Process for deodorizing and/or physical refining of cocoa butter and cocoa butter substitutes

A process for removing lower boiling components from at least one member selected from the group of cocoa butter, cocoa butter substitutes, or mixtures thereof;

• employing continuous countercurrent falling film stripping steam distillation in an externally imposed temperature field, which comprises heating said at least one member, causing said member, when heated in a liquid state, to flow down as a thin film having a film thickness of less than 1.0 mm along the walls of substantially vertically disposed surfaces forming trickle passages, maintaining at least a part of said passages at a higher temperature than that of the downflowing liquid, and passing steam countercurrently to said liquid through said trickle passages;
• which comprises providing at least two serially operating countercurrent falling film stripping steam distillation zones being in vapor and liquid communication with each other and providing an unrestricted vapor flow connection;
• and wherein the hydraulic equivalent diameters of the trickle passages in a final distillation zone downstream in the direction of the downflowing liquid are smaller than the hydraulic equivalent diameters fo the trickle passages of the initial zone(s) located upstream of said final distillation zone;
• charging said at least one member to the top of the initial zone at a temperature ranging from 150.degree. C. to 200.degree. C.;
• maintaining the temperature of desired product in the bottom of the final distillation zone at a maximum of 10.degree. K. in excess of the inlet temperature to the initial zone;
• and maintaining the inlet temperatures of the heating medium which is passed in countercurrent flow to the downflowing liquid film below 250.degree. C. and a maximum of 10.degree. K. above the temperature of said desired product;
• maintaining the working pressure in the top of the initial zone below 2.0 mbar and maintaining the working pressure in the bottom of the final distillation zone no more than 1.6 mbar in ecess of that in the initial zone;
• providing liquid accumulators in the serially operating zones;
• and avoiding in the liquid accumulators of the serially operating zones, the formation of any significant liquid level;
• and supplying the stripping steam exclusively to the bottom of said final distillation zone in an amount of 2 kg to 10 kg of steam per 100 kg of charged liquid.