Advances in cocoa butter and alternative fats: composition and crystallization dynamics in chocolate production

Cocoa butter composes close to 30% of chocolate, as it promotes the formation of crystalline structures essential for releasing aromatic volatile compounds and developing desirable physical properties. These characteristics are determined by its fatty acid composition, including oleic, stearic, palmitic, and linoleic acids, combined with glycerol chains to produce triglycerides (POP, POS, and SOS), which are responsible for its functionality. This review demonstrated that the alignment of fatty acid molecules within triglycerides is responsible for crystal formation, where long-chain fatty acids increase the melting point and allow different crystalline forms to exist. During fermentation and drying, however, the cocoa butter extracted from the beans exhibits a crystalline habit of metastable forms due to its low packing density and the greater molecular mobility resulting from the complex composition of triglycerides. This indicates that cocoa butter must be pre-crystallized or tempered to achieve an orderly crystalline structure (V form). Therefore, for the development of chocolate with a stable and functional structure, processing control—particularly tempering—is a key strategy for obtaining products tailored to consumer preferences. Nevertheless, the review also highlights the use of cocoa butter alternatives as a means to stabilize crystallization and polymorphic transitions in chocolate.