lorén, N.

AU - Windhab, E.

PY - 2011

Y1 - 2011

N2 - The effect of major chocolate ingredients (sugar, cocoa particles and lecithin), in combination with the two pre-crystallization techniques, seeding and non-seeding, was investigated with respect to the kinetics of cocoa butter crystallisation and the resulting microstructure. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was used to monitor microstructural evolution under dynamic thermal conditions. DSC measurements and image analysis were also applied in order to quantify the impacts of processing and formulation on microstructure. All ingredients and pre-crystallisation techniques considered proved to have a large impact on fat crystallisation kinetics and the resulting microstructure. Seeded samples tended to form multiple nucleation sites, inducing rapid growth of a crystal network. The non-seeded samples showed an altering structure, with some domains developing large spherical crystals while in other domains a more heterogeneous microstructure resulted. Lecithin showed a remarkable impact on crystallisation kinetics in both the seeded and non-seeded samples. For the seeded samples, the effect was most noteworthy in samples containing cocoa butter and sugar, where lecithin significantly reduced the induction time. In the absence of seeds, lecithin itself acted as the nucleation site for fat crystallisation.

AB - The effect of major chocolate ingredients (sugar, cocoa particles and lecithin), in combination with the two pre-crystallization techniques, seeding and non-seeding, was investigated with respect to the kinetics of cocoa butter crystallisation and the resulting microstructure. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was used to monitor microstructural evolution under dynamic thermal conditions. DSC measurements and image analysis were also applied in order to quantify the impacts of processing and formulation on microstructure. All ingredients and pre-crystallisation techniques considered proved to have a large impact on fat crystallisation kinetics and the resulting microstructure. Seeded samples tended to form multiple nucleation sites, inducing rapid growth of a crystal network. The non-seeded samples showed an altering structure, with some domains developing large spherical crystals while in other domains a more heterogeneous microstructure resulted. Lecithin showed a remarkable impact on crystallisation kinetics in both the seeded and non-seeded samples. For the seeded samples, the effect was most noteworthy in samples containing cocoa butter and sugar, where lecithin significantly reduced the induction time. In the absence of seeds, lecithin itself acted as the nucleation site for fat crystallisation.

KW - Cocoa butter

KW - Crystallisation

KW - Food processing

KW - Kinetics

KW - Microstructure

KW - Seeding

U2 - 10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2010.09.023

DO - 10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2010.09.023

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:78751649718

SN - 0260-8774

VL - 104

SP - 70

EP - 80

JO - Journal of Food Engineering

JF - Journal of Food Engineering

IS - 1

ER -