Processing of Cocoa and Development of Chocolate Beverages

Abstract

Traditionally, cocoa was first consumed in the form of beverages by the Aztecs and the Mayans and this is gaining increased attention in recent years. Cocoa beverages are valued for their attractive flavors and health-promoting properties of the bioactive phytochemicals in cocoa beans. However, raw cocoa beans have no economic and industrial value and need to be processed to make the beans more stable, economically and technologically viable. Again, despite the health benefits of the bioactive compounds in cocoa, the high concentrations of phenolics and methylxanthines in the raw cocoa beans negatively influence taste, confer astringency and bitterness, and affect the stability and digestibility of products with high levels of these compounds. Processing cocoa beans is necessary to develop the characteristic color, taste, and flavor, and reduce the astringency and bitterness, which are desirable in cocoa products. During cocoa bean processing, various chemical reactions occur, enhancing cocoa’s flavor, color, and shelf stability. Processing also affects the composition and quantities of the bioactive compounds resulting in the modification of the health-promoting properties of cocoa beans and cocoa beverages. With increasing consumption rates of cocoa beverages and other cocoa products worldwide, and the ongoing restructuring of the global cocoa value chain, where the focus is on sustainability and high-quality cocoa beans, an in-depth understanding of the changes during cocoa bean processing and their impact on quality would have significant commercial and technological implications.