Who would have thought that such a valuable product could be made from roasted cocoa beans? The precious cocoa butter is produced by mechanical pressing and filtering
THE PRODUCTION OF COCOA BUTTER IS A FASCINATING PROCESS
The starting product, the cocoa beans, are roasted and possibly peeled beforehand, after which they are ground into cocoa mass using heated rollers. The resulting mass is initially viscous when warm, but solidifies as it cools and serves as the starting material for producing cocoa butter, for example. To produce the butter, this mass is now placed in a screw press, where the fat it contains is separated from the other ingredients. This produces cocoa press cake, which can be further processed into cocoa powder, as well as the desired cocoa butter. This is then filtered or refined, depending on the intended use.
THE MECHANICAL PRESSING OF THE COCOA BEANS
The whole or broken cocoa beans are gently preheated to the pressing temperature and added to a mechanical press, producing high-quality cold-pressed cocoa butter and cocoa press cake
The following diagram shows the entire process from the raw bean to the finished cocoa butter and cocoa powder:
You can download the process overviews here:
Core process – cocoa processing
The valuable properties of cocoa butter
Cocoa butter has a pale yellow to light yellow color. The smell is faint but pleasantly cocoa-like. The taste is pleasantly mild with a strong cocoa flavor.
Cocoa butter is largely made up of triglycerides of various fatty acids. These include around 22-30% palmitic acid, around 32-37% stearic acid, around 30-37% oleic acid and up to around 4% linoleic acid. It also contains small amounts of sterols and methyl sterols (β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol) and traces of cholesterol.
Shelf life
Due to its high content of unsaturated fatty acids, cocoa butter only has a limited shelf life. Under certain storage conditions (e.g. cool and protected from light), however, the shelf life is up to 2 years.
Use of cocoa butter in various areas
A REAL MIRACLE CURE IN PHARMACY AND MEDICINE
The versatile cocoa butter is not only used to make pastilles, but is also used in the production of plasters and suppositories. Despite some disadvantages, this natural product is proving to be indispensable in the medical world. The use of cocoa butter in pharmacy and medicine has a long tradition and offers numerous advantages. It not only serves as a base for various pharmaceutical forms, but can also increase the effectiveness of medicines.
COCOA BUTTER IS A TRUE ALL-ROUNDER IN THE COSMETICS INDUSTRY
In cosmetics, cocoa butter can be found in lip balms and body care products, for example, as it melts at body temperature and leaves the skin feeling soft. According to the “Lexicon of vegetable fats and oils”, it is therefore particularly suitable for dry and cracked skin. It is also often found in anti-wrinkle creams, as it reduces wrinkles, especially around the eyes and mouth. Another of its benefits is that rubbed into the skin it can prevent or reduce stretch marks.
COCOA BUTTER IN PERFUMERY
Cocoa butter in perfumery is a fascinating ingredient that is often underestimated. It not only serves as a fatty layer in the enfleurage process, but also plays an important role in the absorption and extraction of fragrances from flowers. These are then used in the production of perfume.
COCOA BUTTER IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY
Cocoa butter is a versatile ingredient in the food industry that is used in a variety of products. From nougat to white chocolate and couverture – the possible uses are wide-ranging and ensure the unmistakable taste of our favorite sweets. Cocoa is not only delicious, but also healthy! It contains antioxidants that are good for our cardiovascular system and protect us from free radicals.
COCOA BUTTER AS A REPELLENT
Tests have shown that cocoa butter is highly effective as a repellent against insect bites. Cocoa butter as natural protection against annoying insect bites? It sounds almost too good to be true! But studies prove the effectiveness of this natural repellent. The use of cocoa as an insect repellent is not only effective, but also environmentally friendly and kind to the skin.
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In addition to their own knowledge acquired through press trials, the following sources were used to create the article:
- Öle, natürlich kaltgepresst, Basiswissen & Rezepte, Marcus Hartmann, Hädecke, 2008
- Heilende Öle, Pflanzenöle als Nahrungs- und Heilmittel, Neue Erkenntnisse, Günter Albert Ulmer Verlag Tuningen
- Lexikon der pflanzlichen Fette und Öle, Krist, Buchbauer, Klausberger, SpringerWienNewYork, 2008
- www.wikipedia.de
- en.wikipedia.org
