Volume 18 2026 EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF COCOA BUTTER ALTERNATIVES ON THE MELTING BEHAVIOR AND SOLID FAT CONTENT OF COCOA BUTTER MIXTURE: PRELIMINARY STUDY Authors Affendi, H.1*, Fisal, A. 1 & Suzannah, S. 1 ABSTRACT The European legislation (2000/36/CE) permits the inclusion of vegetable fats, other than cocoa butter (CB), in chocolate, with a maximum limit of 5% in the final product. The vegetable fats utilized in chocolate couverture are referred to as cocoa butter alternatives (CBA) and are specifically known as cocoa butter equivalents (CBE) and cocoa butter substitutes (CBS). This study evaluates the melting profile and solid fat content of CB partially replaced with different levels (1–5%) of CBS from palm kernel oil and CBE from mango kernel fat to assess their suitability for use in chocolate couverture. Analytical results demonstrated that incorporating 1% to 5% of CBS and CBE into CB significantly affected the onset temperature (Tonset), peak temperature (Tpeak), end temperature (Tend), and enthalpy change (ΔH) during melting. The solid fat content (SFC) analysis showed that the inclusion of CBA impacts the melting behavior, flavor release, heat resistance, and overall product consistency. At final temperatures (35-40 ℃) of the CB+CBS and CB+CBE samples, the SFC exhibited moderate levels, indicating limited influence on the chocolate’s structure but changes in melting characteristics. Results suggest mixtures of CB with CBS enhances heat resistance while CB with CBE mixture improves melt-in-mouth characteristics. These findings provide insights into the physicochemical compatibility of cocoa butter alternatives for enhancing the functional and sensory attributes to support better formulation strategies for chocolate couverture. These findings can serve as a basis for selecting suitable CBA percentage in combination with CB to develop chocolate couverture with a taste comparable to conventional cocoa butter-based chocolate. VIEW PDF DOWNLOAD