Bulk Cocoa Butter
At Source86, we supply food-grade cocoa butter, the fat pressed from the beans of Theobroma cacao L., in natural block, natural kibble, and deodorized kibble formats. Beans are drawn from West African growing regions, with pressing and refining placed at origin or at established overseas facilities depending on volume and certification scope.
Cocoa butter fills two primary commercial roles: it is the continuous fat phase that carries cocoa solids and sugar through a chocolate mass, and it is the crystallizing fat that sets snap, gloss, and release in finished product. Natural grades retain a light cocoa aroma for chocolate and confectionery work, while deodorized material is close to neutral for coatings, bakery components, and personal care lines where cocoa aroma would interfere. Certified organic, Kosher, Halal, and non-GMO records are available depending on grade, origin, and lot.
Product Data
| Identity | Cocoa butter, the fat pressed from fermented and roasted cacao beans, with no blended fats or additives. |
|---|---|
| Plant Part | Bean cotyledon, or nib, separated from the shell after roasting. |
| Available Forms | Natural block, natural kibbles, and deodorized kibbles. |
| Treatment Status | Natural grades are pressed and filtered only; deodorized material passes an additional steam refining step that strips volatile aroma compounds. |
| Form-Specific Dimensions | Blocks are cast as 25 kg slabs; kibbles run 3 to 10 mm |
| Free Fatty Acids | 1.75% maximum as oleic acid for natural grades, 0.50% maximum for deodorized |
| Peroxide Value | 1.0 meq O2/kg maximum |
| Moisture and Impurities | Moisture 0.10% maximum, insoluble impurities 0.05% maximum |
| Fatty Acid Profile | 1.75% maximum as oleic acid for deodorized grade; natural-grade limit not yet confirmed |
| Iodine Value | 33 to 42 g I2 per 100 g |
| Slip Melting Point | 30 to 34°C for deodorized grade; natural-grade range not yet confirmed |
| Refractive Index | 1.456 to 1.459 at 40 °C |
| Unsaponifiable Matter | 0.35% maximum |
| Density | Blocks approximately 0.97 g/cm3 solid at 20°C; kibble bulk density 0.55 to 0.65 g/mL |
| Solubility | Not water soluble, and fully miscible with other fats and oils above its melting point. |
| Dispersibility and Handling Behavior | Kibbles meter and charge directly into melt systems; blocks require breaking or chunking first. |
| Microbiological Limits | Total plate count 1,000 cfu/g maximum, yeast and mold 50 cfu/g maximum, E. coli and Salmonella negative; the deodorization heat step typically lowers counts further |
| Origin | West African bean origins, with pressing and refining at origin or at European and Southeast Asian facilities |
| Packaging | 25 kg lined cartons for blocks, 25 kg lined bags or cartons for kibbles |
| Shelf Life | 24 months from production in unopened packaging |
| Storage | Hold at 15 to 20 °C in dry, odor free conditions away from direct light and strong smelling materials. |
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Certifications & Compliance
The certifications and records below are available based on product grade, origin, format, and lot.
- Certified Organic: Offered on natural block and natural kibble grades from certified origins.
- Kosher: Certification covering the pressing and packing facility.
- Halal: Certification covering the pressing and packing facility.
- Non-GMO: Declaration or program certification depending on origin.
- Gluten-Free Statement: Confirms the material carries no gluten containing inputs.
- Allergen Statement: Covers cocoa declaration and cross-contact controls at the packing site.
- Certificate of Analysis: Lot specific results for the release specifications above.
- Product Specification Sheet: Full technical specification for supplier files and change control.
- Country of Origin Documentation: Supports customs entry and origin claims on finished product.
- Safety Data Sheet: Handling, storage, and transport information for site safety files.
- Fatty Acid Profile and Purity Testing: Verifies authenticity and screens for foreign fat or shell fat.
- Heavy Metals and Pesticide Residue Reports: Testing scope adapted to origin and buyer program.
- Microbiological Report: Confirms counts and pathogen status for the delivered lot.
- Organic Traceability and Transaction Certificates: Establish chain of custody from the certified origin to the delivered lot.
Production & Sourcing
West Africa accounts for roughly 70 percent of world cocoa bean volume, and Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon are prioritized for consistent bean quality, mature export infrastructure, and near year round availability. Ivory Coast harvests on two crops, a smaller mid crop from April to September and a larger main crop from October to March, which allows contract coverage to be spread across crops rather than tied to a single window. Pressing and refining is placed at origin or at established overseas facilities depending on order volume, certification scope, and required lead time. Certified organic material follows the same process path under segregated handling and separate lot identification.
- Harvesting: Ripe pods are cut from the tree and split to release beans surrounded by fresh pulp.
- Fermentation: Beans ferment for several days, which develops the precursors behind cocoa flavor and aroma.
- Drying: Fermented beans are sun dried to reduce moisture and stabilize them for storage and shipment. Certified lots are identified and physically separated from this stage onward.
- Roasting and Winnowing: Dried beans are roasted to develop flavor, then cracked and winnowed to remove shell from nib.
- Grinding and Pressing: Nibs are ground to liquor and hydraulically pressed, splitting the fat from the press cake that goes on to cocoa powder.
- Filtration and Optional Deodorization: The fat is filtered for natural grades. Where a neutral profile is required, it continues to steam deodorization, and this is the only point at which the three formats diverge in process rather than shape.
- Forming, Packing, and Documentation: Material is crystallized and cast into blocks or formed into kibbles, then packed under lot coding with origin and certification records attached.
Applications
- Chocolate Manufacturing: Standard fat input across dark, milk, white, and couverture chocolate production lines.
- Confectionery Production: Belongs in truffle, praline, ganache, and enrobed candy programs.
- Coating and Enrobing Lines: Used in chocolate and compound coating systems for fruit, nut, and snack pieces.
- Bakery and Pastry Manufacturing: Used in specialty bakery, filled pastry, and dessert component production.
- Frozen Dessert Manufacturing: Used in chocolate coated novelties and frozen dessert coating systems.
- Dairy Alternative Programs: Common fat base for plant based chocolate and non-dairy confectionery lines.
- Personal Care and Cosmetic Manufacturing: Used in balm, stick, and lotion lines that call for a hard plant fat.
Physical & Functional Characteristics
Blocks present as firm solid slabs, kibbles as uniform free flowing pellets.
Presents as a uniform block or free-flowing pellet with no mottling, streaking, or discoloration when stored correctly.
Functions primarily as a neutral fat carrier rather than a flavoring agent, so it does not compete with other flavor components in a formulation
Aroma fades further with storage time and heat exposure, so lot consistency is best assessed close to the production date.
Hard and brittle at ambient temperature, breaking rather than bending under pressure.
Polymorphic fat that melts over a narrow range instead of softening gradually.
Single ingredient fat with no emulsifier, antioxidant, or hardstock addition.
Effectively all fat, dominated by palmitic, stearic, and oleic acids, with no protein or carbohydrate contribution.
Plant based and suitable for vegan and vegetarian formulation; not a major allergen, though cocoa sensitivity applies.
Kibbles compact and clump if stored warm, and blocks require mechanical breaking before charging.
Picks up ambient odors readily, softens above 20 °C, and repeated warming drives surface fat migration.
Funcionality
- Continuous Fat Phase: Suspends cocoa solids, sugar, and milk powder so the mass flows, pumps, and molds.
- Crystallization and Tempering Behavior: Forms stable Form V crystals under controlled tempering, which is what sets snap and surface gloss.
- Sharp Melting Transition: Holds solid at ambient temperature then melts across a narrow range near body temperature, giving fast flavor release.
- Viscosity Control: Increasing the fat dose thins the mass, letting processors tune flow for molding, enrobing, or panning.
- Bloom and Set Stability: Correct crystal seeding and cooling limit fat bloom and hold gloss through shelf life.
- Fat Miscibility: Blends fully with other fats above melting point, though soft fat additions shift the set curve and can soften the finished product.
- Moisture Barrier Function: As an anhydrous fat, it slows moisture migration between filling and shell layers in composite product.
- Format Melt Behavior: Kibbles melt faster and more evenly at the same tank temperature, while blocks need longer melt cycles and more agitation.
Benefits for Commercial Manufacturing
- Grade Selection by Flavor Target: Choosing natural or deodorized material adjusts aroma contribution without reworking the rest of the recipe.
- Kibble Format for Metered Feeding: Pellets charge directly into melt tanks, removing the block breaking step and its labor and safety exposure.
- Block Format for Bulk Melt Systems: Slabs suit high volume continuous melt operations where bulk charging beats metered pellet feeding.
- Multi-Origin Supply Continuity: Coverage across two West African crops and several pressing sites reduces exposure to a single harvest window.
- Qualification-Ready Documentation: Release records arrive with the lot, which supports supplier approval and incoming inspection without a separate data request cycle.
- Authenticity Verification: Purity and fatty acid testing gives a defensible check against foreign fat substitution before release.
- Organic Chain of Custody: Segregated handling and transaction records let certified lots carry through to a certified finished product.
- Packaging Suited to Melt Room Handling: Lined 25 kg units protect against odor pickup and size the material for single charge handling.
- Single Ingredient Declaration: Declares as cocoa butter alone, which fits short ingredient list and clean label programs.
