Candy IndustryCandy IngredientsChocolate Products

AAK debuts cocoa butter equivalent

According to the company, the ingredient has a consistent coating performance.

AAK, a supplier of specialty vegetable fats and oils, has launched Illexao En 10, a new cocoa butter equivalent for enrobed applications that aim to enhance performance and formulation flexibility.

Manufacturers globally are reportedly increasing their use of cocoa butter equivalent—a vegetable fat alternative to cocoa butter—as they navigate cocoa price volatility, supply uncertainty, and rising production costs. However, standard options can thicken chocolate mass, destabilize flow, and lead to buildup in enrobing equipment, impacting processing efficiency and product consistency, AAK notes.

According to the company, AAK’s Illexao En 10 has been developed specifically to address these challenges and deliver guaranteed enrobing performance even at high cocoa butter equivalent levels. It behaves much closer to cocoa butter, even as cocoa butter equivalent content increases, striving to enable manufacturers to maintain a stable, smooth flow, consistent coating performance, and a high-quality appearance and texture. It is suitable for use in any enrobing application, including chocolate bars, cookies, cakes, sandwich cookies, and wafers.

Because of its fat composition, Illexao En 10 aims to deliver reduced buildup, cleaner curtains, uniform coating weight, fewer line adjustments and cleaning stops, and greater stability in long production runs. This means manufacturers can run faster, cleaner, and more consistently, even with higher levels of cocoa butter equivalent, AAK says. Smoother processing also means lower energy consumption, as well as reduced waste, rework, cleaning cycles, and processing hours.

Illexao En 10 reportedly offers a clean, fast melt without waxiness, a crisp snap with a smooth texture, authentic chocolate flavor release, and a glossy, stable appearance. According to AAK, these properties remain consistent even at elevated cocoa butter equivalent ratios, enabling manufacturers and brands to maintain indulgence while adapting to market realities. Illexao En 10 also maintains resistance to fat bloom and supports stable crystallization, the company adds.

Morten Daugaard Andersen, principal research scientist chocolate confectionery fats at AAK, comments: “Manufacturers are facing unprecedented raw material price pressures, but consumer expectations remain unchanged. This means reformulation poses a risk and getting it wrong could prove costly. AAK’s Illexao En 10 solves the production challenges associated with the use of cocoa butter equivalent at high levels, ensuring a straightforward enrobing process and a superb end-product that consumers will love.”