That luscious, creamy texture that makes chocolate such a universally appreciated delicacy is lent to it by a hero ingredient: cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is a key ingredient in the manufacture of chocolate - its most well-known application. But this is just one of several purposes that cocoa butter production serves.
Cocoa butter production serves the cosmetic and food industries. When processed via steam and vacuum extraction, cocoa butter manufacturing processes can also make this versatile fat odourless and tasteless, allowing for applications in the pharmaceutical industry.
For its emollient properties, cocoa butter is used to make skin moisturisers like lotions. It is used in the manufacturing of lip balms, lipsticks, hair masks and conditioners, shaving creams, and creams to soothe minor burns, rashes, and symptoms of dermatitis and eczema. Cocoa butter's antioxidant properties make it a common choice for scar treatment, anti-ageing, anti-inflammation, and hair loss management. In the food industry, cocoa butter can be used as a dairy butter substitute, well suited to vegan or dairy-free preparations.
Evidently, cocoa butter is extremely versatile. From bean to bar or balm or burn cream, the cocoa butter production and processing journey is a long one. Cocoa cultivation methods, bean quality, storage, and other factors cumulatively influence the characteristics of the final product. To a large extent, the quality and quantity of cocoa butter produced also depend on the cocoa butter processing machine and methods used.
In this article, we're sneaking a glimpse into this journey - from cocoa bean preparation to hydraulic pressing to the refining of crude cocoa butter, let's understand it all.
Cocoa butter: The basics
Let's start at the very beginning.
Cocoa butter is the fat obtained from cocoa beans. In addition to cocoa solids, cocoa beans usually contain about 50% cocoa butter. Their complex chemical composition also boasts more than 300 aromatic chemicals.
To be considered of good quality, cocoa butter should contain at least 60% saturated fat. Of course, other natural fats are also integral elements of good cocoa butter. Pale yellow in colour, with a pleasant chocolatey aroma and a smooth texture, organic cocoa butter has a distinctive flavour which is difficult to substitute. For cosmetic and pharmaceutical purposes, coconut oil, palm oil, and rapeseed oil are sometimes used as cocoa fat substitutes. But for food applications, these substitutes don't make the cut - after all, they don't lend food products with that distinctive chocolate aroma or taste.
How is cocoa butter made?
Till the mid-20th century, the cocoa industry was largely vertically integrated. A single company would roast cocoa beans, produce semi-manufactured cocoa products, and also manufacture and market consumer products like chocolate. Over time, the industry has evolved to make way for specialisation. Today, there are two broad segments in the industry, with one focused on producing intermediate cocoa products and the other on manufacturing chocolate.
Regardless of how they are divided within the industry, the cocoa butter production stages remain largely the same.
Step 1. Preparing the cocoa beans.
The journey of cocoa butter manufacturing begins with cocoa bean cultivation. (West Africa is one of the primary producers of cocoa beans, with Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire producing more than any other country in the world.) After harvest, raw cocoa beans are fermented and dried, usually near the site of cultivation itself. They are then roasted, a process which enhances their flavour and aroma.
Most preparations of cocoa butter, and consequently of chocolate, use a blend of different beans. Once the seeds are cleaned to remove rotten seeds, sticks, or any other unwanted materials, the desired blend is mixed. This cleaned blend of cocoa beans is winnowed: this involves stripping them of their husks and fragmenting them. The inner kernels - referred to as nibs - are heat-treated. The purpose of this is to get rid of any potentially harmful bacteria. The nibs are also alkalized to achieve the desired colour and taste in the cocoa mass which is produced as a result of roasting and grinding. This cocoa mass - which comprises cocoa butter and cocoa solids - is an intermediate product supplied to the food industry, i.e. chocolate, cocoa powder, and cocoa butter manufacturers.
Step 2. The journey from cocoa mass to cocoa butter.
The next step in cocoa butter production involves extracting this ingredient of interest from the cocoa mass.
The fat, cocoa butter, is pressed out of the cocoa mass under high pressures of up to 550 kg/sq.cm. This is essentially mechanical extraction, which can usually be carried out via a screw press or a hydraulic press. However, due to its special flavour and delicate composition, cocoa mass is typically extracted using a hydraulic press.
As we've mentioned, your choice of cocoa butter processing machine greatly influences the quality of the product. Hydraulic presses use liquid as a pressure transmission medium. Consequently, it does not generate any energy in the form of heat. The lack of heat protects the diverse nutritional profile of cocoa butter and maintains the flavour and quality of the product.
After pressing, the cocoa solids are left behind. These emerge in the form of cocoa cakes, which are broken down into fine cocoa powder. But before breaking up the cakes and directing them towards food industries that will convert them into desserts, chocolates, or ice creams, the cakes may undergo an additional level of processing. If a significant quantity of cocoa butter still remains in the cake, the cake is subjected to solvent extraction to extract as much cocoa butter as possible.
Step 3. Refining crude cocoa butter.
We now have crude cocoa butter! However, even after extraction, cocoa butter has some impurities that must be eliminated to achieve pure cocoa butter that is safe to ingest or apply on our skin.
The degumming process eliminates gums; neutralisation results in the production of soap stock; after bleaching, spent earth is separated; finally, fatty acid distillate is produced as a by-product of the deodourisation and deacidification processes.
Voila! Refined cocoa butter, ready to be used in chocolates, balms, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics, is ready!
Selecting the best cocoa butter processing machines
Right from step one, you need a range of equipment to effectively process cocoa beans and successfully execute the cocoa butter production process.
The best machines are easily cleanable, cost-efficient, require minimal downtime, and guarantee safety and quality. While the ideal specifications for each cocoa butter processing machine will depend on your particular requirements, it is typically better to rely on hydraulic presses for extraction. It is also recommended to use a continuous process as it is more efficient and cost-effective than batch processes.
We understand that selecting an entire range of cocoa butter processing machines is a complex endeavour. But we've helped more than 500 customers through 700 projects that involve multiple stages and diverse equipment. We can help you, too.
Our team of experts helps you make the best selection from among our superior engineering solutions. All you have to do is reach out. We're always happy to help.
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