Chocolate analysis project. - Possibilities and limitations of fatty acid analysis for the detection of foreign fats in cocoa butter.

In a small-scale feasibility study, we investigated the potential of fatty acids analysis as a means to detect addition of cocoa butter equivalents (CBE) to cocoa butter (CB). In total 42 CB samples of various origin, and 17 CBE purchased from different suppliers were analysed by gas-liquid chromatography using a 50 m x 0.25 mm CP Sil-88 capillary column (Chrompack, The Netherlands). Statistical analyses were done with the help of the Statgraphics Ver. 2.0 computer package (Manugistics Inc., USA).