Volume 18 2026 PARTIAL REPLACEMENT EFFECTS OF COCOA BUTTER ALTERNATIVES AND GRANULATED SUGAR ON THE MELTING PROPERTIES AND SOLID FAT CONTENT OF MILK CHOCOLATE COUVERTURE: PRELIMINARY STUDY Authors Affendi, H.1*, Bilal, M.1 & Aida, N.2 ABSTRACT The increasing cost and limited availability of cocoa butter have prompted the chocolate industry to explore cost-effective alternatives without compromising product quality. This preliminary study evaluated the influence of cocoa butter alternatives (CBA) and granulated sugar on the melting properties and solid fat content (SFC) of milk chocolate couverture. Five formulations were prepared comprising a control containing 100% cocoa butter with icing sugar, and four treatments containing granulated sugar with 5% cocoa butter equivalent (CBEm), cocoa butter replacer (CBRm) and different supplier of cocoa butter substitute of (CBSm), and (CBSs). Melting characteristics were determined using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), while SFC profiles were analysed using time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance (TD-NMR). The results showed that CBEm exhibited thermal properties most similar to the control, with onset temperature T(onset) values of 29.51°C and 29.82°C, respectively, and end of melting T(end) values of 38.75°C and 38.66°C. Furthermore, CBEm recorded the highest melting enthalpy (ΔH = 14.52 J/g) compared to the control (8.71 J/g), indicating improved crystal stability. In contrast, CBSm showed the highest T(onset) (33.19°C) and T(end) (40.66°C), suggesting delayed melting and a potential waxy mouthfeel. At 20°C, the control and CBEm maintained high SFC values of 71.27% and 70.66%, respectively, whereas CBRm and CBS formulations exhibited significantly lower values (64.87–66.30%). These findings indicate that partial replacement of cocoa butter with 5% CBEm combined with granulated sugar can produce a cost-effective milk chocolate couverture while maintaining thermal behaviour and fat crystallization characteristics comparable to conventional formulations that used 100% cocoa butter. VIEW PDF DOWNLOAD