Next generation cocoa butter equivalent unveiled by AAK ingredients

Global ingredients firm AAK has unveiled a significant product evolution with its Illexao EN10, a new cocoa butter equivalent for enrobed applications designed to deliver an alternative to conventional recipes, writes Neill Barston.

As Confectionery Production has previously covered, the high level of market volatility experienced within the past 18 months for cocoa markets, has led to a number of major manufacturers seeking alternative solutions for product formulations around the world.

In particular, chocolate manufacturers in particular to look for such cocoa butter equivalent offerings, with the likes of Hershey, Nestle and Mondelez all moving to change at least some of their respective portfolio ingredients to more affordable options.  

As AAK noted, standard options for such cocoa alternatives can reportedly thicken chocolate mass, as well as potentially destabilise flow, that the business asserted can to buildup in enrobing equipment, impacting processing efficiency and product consistency.

In response, the company has devised its Illexao EN 10, aiming to deliver consistent enrobing performance at elevated levels. As the business stated, it behaves closely to cocoa butter, forged to create a high-quality appearance and texture for chocolate bars, cookies and wafers.

Furthermore, the company claimed its smooth operation also resulted in lower waste and rework levels, as well as saving on energy consumption for manufacturers, which remains a critical consideration amid rising costs in operating. 

In terms of its composition, the product has also been reportedly devised with a clean, fast melt without waxiness that is akin to comparable chocolate flavours, as well as having a stable appearance, which are all other key factors in chocolate manufacturing.

Morten Daugaard Andersen, Principal Research Scientist Chocolate Confectionery Fats at AAK, commented: “Manufacturers are facing unprecedented raw material price pressures, but consumer expectations remain unchanged. This means reformulation poses a risk and getting it wrong could prove costly.

“Our Illexao EN 10 solves the production challenges associated with the use of cocoa butter equivalent at high levels, ensuring a straightforward enrobing process and a superb end-product that consumers will love.”

Major AAK palm oil meeting
In other related company developments, AAK recently met in Veracruz, Mexico, with the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, Solidaridad organisation, and  the National Association of Edible Oils and Shortening Producers for a key sector gathering.

The event explored progress defining the next steps toward a more resilient, inclusive, and deforestation-free palm oil sector in the country, as the region seeks to raise its game in terms of key environmental performance indicators.

As the company noted, the workshop marked the official launch of on-the-ground activities aimed at helping smallholders within the Aceites de Palma supply chain move toward RSPO Certification, while also reflecting the ongoing efforts of RSPO’s Smallholder Unit to strengthen and support independent smallholder inclusion globally through collaborative partnerships.

Moreover, as the business added, actions to date have included a number of defined field actions, and the recent Veracruz event saw participants visiting a demonstration plot, reviewing soil analysis results, and discussed nutrition plans for producers. They also installed the “first post” of the Escuela de Campo para Agricultores ECA (Farmer Field School), reinforcing commitments to farmer training and sustainable agriculture.