Chocolate Products Research Articles

Strategi rantai nilai untuk keberlangsungan usaha industri rumah cokelat di Kota Palu

The purpose of this study was to determine the strategic value chain for the sustainability of the Chocolate House Industry business in the city of Palu, which is located on Jalan Setia Budi, East Palu, Central Sulawesi. The number of respondents was 4 people consisting of 1 leader, 1 head of production and 2 employees. Data analysis technique uses descriptive qualitative.The value chain strategy at Rumah Coklat can be seen from the supporting (secondary) activities which include Infrastructure, HR Management, Technology Development and Procurement activities. Primary (primary) involvement includes raw material handling, production process, service and marketing. The Value Chain Strategy activities as a whole support each other to create chocolate products. The results of the assessment of the value chain strategy in the continuity of the Chocolate House Industry business are 3, namely: (1) Competitive advantage, namely by utilizing the original taste of the original cocoa beans, Utilizing the original cocoa butter as a raw material for making chocolate to give a distinctive taste from chocolate so that it is preferred the community, continue to maintain and improve product quality so that it becomes a superior product for the Palu city government. (2) Differentiation Strategy, namely by paying attention to the quality of the ingredients used and always maintaining the taste produced, (3) Cost advantage strategy, namely producing authentic chocolate from Central Sulawesi which is processed into chocolate with levels of 56 percent, 80 percent and 90 percent. Thus producing premium chocolate, not compound chocolate. The value chaos strategy all synergizes to shape, support and support the chocolate manufacturing process in order to gain margins/profits. Optimal margin provides the sustainability of the chocolate house industry in maintaining existence and maintaining business (Going Concern).

Genetic variability of cocoa from the amazon basin: implications for genetic conservation

The cocoa and chocolate production chain involves US$60 billion annually and three million farmers around the world, in an area exceeding nine million hectares. The use of wild germplasm will enable to generate new disease- and pest-resistant cultivars and ability to adapt to changing environments. Here we evaluated 145 cocoa accessions, originated from nine Amazonian basins, based on eight fruit traits. Univariate anova showed significant differences (p<0.05) for all traits. For seven traits, the variance component within basins was higher (81.5%, on average). Therefore, it is recommended that the collection of wild accessions prioritize a larger number of plants from a few populations of the most divergent basins. The multivariate analyses revealed a greater divergence between the Ji-Paraná-RO and Solimões/Amazonas-PA basins (27.69) and a greater similarity between Alien clones-PER and Solimões/Amazonas-AM (0.66) in relation to their populations. They also revealed that the accessions differentiation occurred according to the river basin system. These results allowed elucidate the genetic structure and distribution of cacao populations. In addition, strengthen the importance of collecting and conserving germplasm to preserve genetic resources.

Factors influencing success of the cocoa (Theobroma cacao) product certification program in tropical areas

Cocoa is one of the leading national commodities after rubber, palm oil, coffee, and tea. Cocoa has a significant impact on the economy in Central Sulawesi, especially in terms of creating new jobs and sources of income for farmers. The decline in cocoa productivity and quality will affect farmers' income in rural areas. In recent years, several cocoa industry and cocoa trading companies such as Mars Inc., Mondelez International, Cargill, Barry Callebout, and JB Cocoa have begun to focus on developing product certification programs for selling by allocating several CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) funds to conduct training and technical assistance in cultivation (pruning, fertilizing, frequent harvesting and sanitation) for cocoa. Therefore, several socializing requirements or compliance standards must be met by farmers who are members of the certification program, namely the CoC (Code of Conduct) established by certification bodies such as UTZ. The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors that influence the success of the cocoa certification program in Central Sulawesi. 80 families were chosen as number of samples. A logistic regression model was used to answer the research objectives. The results showed that the land area, farmer's age, level/year of farmer's education had very small influence on the success of the certification program in Central Sulawesi. The linkage of debt with traders considerably influences the success of product certification programs. Cocoa production, income factors, traders' domicile, and merchant service patterns have a significant influence on the success of the certification program

Rapid determination of the shell content in cocoa products using FT-NIR spectroscopy and chemometrics

The determination of the cocoa shell content is of interest because a high shell content causes a reduction in the quality of cocoa products. Consequently, the aim of the present study was the development of a routinely applicable method for the quantitation of shell material in cocoa nibs. For this, 51 fermented cocoa samples of different varieties from 14 cocoa growing countries covering the crop years 2012–2017 were acquired. Admixtures of cocoa nibs with shell material were prepared in a range of 0–20% cocoa shell and subsequently analysed by Fourier transform near-infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIRS). Support vector machine regression models were created, which enabled the prediction of the cocoa shell content in a mixing ratio range of 0–20% with an RMSE of 2.05% and a R2 of 0.88 and in a range of 0–10% with an RMSE of 1.70% and a R2 of 0.72. This predictive capability suggests that the presented method is suitable for rapid determination of cocoa shell content in cocoa nibs. In addition, it was demonstrated that the method is applicable to other relevant cocoa matrices, as the prediction of the shell content of several industrial cocoa masses by the FT-NIRS-based model showed good consistency with the prediction by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. This emphasizes that FT-NIRS combined with chemometrics has great potential for the determination of cocoa shell content in cocoa nibs and cocoa masses in routine analysis, such as incoming inspection.

The contribution of cacao consumption to the bioaccessible dietary cadmium exposure in the Belgian population.

Since 2019, EU limits apply to cadmium (Cd) concentrations in cacao-derived food products. The dietary risk assessment leading to that regulation used consumption surveys aggregated to a limited number of chocolate product categories and did not consider differences in Cd bioaccessibility. Here, the cacao-related dietary Cd exposure in the Belgian population was estimated with higher resolution and accounting for bioaccessibility. A food frequency questionnaire and a 24-h recall (N = 2055) were set up for the Belgian population, in combination with ICP-MS analysis of a large subset of cacao-containing products (N = 349). Both the average chocolate consumption (28 g day-1) and the relative contribution of chocolate to the total dietary Cd exposure (7-9%) were higher than previously estimated for the Belgian population, probably because of some selection bias towards chocolate consumers in the cohort. The Cd bioaccessibility in chocolate products was a factor 5 (cacao powder) and 2 (dark chocolate) lower compared to wheat flour, suggesting lower bioavailability in chocolate than in wheat, which is a main contributor to dietary Cd. This study suggests that Cd intake from cacao consumption has been underestimated because of hidden cacao in non-chocolate food categories but, in contrast, may have overestimated the true exposure because of lower bioavailability compared to the main foodstuffs contributing to Cd exposure.

Analisis Kemampuan Berfikir Kritis Terhadap Permasalahan Produk Unggulan Kakao Pada Siswa Sekolah Menengah Atas Di Jember


 
 
 
 Abstract : The implementation of this research is limited by setting the problem of critical thinking skills to the problem of superior products in Jember, namely Cocoa students in Jember. This research was carried out using local wisdom on the subject matter of fermentation in cocoa beans. Students' thinking ability is carried out through filling in the work on test questions in the form of descriptions. The research will be carried out in October-November. The results of the research are the critical thinking skills of vocational students with a score of 76.53 higher than high school students with an average score of 62.37 for critical thinking skills. This shows that vocational students understand more about Jember's superior product, namely cocoa. Being in a district with one of the leading products, namely cocoa, makes SMK students equipped with knowledge about cocoa commodities, such as cocoa seeds, cocoa product development and cocoa processing methods. Thus, it is hoped that high school and vocational high school students will be able to make a maximum contribution in efforts to develop local products so that they can increase the progress and welfare of the local area. Problem-based learning that links learning materials and local wisdom is needed to support the improvement of students' critical thinking skills
 Keywords : Critical Thinking, Cocoa
 
 
 
 

Study of the Mexican Cocoa Market: An Analysis of Its Competitiveness (2010–2021)

Cocoa is one of the main products consumed worldwide that is similar to coffee; a primary difference between coffee and cocoa is that cocoa is produced in developing countries and is consumed mainly in industrialized countries. Mexico was the country that made cocoa known to the world. The objective of the study was to analyze the competitiveness at the macroeconomic level of the Mexican cocoa product in the world during the period 2010–2021. A macroeconomic analysis was carried out using six indices: Balassa index, Vollrath Index, Additive Revealed Competitive Advantage Ratio, Trade Openness Index, Export and Import Index, and Self-Sufficiency Index. The industrialization of cocoa is the denaturation of the product, which is launched onto the market with little or no nutritional content, due to the alteration of the raw material with formulas based on vegetable fats, artificial colors, and flavors. For example, a commercial chocolate bar can have only 25–35% cocoa mass, semisweet chocolate bars can vary from 45 to 99% cocoa, while white chocolate bars only contain cocoa butter, milk, and sugar. These facts result in a decrease in the competitiveness of the product in the international market, in addition to the effects produced on its profitability for the producer—an increase in the cost of raw materials and a drop in real profits. These factors generate dependency on the international market for the production.

Evaluation and Improvement of Chocolate Bar Production at CV. XYZ Factory

CV. XYZ is a chocolate bar industry in Yogyakarta. The Village community carries out the industry. It creates cocoa product innovation from upstream to downstream products. This research contributes to evaluating the chocolate tempering to determine the fat content of the chocolate bar obtained. The proper tempering techniques and defect evaluation are conducted to determine the reasons for defects in chocolate bars. Good chocolate characteristics consist of the chocolate bar, such as being quickly released from the cast/not sticky, obtaining a glossy/glossy surface on the chocolate bar, being hard and crunchy when broken, and being resistant to melt at room temperature. The standard for the tempering process is set by CV. XYZ produces chocolate bars from the tempering process to produce chocolate bars with shiny/glossy look and crunchy.

Analysis of Quality Control of Chocolate Production Process at CAU Chocolates Bali

The products produced by the company must comply with the quality standards expected by the customer, for that a strict quality control system is needed. This study aims to analyze the quality control activities of the chocolate production process at PT. CAU Chocolates Bali is already optimal. This research was conducted at PT. CAU Chocolates Bali is located at Jalan Marga-Apuan, Cau, Marga, Tabanan Regency, Bali. This research uses descriptive research method with saturated sampling technique in sampling the product to be tested. The data used in this study is data on the number of chocolate product defects in the period May to June 2022. The data analysis technique used in this study is Statistical Quality Control, namely with p control chart diagrams and cause-and-effect diagrams as well as quality cost analysis. The results of the quality cost analysis show that the production process quality control activities carried out by PT. CAU Chocolates Bali is still not optimal, because even though the level of damage that occurs is still within the control limit or is still between the upper limit (UCL) and the lower limit (LCL), the actual total cost of quality charged to the company is still greater than total cost of optimal quality.

Fortification of chocolate with microencapsulated fish oil: Effect of protein wall material on physicochemical properties of microcapsules and chocolate matrix

Protein stabilized fish oil microcapsules were incorporated into chocolates in order to design fortified product which could bear the nutritional claim “source of or high omega-3 fatty acids”. Protein wall material (soy, whey and potato) influenced microcapsules and chocolate performance. Soy protein resulted in the smallest microcapsules with the lowest content of surface oil. Peroxide values were low even after 14 days of microcapsules storage. Incorporation of microcapsules into chocolate led to increase in Casson viscosity and breaking force as well as decrease in melting enthalpy, due to prevalence of particle–particle over fat-fat interactions. Increase in microcapsules concentration resulted in chocolate with poorer snap and higher tendency to fat bloom formation. Whey protein microcapsules, having the largest diameter, resulted in chocolate with the lowest breaking force and melting enthalpy and the highest whitening index. In general, microcapsules addition did not require chocolate production modification and led to sensory acceptable product.

IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF THE CHOCOLATE PRODUCTION PROCESS AT WAHANA INTERFOOD NUSANTARA COMPANY USING DMAIC METHOD

In this century, consumers as product users are becoming more critical and picky in their product selection due to technological and economic advances in the global market. Competition in the industrial sector and client satisfaction necessitate constant innovation by companies. A company that prioritises quality rather than quantity will have an advantage in the global market because not all companies can achieve and sustain high levels of quality. Wahana Interfood Nusantara Company is Indonesia's most complete cocoa bean processing company under the SCHOKO brand. The company processes raw cocoa beans to produce high-quality chocolate and cocoa products. One of the products that experienced a defect at the company was the white couverture chocolate product. The problem statement of this study was what types of defects contribute to the poor quality of white couverture chocolate, what factors contribute to the defects, analyse of the data collected during the production process of the product to come up with root causes and identify the optimum solution. This study uses the DMAIC method (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control). They obtained 5 Critical to Quality: broken, cracked, peeled-off, soft, and porous. The DPMO value was 4788.49, and the Sigma value was 2.496, which means that the white couverture chocolate production process is in Indonesia's average Sigma value industry. It was found that 80% of the most dominant defects were peeled off (38.5%), cracked (28.7%), and broken (25.3%). Suggestions for improvements are given to carry out regular machine maintenance, conduct employee training, and carry out SOPs correctly.

Features of chocolate market

Sweet dishes are very nutritious due to the high content of sugar and fat in a number of products. Many sweets are considered healthy, as they contain necessary nutrients for the body. The article considers the features of the chocolate products market as a component of the confectionery market.

Fine Cocoa Fermentation with Selected Lactic Acid Bacteria: Fermentation Performance and Impact on Chocolate Composition and Sensory Properties.

Cocoa fermentation is a central step in chocolate manufacturing. In this research, we performed controlled fermentations of a fine cocoa variety to evaluate the impact of adjunct cultures of selected lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on fermentation parameters, chemical composition, and sensory profile of fine cocoa and chocolate. Improved fermentation processes were carried out at the Centre for the Integral Transformation of Cacao (CETICO) in Dominican Republic. Two strains of LAB, previously isolated from cocoa, and belonging to Lactiplantibacillus fabifermentans and Furfurilactibacillus rossiae species, were employed. Fermentation parameters, protein, peptide and free amino acid profiles of the fermented cocoa and volatile molecules were determined. Sensory analysis of the derived chocolate was also carried out. The obtained results indicated that the addition of the adjunct cultures influences the proteolytic processes and the free amino acid profile. Finally, the adjunct cultures increased the complexity of the flavour profile of the chocolate as they received a higher score for descriptors commonly used for fine chocolate, such as honey and red fruits. The results obtained showed that the selected strains can be an added value to the development of specific flavours that are desirable at industrial level.

The Effects of Gamma-Aminobuytric Acid (GABA) Enrichment on Nutritional, Physical, Shelf-Life, and Sensorial Properties of Dark Chocolate.

Hypertension is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease and premature death worldwide. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) has potential in regulating hypertension. Cocoa beans are rich in GABA, but GABA is being destroyed during roasting of cocoa beans and chocolate production. This study aimed to develop GABA-enriched dark chocolate by partially replacing sugar syrup with pure GABA powder at concentrations of 0.05 (F1), 0.10 (F2), and 0.15% (F3). The chocolate samples were incorporated with GABA after the heating and melting process of cocoa butter to maintain the viability and functionality of the GABA in the final product. The effects of GABA enrichment on the quality of chocolate in terms of nutritional, physical, shelf-life, and sensorial properties were studied. The inclusion of 0.15% GABA significantly increased the GABA content and angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitory effect of chocolate. The nutritional compositions of the control and GABA-enriched chocolates were almost similar. The addition of GABA significantly increased the hardness but did not affect the apparent viscosity and melting properties of chocolate. Accelerated shelf-life test results showed that all the chocolates stored at 20 and 30 °C were microbiologically safe for consumption for at least 21 days. Among the GABA-enriched chocolates, panellists preferred F2 the most followed by F3 and F1, owing to the glossiness and sweetness of F2. F3 with the highest GABA content (21.09 mg/100 g) and ACE inhibitory effect (79.54%) was identified as the best GABA-enriched dark chocolate.

Determination of Heavy Metals in Cocoa Products Consumed in Nairobi County Kenya

Cocoa is an important cash crop obtained from the beans of the Theobroma cacao tree belonging to the family Malvaceae. Its products are rich in several classes of phenolic compounds such as Flavanols, procyanidins, and anthocyanins. These compounds are attributed to copious health benefits. In addition to the bioactive compounds, cocoa contains heavy metals whose origin and levels depend on natural and anthropogenic activities. Beyond permissible limits, these metals are linked to deleterious damage to several systems in the human body. This study aims to determine the concentration of some heavy metals in Cocoa products and compare the levels with the permissible exposure limits stipulated by international health agencies. This was achieved by wet digestion of the strategically sampled cocoa products and their analysis using the atomic absorption spectrometry technique. The average concentration of Lead (Pb), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn), and Manganese (Mn) in cocoa powder was 0.154±0.021, 0.270±0.037, 0.794±0.063, and 0.334±0.015 respectively. The average concentration of Pb, Cu, Zn, and Mn in cocoa butter was 0.329±0.008, 0.028±0.038, 0.116±0.075, and 0.124±0.008 respectively. The average concentration of Pb, Cu, Zn, and Mn in chocolate milk was 0.463±0.003, 0.042±0.066, 0.296±0.015, and 0.162±0.010 respectively. Cadmium levels were below the detection limit in all the samples. The results obtained in all the samples were within the WHO and KEBS permissible levels in food products.

Development of a novel (poly)phenol-rich diet score and its association with urinary (poly)phenol metabolites.

Background: Estimating (poly)phenol intake is challenging due to inadequate dietary assessment tools and limited food content data. Currently, a priori diet scores to characterise (poly)phenol-rich diets are lacking. This study aimed to develop a novel (poly)phenol-rich diet score (PPS) and explore its relationship with circulating (poly)phenol metabolites. Methods: A total of 543 healthy free-living participants aged 18-80 years completed a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) (EPIC-Norfolk) and provided 24 h urine samples. The PPS was developed based on the relative intake (quintiles) of 20 selected (poly)phenol-rich food items abundant in the UK diet, including tea, coffee, red wine, whole grains, chocolate and cocoa products, berries, apples and juice, pears, grapes, plums, citrus fruits and juice, potatoes and carrots, onions, peppers, garlic, green vegetables, pulses, soy and soy products, nuts, and olive oil. Foods included in the PPS were chosen based on their (poly)phenol content, main sources of (poly)phenols, and consumption frequencies in the UK population. Associations between the PPS and urinary phenolic metabolites were investigated using linear models adjusting energy intake and multiple testing (FDR adjusted p < 0.05). Result: The total PPS ranged from 25 to 88, with a mean score of 54. A total of 51 individual urinary metabolites were significantly associated with the PPS, including 39 phenolic acids, 5 flavonoids, 3 lignans, 2 resveratrol and 2 other (poly)phenol metabolites. The total (poly)phenol intake derived from FFQs also showed a positive association with PPS (stdBeta 0.32, 95% CI (0.24, 0.40), p < 0.01). Significant positive associations were observed in 24 of 27 classes and subclasses of estimated (poly)phenol intake and PPS, with stdBeta values ranging from 0.12 (0.04, 0.20) for theaflavins/thearubigins to 0.43 (0.34, 0.51) for flavonols (p < 0.01). Conclusion: High adherence to the PPS diet is associated with (poly)phenol intake and urinary biomarkers, indicating the utility of the PPS to characterise diets rich in (poly)phenols at a population level.

THE APPLICATION OF THE PROBIOTIC STRAIN LACTIPLANTIBACILLUS PLANTARUM PL8 IN THE PRODUCTION OF CHOCOLATE PRODUCTS WITH A POROUS CORE

Background. A healthy lifestyle, which has been promoted in recent years, is manifested through increased demand for foodstuffs the biggest nutritional value and specific health-promoting features. For this reason, consumers often choose functional food, which, apart from the nutritional effect, has a beneficial effect on one or more functions of the body, proven by scientific research. The aim of the research was to develop an innovative chocolate product with a porous core enriched with functional ingredients. In order to select the probiotic strain best adapted to the production conditions of chocolate dragées, a detailed characterization of 20 bacteria from the genera Lactiplantibacillus, Lacticaseibacillus and Limosilactobacillus included in the study was carried out, i.e. phenotypic and genotypic identification, drug susceptibility testing, resistance analysis to bile salts and gastric juice, adherence to intestinal epithelial cells, testing of antibacterial activity. The strains were also subjected to quantitative analyses in terms of their survival under industrial conditions. The influence of increased temperature and humidity, low pH, the presence of oxygen, the addition of a prebiotic and the type of industrial medium on the growth of probiotic bacteria was studied. The method of producing a chocolate dragée composed of a chocolate core, aerated with gas, containing a probiotic strain a prebiotic, and sugar coating was also developed. Results and conclusions. The conducted research allowed the selection of strain of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum PL8 and the development of a method of its application to chocolate dragées in the liquid microencapsulated form in the fat carrier of the graft. The obtained chocolate product, containing, apart from the probiotic, also a prebiotic (glucooligosaccharide), meets the requirements of WHO/FAO regarding the content of probiotic bacteria in food, i.e. the number of bacteria not less than 106 CFU/g throughout the shelf life. The developed chocolate dragées display unique health-promoting properties and attractive organoleptic qualities.

РАЗРАБОТКА ТЕХНОЛОГИИ ШОКОЛАДА С ПИЩЕВЫМИ ОБОГАТИТЕЛЯМИ ИЗ МОРЕПРОДУКТОВ

In recent years, growth in the production and consumption of chocolate dictates the need to correct composition of the popular product by enriching it with proteins, minerals and vitamins and replacing sugar with a non-carbohydrate sweetener. The article presents the results of the development of technology of chocolate with enriching ingredients based on seafood: with cucumaria powder and with the food fortifier ‟Kalmaks” based on the integumentary tissues of squid. The optimal amount of introduced concentrators is 5%, the optimal sequence of processing of the raw materials is determined. The nutritional value of the finished product and its energy value are determined. The degree of satisfaction of the daily protein requirement when consuming 100 g of chocolate is 15%, in fat 29%, in carbohydrates 11.8%, in energy 15.4%. As a result of the work, the shelf life of 50 days and the storage conditions of chocolate are set at a storage temperature not higher than 18º.

Changes in bioactive compounds during fermentation of cocoa (Theobroma cacao) harvested in Amazonas-Peru

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) is the main raw material for the production of chocolate; it is considered the food of the gods, as it possesses a diversity of bioactive compounds beneficial to human health. The abundance of bioactive compounds, among others, is conditioned by the post-harvest processing of cocoa beans, and fermentation is a major step in this regard. Consequently, this research evaluated the changes in phenolic compounds and methylxanthines occurred in the fermentation of Criollo and CCN-51 cocoa beans, varieties of great commercial interest for the cocoa-growing areas of Peru. For this purpose, samples were taken every 12 h of cocoa beans under fermentation for 204 h in which phenols (gallic acid, caffeic acid, catechin, and epicatechin) and methylxanthines (theobromine, caffeine and theophylline) were quantified by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC); total polyphenols by Folin Ciocalteu; antioxidant capacity by DPPH free radical capture method; total anthocyanins; pH; titratable acidity; and fermentation rate of beans. We found that during fermentation, phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and methylxanthines of cocoa beans decreased; on the other hand, the anthocyanin content increased slightly. Indeed, at distinctly degree, fermentation influences bioactive compounds in cocoa beans, depending on the variety cultivated.

Fermentation box cleaning can impair cacao seed fermentation

The quality of the raw material for chocolate manufacture depends on the control of cacao seed fermentation. Practices affect the diversity and metabolic activities of spontaneous yeasts in fermentations. The control of the initial inoculum is important to standardize fermentations and to improve the final seed quality. We conducted fermentations using non-cleaned or cleaned fermentation boxes to evaluate the dynamics of the microorganism populations and their effect in seed composition in two consecutive years. The isolated yeasts were identified by sequencing the D1-domain of the 26S ribosomal genes. Pulp and cotyledon parameters were monitored during fermentations. Wickerhamomyces anomalus was the dominant yeast in the fermentations, but the species was less represented in cleaned boxes. In the cleaned-box fermentation, there was a delay in temperature rise of the fermentation, which retarded the suitable moment for seed-mass turning. The reduction in seed-pulp quality caused by restricted rainfall in one year limited the seed-mass heating and voided the seed turning. Thus, under substrate restriction, the initial reduced inoculum caused by cleaning the boxes impaired fermentation, mainly under environmental conditions that compromise the quality of the pulp. However, this variation had little effect on the desired degradation of cotyledon components, substrates for flavor precursors.