Seeding effects on solidification behavior of cocoa butter and dark chocolate. I. Kinetics of solidification

Effects of seeding of fat crystals on the crystallization kinetics of cocoa butter and dark chocolate were examined with a rotational viscometer. The seed crystals employed were cocoa butter, 1,3-distearoyl-2-oleoylglycerol (SOS), 1,3-dibehenoyl-2-oleoylglycerol (BOB) and 1,2,3-tristearoylglycerol (SSS). The seed powders were prepared by pulverization below —50°C, the dimensions being in a range from 20–70 μm. Particular attention was paid to the influence of polymorphism of the seed crystal. We found that all of the above seed materials accelerated the crystallization, the degree of acceleration being in a following order; SOS (β ₁) > cocoa butter (Form V) > SOS (a mixture ofβ’ andβ ₂) > BOB (β ₂) > BOB (pseudo-β’) > SSS (β). Precise measurements of the crystallization kinetics showed that the most influential factors in the seeding effects are the physical properties of the seed materials—above all, thermodynamic stability, and similarity in the crystal structure to cocoa butter are the most determinative.