Rheological properties of cocoa butter substitute (CBS): Effects of temperature and characteristics of fatty acids on viscocity

Rheology properties of three samples of cocoa butter substitutes (CBS) with different fatty acid compositions were determined using a concentric cylinder rheometer. The measurements were carried out over a shear rate range of 0-1,000 1/s, at five different levels of temperature ranging from 40 to 60C. The results of the experimental measurements revealed that CBS behaved as a Newtonian fluid over the temperature and shear rate range investigated. Furthermore, the results showed that the viscosity increases with increasing percentage of long-chain saturated fatty acids rather than the overall increase in percentage of saturated fatty acids. However, the variation of viscosities among the three samples was found insignificant at α= 0.01, allowing pooling of the data and developing a viscosity model as a function of temperature for the CBS.