Abstract
<div>Cocoa powder is made from fermented cocoa beans which are separated from fat, grounded and sifted to produce a powder. The fermentation stage is an important stage in processing cocoa beans for chocolate flavor formation. The traditional fermentation done by farmer triggers fungal growth that can produce a toxin called mycotoxin. The use of lactic acid bacteria in cocoa beans fermentation has been known to inhibit the growth of mycotoxin-producing fungi. The addition of Lactobacillus plantarum HL 15 as a culture starter has known as an antifungal.&nbsp; The objective of this research is to study the effect of Lactobacillus plantarum HL 15 as culture starter and fermentation box variation on microbiology, chemical and sensory characteristics of cocoa powder. Cocoa beans fermentation was conducted by starter culture addition and without starter culture addition and then using a new fermentation box and old fermentation box. The analysis of cocoa powder was carried out include water content, pH, fungi contamination, and sensory evaluation on color, flavor and taste of the cocoa powder. The result showed that water content (3.85 % to 4.55%), pH (4.85 to 4.95), and sensory evaluation is not significant differences for all treatment. The addition of Lactobacillus plantarum HL 15 as a culture starter in old and new fermentation boxes has a smaller lever of fungi contamination compare to the treatment without Lactobacillus plantarum HL 15 as culture starter.</div>
Highlights
Cocoa is one of the three largest commodities produced in Indonesia besides tea and coffee
The results showed that the overall preferred value of cocoa powder from fermented cocoa beans without starter in the old fermentation box was 4.88; cocoa powder from fermented cocoa beans with a starter in a new fermentation box is 4.8; cocoa powder from fermented cocoa beans without starter in the new fermentation box is 4.55 and chocolate powder from fermented cocoa beans with starter in the old fermentation box is 4.38
This shows that fermentation with Lactobacillus plantarum HL15 and good drying already suppresses the growth of fungi
Summary
Cocoa is one of the three largest commodities produced in Indonesia besides tea and coffee. The total area of cocoa plantations in Indonesia in 2016 reached 1,701,351 m2 with a production of 656,817 tons from community plantations, state plantations, and private plantations. The Special Region of Yogyakarta has a total area of 5,156 ha of cocoa plantations with production reaching 1,212 tons in 2015. Cocoa productivity in the Special Region of Yogyakarta reaches 235 kg/ha and entirely belongs to community plantations [1]. This high productivity has not been matched by good postharvest handling and often has an impact on the quality diversity of the dried cocoa beans produced. The diversity of the quality of Indonesian cocoa beans is caused by several factors such as the lack of processing facilities, weak quality control at all stages of the processing of people's cocoa beans
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