AAK & FSL offer “super compounds” to replace free cocoa butter in chocolates

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen shifting trends in the chocolate confectionery industry towards cost-reduction solutions which still maintain product quality and sensory expectations.

Increased product stability during the COVID-19 crisis has now become even more essential as consumers increasingly adapt to purchasing food online – challenging the stability and durability of food and beverage products across the final leg of the supply chain. According to research conducted by AAK, 35% of shoppers said they bought chocolate online, even before the pandemic.

That figure is likely to have risen significantly in the wake of stay-at-home measures worldwide that have kept people at home for extended periods. Taste is always king in the chocolate markets which makes it essential not to cut costs at the expense of performance by using ingredients which are cheaper than cocoa butter but inferior in terms of performance.

However, AAK’s Illexao range of super compounds offer both a premium sensory experience and lower raw material overheads combined with the advantage of being clean label. Illexao is a range of fats suitable for creating a “super compound” that can replace up to 100% of the free cocoa butter in a chocolate recipe. The super compound delivers equivalent taste, texture and meltdown properties and a similar nutritional profile. It is fully compatible with cocoa butter, allowing chocolate manufacturers to use it in their products to reduce costs while adding cocoa mass to their formulations.

“That’s a major plus at a time of uncertainty on global markets, and it’s perfect for budget-aware consumers who demand premium solutions and increasingly prefer to shop online. This “super compound” delivers equivalent taste, texture and meltdown properties in addition to a similar nutritional profile.” – AAK spokesperson.


 

Illexao’s Stability and Cost Benefits Summarized

 

 

✅ The growth of internet shopping has highlighted the need for manufacturers to ensure product quality remains stable during transportation to consumers. Illexao range ensures highest stability of super compound chocolate during transportation.

✅ When storage temperatures are not controlled or fluctuate during distribution, products are prone to turn grey, dull and unappealing. For manufacturers which rely on online sales, this is a risk to the brand reputation they cannot afford to take. Consumers are likely to send it back and unlikely to purchase that brand again. This is where the high bloom resistance of the super compound comes into its own, making it well suited to web sales.

✅ The continued high price of cocoa butter has made it an expensive solution for manufacturers. As an alternative, producers moved to the use of traditional vegetable fat compounds [cocoa butter substitutes] which are significantly cheaper but not compatible with cocoa butter and leads to slight differences in sensory and adjusted nutritional profiles as they add saturated and trans fats to the final product.

✅ AAK’s standard super compound solution is a blend of shea butter and palm oil. Alternative exotic fats can be incorporated in line with the chocolate manufacturer’s preferences.

✅ The main fat phase of the “super compound” comprises vegetable fats with a similar composition to cocoa butter.

✅ Traditionally, cocoa butter was the only vegetable fat used in chocolate. Still, a combination of increased demand, rising prices, varying quality levels and inconsistent supplies has led chocolate companies to seek alternatives.


Reference: https://www.foodingredientsfirst.com/news/aak-debuts-fat-range
-with-super-compound-to-replace-free-cocoa-butter-in-chocolate.html