Cocoa butter characteristics of Malaysian clonal cocoa [Theobroma cacao]

Five new cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) clones, KKM 1, KKM 2, KKM 5, KKM 6 and KKM 7, which were recommended by MARDI, have been examined for their cocoa butter quality. Analyses of the chemical and physical properties, composition and cooling/melting behaviour of the fat showed that Malaysian cocoa butter from new clonal materials was similar to that from commercially planted materials, despite inherent differences in composition amongst clones and between samples. It is therefore harder and has a higher melting point than Ghanaian cocoa butter.