AAK’s new cocoa butter equivalent overcomes enrobing challenges

AAK, a global leader in specialty vegetable fats and oils, has launched ILLEXAO™ EN 10, a new cocoa butter equivalent for enrobed applications that enhances performance and formulation flexibility.

Manufacturers globally are 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’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, enabling 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.

(Photo courtesy of AAK; image credit: farastockvideo I Shutterstock)

 Because of its fat composition, ILLEXAO™ EN 10 delivers 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. Smoother processing also means lower energy consumption, as well as reduced waste, rework, cleaning cycles, and processing hours.

ILLEXAO™ EN 10 ensures premium sensory performance, offering a clean, fast melt without waxiness, a crisp snap with a smooth texture, authentic chocolate flavor release, and a glossy, stable appearance. 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.

Morten Daugaard Andersen, Principal Research Scientist Chocolate Confectionery Fats at AAK, commented: “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.”