Mangifera sylvatica (Wild Mango): A new cocoa butter alternative

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Agricultural Science
• Sustainable Resources

Background:

• Cocoa butter is crucial for the chocolate industry but faces declining global production.
• This decline causes price volatility and necessitates the search for high-quality cocoa butter alternatives (CBAs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of wild mango (Mangifera sylvatica) butter as a novel CBA.
• To analyze its chemical, physical, and thermal properties in comparison to cocoa butter.

Main Methods:

• Fatty acid and triglyceride profiling of wild mango butter.
• Analysis of thermal and physical properties.
• Comparison with established cocoa butter standards.

Main Results:

• Wild mango butter exhibits a light-colored fat with comparable fatty acid profiles (palmitic, stearic, oleic acids) to cocoa butter.
• Triglyceride composition, including POP, SOS, and POS, is similar to cocoa butter.
• High SOS content (65%) suggests potential as a cocoa butter improver.

Conclusions:

• Wild mango butter possesses attractive properties making it a viable cocoa butter alternative and improver.
• Promoting cultivation of Mangifera sylvatica presents a significant market opportunity for the food industry.
• Collaboration between policymakers, foresters, food industries, and horticulturists is recommended to develop this resource.