The cocoa, chocolate and speciality oils and fats supplier recently expanded its range of cocoa butter equivalents CBEs with the launch of Chocovit Extra.
Rinus Heemskerk, technical director of ADM Cocoa International told ConfectioneryNews.com that this is the first time the company has offered these “custom-formulated blends” to the industry.
Chocovit Extra consists of ADM’s deZaan cocoa butters and its Chocovit Plus CBEs, which can be used in blends up to the allowed 5 per cent level.
Cut costs
The director explained that although cocoa butter equivalents (CBEs) offer “clear cost benefits” to manufacturers, the complexity of blending the correct ratios of CBEs and cocoa butter can discourage some from using these butter alternatives.
Heemskerk claims that ADM’s new blend will cut costs as confectionery producers won’t have to invest in extra processing equipment.
“There is no need for the storage, pumping, mixing and weighing equipment necessary when using separate ingredients,” he said.
Rise in CBE demand
CBEs are fats with a similar composition and melting profile as cocoa butter and are usually prepared by blending palm oil fractions and stearate-rich tropical butters.
The fats are used to reduce the ingredient costs of chocolate formulations for use in applications such as fillings, coatings and chocolate shells.
The director said that demand for CBEs has grown steadily over the years and he anticipated that the “convenience” of Chocovit Extra would boost this trend further.
Heemskerk said that some CBE blends can also influence such factors as crystallisation speed, hardness, sensitivity to touch, bloom resistance and mould release/shrinkage.
“Depending on the customer’s formulation, ADM is capable of customising these characteristics to fit the product,” he said.
The product is currently available worldwide, with the primary focus for sales in Continental Europe and the UK.