Cocoa Bean Shell-A By-Product with Nutritional Properties and Biofunctional Potential.

Olga Rojo-Poveda,Letricia Barbosa-Pereira,Giuseppe Zeppa,Caroline Stévigny

doi:10.3390/nu12041123

Olga Rojo-Poveda, Letricia Barbosa-Pereira + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12041123

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Abstract

Cocoa bean shells (CBS) are one of the main by-products from the transformation of cocoa beans, representing 10%‒17% of the total cocoa bean weight. Hence, their disposal could lead to environmental and economic issues. As CBS could be a source of nutrients and interesting compounds, such as fiber (around 50% w/w), cocoa volatile compounds, proteins, minerals, vitamins, and a large spectrum of polyphenols, CBS may be a valuable ingredient/additive for innovative and functional foods. In fact, the valorization of food by-products within the frame of a circular economy is becoming crucial due to economic and environmental reasons. The aim of this review is to look over the chemical and nutritional composition of CBS and to revise the several uses that have been proposed in order to valorize this by-product for food, livestock feed, or industrial usages, but also for different medical applications. A special focus will be directed to studies that have reported the biofunctional potential of CBS for human health, such as antibacterial, antiviral, anticarcinogenic, antidiabetic, or neuroprotective activities, benefits for the cardiovascular system, or an anti-inflammatory capacity.

Highlights

One part of the fruit from the plant Theobroma cacao L. is the well-known cocoa bean, which is the main raw material for chocolate manufacturing
Contrary to what happens with the other cocoa by-products, Cocoa bean shells (CBS) are exported together with the bean, and they are normally discarded at the processing place with all the added costs that this entails, namely, extra weight during transport, disposal cost, and the environmental impact
Not being used for chocolate production, CBS possess several properties similar to that of cocoa powder, which includes similar volatile and polyphenolic profiles. They hold similar organoleptic properties to those of chocolate and several benefits are provided by the polyphenolic compounds found in CBS, mainly catechin, epicatechin, and procyanidins

Summary

Introduction

One part of the fruit from the plant Theobroma cacao L. is the well-known cocoa bean, which is the main raw material for chocolate manufacturing. Cocoa bean exportation constitutes about 71% of the total produced volume [1], and, Europe is not a producing continent, its processing of cocoa beans reaches 1.7 million tons, leading the statistics over other continents [2] (Figure 1B). Cocoa beans are first separated from their pods, they are subjected to fermentation, followed by a drying phase. At this point, cocoa beans are transferred to the chocolate production industries, where they are roasted and winnowed in order to separate them from their shells, since no more than a 5% of shell is allowed on cocoa products according to the Codex Alimentarius [3,4,5].

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