Physically Modified Plant Oils as Alternatives to Palm Fat: Effects on Physical and Flavour Properties of Chocolate Fillings
Palm and palm kernel oils are extensively utilised in food processing due to their unique properties, such as their semi-solid consistency at room temperature. However, growing environmental and social concerns regarding palm oil production have prompted the industry to seek sustainable alternatives...
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MDPI AG
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Foods |
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| author | Tamara Schmid Elodie Gillich Amandine André Mathias Kinner Irene Chetschik Nadina Müller |
| author_facet | Tamara Schmid Elodie Gillich Amandine André Mathias Kinner Irene Chetschik Nadina Müller |
| author_sort | Tamara Schmid |
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| description | Palm and palm kernel oils are extensively utilised in food processing due to their unique properties, such as their semi-solid consistency at room temperature. However, growing environmental and social concerns regarding palm oil production have prompted the industry to seek sustainable alternatives to tropical or hydrogenated fats. This project investigated the use of plant oils and their emulsified and crystallised forms as potential substitutes for palm fat in light and dark chocolate fillings, with an emphasis on single-origin ingredients to align with clean-label trends. The emulsions were assessed for viscosity, firmness, colour, and key flavour and aroma profiles. Results demonstrated that palm fat alternatives performed effectively in dark chocolate fillings, with non-emulsified recipes achieving firmness comparable to palm fat. In contrast, light chocolate fillings exhibited reduced firmness at higher inclusion rates of alternatives, and emulsified products were prone to flocculation. Notably, pure oil formulations delivered promising outcomes at lower inclusion rates, as the firmness could be raised by 22.0%, likely due to vegetable oil and cocoa butter interactions influencing crystal morphology. Substituting palm oil with sunflower oil, either crystallised or emulsified, did not compromise the overall flavour. Future investigations should determine the maximum feasible level of palm fat substitution and investigate the potential of adding higher amounts of waxes and emulsifiers to enhance crystal formation and firmness. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-dae5b6d0074f40baafded8444b1d4885 |
| institution | OA Journals |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
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| series | Foods |
| spelling | doaj-art-dae5b6d0074f40baafded8444b1d48852025-08-20T02:09:13ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582025-03-01147117910.3390/foods14071179Physically Modified Plant Oils as Alternatives to Palm Fat: Effects on Physical and Flavour Properties of Chocolate FillingsTamara Schmid0Elodie Gillich1Amandine André2Mathias Kinner3Irene Chetschik4Nadina Müller5Institute of Food and Beverage Innovation, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Einsiedlerstrasse 35, 8820 Wädenswil, SwitzerlandInstitute of Food and Beverage Innovation, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Einsiedlerstrasse 35, 8820 Wädenswil, SwitzerlandInstitute of Food and Beverage Innovation, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Einsiedlerstrasse 35, 8820 Wädenswil, SwitzerlandInstitute of Food and Beverage Innovation, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Einsiedlerstrasse 35, 8820 Wädenswil, SwitzerlandInstitute of Food and Beverage Innovation, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Einsiedlerstrasse 35, 8820 Wädenswil, SwitzerlandInstitute of Food and Beverage Innovation, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Einsiedlerstrasse 35, 8820 Wädenswil, SwitzerlandPalm and palm kernel oils are extensively utilised in food processing due to their unique properties, such as their semi-solid consistency at room temperature. However, growing environmental and social concerns regarding palm oil production have prompted the industry to seek sustainable alternatives to tropical or hydrogenated fats. This project investigated the use of plant oils and their emulsified and crystallised forms as potential substitutes for palm fat in light and dark chocolate fillings, with an emphasis on single-origin ingredients to align with clean-label trends. The emulsions were assessed for viscosity, firmness, colour, and key flavour and aroma profiles. Results demonstrated that palm fat alternatives performed effectively in dark chocolate fillings, with non-emulsified recipes achieving firmness comparable to palm fat. In contrast, light chocolate fillings exhibited reduced firmness at higher inclusion rates of alternatives, and emulsified products were prone to flocculation. Notably, pure oil formulations delivered promising outcomes at lower inclusion rates, as the firmness could be raised by 22.0%, likely due to vegetable oil and cocoa butter interactions influencing crystal morphology. Substituting palm oil with sunflower oil, either crystallised or emulsified, did not compromise the overall flavour. Future investigations should determine the maximum feasible level of palm fat substitution and investigate the potential of adding higher amounts of waxes and emulsifiers to enhance crystal formation and firmness.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/7/1179Pickering emulsioncrystallisationviscositychocolate fillingchocolate flavour |
| spellingShingle | Tamara Schmid Elodie Gillich Amandine André Mathias Kinner Irene Chetschik Nadina Müller Physically Modified Plant Oils as Alternatives to Palm Fat: Effects on Physical and Flavour Properties of Chocolate Fillings Foods Pickering emulsion crystallisation viscosity chocolate filling chocolate flavour |
| title | Physically Modified Plant Oils as Alternatives to Palm Fat: Effects on Physical and Flavour Properties of Chocolate Fillings |
| title_full | Physically Modified Plant Oils as Alternatives to Palm Fat: Effects on Physical and Flavour Properties of Chocolate Fillings |
| title_fullStr | Physically Modified Plant Oils as Alternatives to Palm Fat: Effects on Physical and Flavour Properties of Chocolate Fillings |
| title_full_unstemmed | Physically Modified Plant Oils as Alternatives to Palm Fat: Effects on Physical and Flavour Properties of Chocolate Fillings |
| title_short | Physically Modified Plant Oils as Alternatives to Palm Fat: Effects on Physical and Flavour Properties of Chocolate Fillings |
| title_sort | physically modified plant oils as alternatives to palm fat effects on physical and flavour properties of chocolate fillings |
| topic | Pickering emulsion crystallisation viscosity chocolate filling chocolate flavour |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/7/1179 |
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