**4.3. Cocoa butter**

Since the 1930s, there has been an increased interest in using fats other than cocoa butter in confectionery production due to the uncertainty of supply and costs of cocoa butter, which are dependent on the fluctuating cocoa bean market.

When a different fat composition is added to cocoa butter, the resulting crystalline form of the fat is typically altered, producing changes in the melting profile of the fat, called incompati‐ bility.

To replace cocoa butter completely or partially, industry and researchers have attempted to develop substitutes by producing fats with features that meet consumer demands. These are classified as follows [24, 25]:


The stearic acid has a unique position within the saturated fatty acids of long chain. It is shown that, unlike other saturated fatty acids, it has a neutral cholesterolemic effect.

Cocoa butter contains lots of saturated fatty acids in the TAG positions, which are less easily absorbed and thus do not reduce the risk of atherosclerosis.

Some details, when cocoa butter is substituted, are its technological and nutritional character‐ istics. For example, the use of special oils in creamy fillings must be compatible with the fat coating and migration of the filling towards the coating may occur, or vice versa. This process can affect the integrity and appearance of the product.
