SYNTHESIS OF COCOA BUTTER EQUIVALENT BY LIPASE-CATALYZED INTERESTERIFICATION IN SUPERCRITICAL CARBON-DIOXIDE

With supercritical carbon dioxide as a reaction medium, the syntheses of cocoa butter equivalent by interesterification with various lipases were investigated. The study showed that among those five lipases tes ted, lipase IM-20 from Mucor miehei was the most effective and specifi c in synthesizing this cocoa butter equivalent product by interesterif ication. The yields of cocoa butter equivalent are affected by pressur e, substrate oil composition, solubility and co-solvent. The best reac tion conditions were: reaction pressure at 1500 psi, triglyceride with high content of POP (P, palmitate; O, oleate) and POO, reaction mediu m with 5.0% water, and reaction temperature at 50 degrees C. The major component of cocoa butter, POS (S, stearate), can be increased by 6.0 % by adding a small amount of carbon dioxide. The yield and melting po int of the purified cocoa butter equivalent are 53.0% and 34.3 degrees C, respectively.