Abstract
A method for the detection of hydrocarbon sterol degradation products (sterenes) has been adapted for the analysis of noncocoa butter vegetable fats in chocolate. The method involves solvent extraction of the fat separation of the sterene fraction, and analysis of individual sterenes with mass spectrometric detection. The sterene composition of refined noncocoa vegetable fats was determined in samples of cocoa butter, and retail chocolates. The presence of known sterenes was confirmed for all of the refined vegetable fats and for a single sample of cocoa butter, the processing history of which was not known. Detection of vegetable fat added to chocolate at the 5% level was demonstrated. Sterenes were detected only in chocolates labeled as containing vegetable fats. This technique has potential use as a screening method for the detection, but not quantification, of refined vegetable fat in chocolate.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1273-1280 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | JAOCS, Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society |
| Volume | 74 |
| Issue number | 10 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1997 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was funded by the United Kingdom Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The authors thank Professor E. Anklam of the Joint Research Centre, Ispra, for providing samples of cocoa butter and vegetable fats.
Keywords
- Chocolate
- Cocoa butter
- Gas chromatography
- Mass spectroscopy
- Sterenes
- Sterols
- Vegetable fats
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Chemical Engineering
- Organic Chemistry