Cocoa by-products (Theobroma cacao) in animal feed: A viable and sustainable alternative?

Abstract

It is estimated that seven hundred billion tons of cocoa beans are processed worldwide per year, in contrast to its production process, only the seeds are used, which represents 20-23% of the fruit, the other proportion of the fruit such as the cob or husk, placenta, husk and mucilage juice are the main byproducts and are lost as waste. Due to its availability and high nutritional value, it is being used in new areas of application. Therefore, this review focuses on updating knowledge about the use of cocoa by-products in animal production, new approaches to its viability and sustainability. In this context, the byproducts are used in feeding monogastric and polygastric animals, reporting favorable results and greater profitability, representing a viable and valuable alternative for animal feed. It has been proven that these byproducts are composed of various bioactive compounds of pharmaceutical, industrial and food interest, which are already giving them new uses and applications. It is anticipated that cocoa by-products will be widely adopted for other purposes. Consequently, it is expected that soon its availability for animal feed will decrease and its prices will increase.