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Swedish vegetable oils and fats specialist AAK has launched ILLEXAO™ EN 10, an innovative cocoa butter equivalent (CBE) designed specifically for chocolate enrobing applications. This newly developed solution aims to help confectionery manufacturers overcome flow issues, fat accumulation, and coating difficulties often associated with high-level cocoa butter replacement, particularly as the industry navigates historic spikes in cocoa prices and supply volatility.
The technical solution addresses long-standing manufacturing pain points. Traditional cocoa butter substitutes frequently lead to increased chocolate mass thickness and unstable flow properties, causing fat to build up within enrobing machines. These technical disruptions typically slow down production lines, increase product waste, and compromise the uniform quality of the outer coating. In contrast, ILLEXAO™ EN 10 maintains smooth chocolate flow and stable viscosity even at exceptionally high substitution rates, ensuring consistent coating weight and clean performance over extended production runs.
On the operational front, the new product’s specific lipid composition reduces machine build-up. This translates directly to fewer maintenance stops for cleaning and less frequent line adjustments. This added flexibility allows manufacturing plants to increase daily throughput, minimize giveaway, and lower energy and labor costs, while maintaining high performance across a wide range of bakery and confectionery items, including chocolate bars, biscuits, cakes, and wafers.
From a sensory perspective, the alternative maintains premium quality. It delivers a fast, clean melt-mouth profile without any waxy aftertaste, providing the desired snap, smooth texture, and stable gloss. Additionally, it offers robust resistance against fat bloom, which can otherwise dull the visual appeal of finished chocolates.
"Manufacturers are facing unprecedented pressure on raw material costs, while consumer expectations remain unchanged," said Morten Daugård Andersen, Principal Research Scientist for Confectionery Chocolate Fats at AAK. "This means reformulating products carries a high level of risk, where mistakes can be incredibly costly. Our new product solves the operational hurdles tied to high-level CBE usage, securing a seamless enrobing process and an outstanding final product that delights consumers."
Source: Food Business News
