Controlling rheological properties of nanocellulose from cocoa shell to produce cocoa butter in water Pickering emulsions

Abstract There is growing interest in developing strategies to replace cocoa butter partially or fully in food and cosmetic products, because of its cost and its health effects. One of these alternatives is the development of cocoa butter in water stable emulsions, but incorporating cocoa butter into emulsions is challenging because it solidifies and form crystals that cause destabilization. In this research the rheological properties of nanocellulose form cocoa shell, a by-product from chocolate industry, were controlled by isolation treatment to produce a nanocellulose with higher DP and stronger tridimensional network. This nanocellulose was used in concentrations of 0,7 wt.% and 1.0 wt.%, to develop cocoa butter in water Pickering emulsion, using a high shear mixing technique, emulsions were stable for more than 15 days. Nanocellulose was characterized by ATR-FTIR, hot water and organic extractives, AFM, and DP and rheological analysis. Subsequently the emulsions were characterized at day 1 and 15 by photographs to assess physical stability, fluorescent and electronic microscopy and rheological analysis were used to understand the physical properties of emulsions.