Glyceride structure of vegetable oils by countercurrent distribution. V. Comparison of natural, interesterified, and synthetic cocoa butter

The glyceride structure of cocoa butter is of considerable practical importance and of particular theoretical interest Countereurrent distribution, gas chromatography, and isotopic dilution methods are employed in its study. The observed fractionation of glycerides is acounted for by assuming that palmitie and stearic acids are randomly esterified on the 1 and 3 positions of glycerol and that oleic is on the 2 position, as demonstrated by other workers. Complete randomization of the specifie structure of cocoa butter through the application of interesterification eatalysts greatly alters its physical A glyceride synthesized according to the “1,3 random palmitostearo‐2‐olein” concept has properties similar to natural cocoa butter.