Quality Of Cocoa Beans Research Articles

Impact of controlled fermentation on the volatile aroma of roasted cocoa

Abstract The study of controlled methods of cocoa fermentation on a small scale is important to assess the maintenance of heat generated in the last days of fermentation. The research aimed to study the impact of spontaneous fermentation in controlled fermentation systems on the quality and acceptability of fermented cocoa beans. A 2×3 complete factorial design used different controlled fermentation systems (jacket system, solar heater and wooden box) and pulp reduction as variables. Samples were analyzed for fermentation index and volatile aroma composition profile using Headspace-Solid Phase Microextraction (HS-SPME) and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The profile of volatile compounds is evaluated for the studied variables using a multivariate Principal Components Analysis (PCA). The results showed increasing fermentation times in the jacket system seeing that it raised the fermentation rate and accelerated it to five days of fermentation combined with pulp reduction. The PCA analysis showed differences in the chemical composition of volatile compounds that were mainly associated with the reduction of the pulping process than the type of controlled system in four days of fermentation.

Microbial Dynamics Associated with Spontaneous Fermentation of Cocoa (<i>Theobroma cacao</i> L.) in Cameroon and Evaluation of the Quality of Marketable Beans

Cocoa fermentation is essential for the production of marketable beans for chocolate manufacturing. It is a microbial process that affects the marketable quality of the beans. The microbial dynamics associated with cocoa fermentation as well as the quality of marketable beans were evaluated in a couple of towns in Cameroon. After plating on selective agar plates, the growth of microflora named yeast, acetic acid bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, bacillus and molds associated with the different fermentations was monitored by enumeration using decimal dilution. The quality of the beans was assessed by the fermentation index, pH and grain size. Cocoa beans from Bafia, Bertoua, Elogbatindi, and Penja were sampled after 0, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, and 144 hours of spontaneous fermentation. It was found that the order of emergence and the time of appearance of the different microbial genera varied between locations and the fermentations process were generally dominated by yeasts followed by lactic acid bacteria and bacillus witch were found during all the fermentation stages except in Elogbatindi where baccilus appear after 48h. Bean pH decreased from 5.88 ± 0.02 - 6.52 ± 0.01 to 4.34 ± 0.02 - 5.68 ± 0.06. The fermentation index of the beans ranged between 1.00 and 1.40 at the end of the process of fermentation and the seeds obtained had consistent specific weight since the value of their weight were greater than 1. The microbial strains would have a high technological potentiality leading to a good quality of fermented cocoa beans and may be use as starter in improvement program of cocoa beans fermentation process.

Perbandingan Kualitas Fermentasi Biji Kakao dengan Penambahan Kultur Campur dan Kultur Tunggal Lactobacillus brevis

Cocoa beans are one of the plants whose processing process is through fermentation to get quality cocoa beans. The purpose of this study was to determine the quality of fermented cocoa beans with the addition of mixed cultures of Saccharomyces cereviseae, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus fermentum, Acetobacter orientalis, Acetobacter tropicalis, and single culture of Lactobacillus brevis and determine the best quality of fermented cocoa beans between mixed culture and single culture of Lactobacillus brevis. This study used a randomized block design with 7 treatments and 4 replications. Each treatment was carried out by adding a single culture and mixed culture in the logarithmic growth phase with a culture concentration of 5%, 10%, and 15%, and as a control, fermentation was conditioned to occur naturally. Observation parameters are pH, temperature, water content, yield, total fat content, total sugar content, lactic acid content, cut test, and organoleptic. The results of the fermentation showed that a good quality was obtained in the P5 treatment (addition of 10% mixed culture) which was perfectly fermented 94% and entered the quality class 1 of SNI 2323:2008. Keywords: cocoa, fermentation, mixed culture, single culture, Lactobacillus brevis

Multivariate analysis of chemical parameters of cocoa: a contribution to origin designation / Análise multivariada de parâmetros químicos do cacau: uma contribuição para a denominação de origem

Brazil has been trying to become a key player in the specialized market through the production of fine chocolate. However, there is still no rules about the chemical quality of cocoa beans that allows it to be grouped by micro-regions. In this context, the objective of this work was to determine some chemical parameters of cocoa samples, aiming to contribute to the creation of the designation of origin for the cocoa produced in the south of Bahia. For this propose, proteins, lipids, total minerals, and fatty acid profile analysis were performed. The results obtained were correlated using multivariate statistical tests. The chemical composition of the cocoa beans, allowed to differentiate samples of cocoa, revealing the formation of three groups of samples. The two main components (lipids and proteins) were analysed together, characterizing the producing region. Regarding the analysis of the fatty acid profile, they showed that the cocoa harvested in the main season presents a higher influence of saturated fatty acids, while in the early season the higher influence is of unsaturated fatty acids. Multivariate techniques were able to group the different types of cocoa according to their chemical profile, helping to create an origin denomination for those produced in Southern Bahia.

Post-harvest System and Quality of Cocoa Beans in the Southern Region of Cameroon

Aims: Multiple rejections of Cameroonian cocoa at the level of the international market proved that commercial cocoa produced in this country still has an unstable quality. In view to contribute to the improvement of the quality of this product, an investigation was made on the post-harvest treatments.
 Methodology: An inquiry form on the techniques of post-harvest treatments was effectuated in two cocoa production zones, notably Biwong Bulu and Mvangang subdivisions in the southern region of Cameroon. The fermented and dried beans were collected from farmers and their physicochemical characteristics were evaluated for their quality.
 Results: The results obtained show that the producers, made up on an average of 90% men, of which 38.3%, were elderly (> 50 years old) and were not affiliated to a cooperative, thus lacking knowledge of the quality criteria of commercial cocoa; as a consequence, the post-harvest cocoa processing method is not well respected. Only 41.8% of the producers respected the order of the different unit operations of post-harvest treatment. There were four types of fermentation mode (box, banana leaves, tarpaulin and plastic bags) and three types of drying mode (hurdle, tarpaulin and soil). The different treatment modes significantly influenced the quality of the cocoa beans and thus, the morphological and physicochemical properties of the different samples. Large cocoa beans are obtained through fermentation in cascading crates (V = 1030 ± 50.90 mm3) and drying on raised trays (V = 1310 ± 77.36 mm3), which is the material that allowed to quickly reach a moisture content conform (6.82 ± 0.91%) to cocoa of commercial quality.
 Conclusion: The system of post-harvest treatment in the southern region of Cameroon was not respected as recommended. Sensitization and training farmers are necessary for the success of cocoa production in this region, particularly for these two subdivisions.

Fermented Cocoa Beans (Theobroma cacao L) in Southeast Aceh District

One of the productions of the agricultural industry that has a fairly high foreign exchange value for our country is cocoa, but our cocoa production is still of low quality. To get good quality cocoa, good processing must be done. Fermentation of cocoa beans is one way to improve the quality of cocoa so that it can be sold in national and international markets. The purpose of this activity is to help cocoa farmers, especially in Southeast Aceh district, in improving the quality of cocoa production, so that the cocoa products of Southeast Aceh farmers can compete in trade both locally and abroad. The implementation of this activity is carried out through training to improve the quality of cocoa. There are several activities, namely: Sorting Cocoa, peeling cocoa pods, fermenting cocoa pods for 5 days and the last step is drying until the moisture content of cocoa pods reaches 7%. The result of this activity is to increase the knowledge of cocoa farmers in Southeast Aceh Regency in order to improve the quality of cocoa beans, so that cocoa sales can be accepted and compete in the market.

Identification of cocoa bean quality by near infrared spectroscopy and multivariate modeling

Cocoa is a commodity responsible for the income of millions of people and the manufacture of several important products for the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. Its quality is associated with several factors involved in the processing steps, mainly in fermentation and drying. The objective of this study was to evaluate the application of near-infrared spectroscopic data associated with multivariate analysis to classify cocoa beans according to their quality and predict attributes such as pH and total acidity by PLS-DA and PLS, respectively. The pH values (4.4-6.7) and total acidity (6.12-29.9) were determined by conventional methods. The PLS-DA proved to be effective in differentiating the classes of cocoa samples with superior and inferior quality, presenting in the validation 100% and 71.43% correct cocoa bean classification with inferior Quality and Higher Quality, respectively. The models obtained by PLS presented satisfactory parameters, being classified as having moderate practical utility and excellent predictive capacity for pH and moderate practical utility and reasonable predictive capacity for total acidity. Thus, the potential of the NIRS technology associated with chemometrics was found and showed efficiency in the classification and prediction of attributes in cocoa beans.

Effects of fermentation and drying durations on the quality of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) beans during the rainy season in the Juaboso District of the Western-North Region, Ghana

BackgroundPostharvest treatments are crucial to the quality of cocoa finished products. This study aimed at investigating the effects of durations of fermentation and drying on the quality of cocoa (Theobroma cacao) beans during the rainy season. The study employed a 4 × 3 factorial with four fermentation durations of 5, 6, 7 and 8 days and three drying periods of 4, 5 and 6 days, resulting in a total of 12 treatment combinations, laid in a Completely Randomized Design with three replications. Bean quality data were collected on bean count/100 g, moisture content and cut test attributes including mouldy, slaty and purple, as well as percentage purity.ResultsThe study showed that the applied fermentation and drying periods single handedly resulted in moisture content higher than the recommended, coupling 8 days fermentation with 6 days drying period resulted in a moisture content of 5.6% which falls below the acceptable standard (7.5%) recommended. Number of beans/100 g increased with increasing fermentation and drying periods. Coupling any of the fermentation periods with 5 or 6 days drying duration resulted in mould content within the acceptable grade 1 limit (3%). Longer fermentation period coupled with any of the drying durations resulted in very encouraging and minimal values of purple, while coupling 6, 7 or 8 days fermentation period with 6 days drying resulted in slaty content within the grade 1 limit (3%).ConclusionThe overall effect of the treatments on the quality attributes from the cut test revealed that 8 days fermentation with the traditional leave heap method, coupled with 6 days sun drying during the rainy season, resulted in superior bean quality with a percentage purity of 98.00%.

Dynamics of cocoa fermentation and its effect on quality

Several research efforts on cocoa have been focused on parameters for controlling the transformation process to guarantee homogeneity and quality of cocoa beans, the main raw material in the chocolate industry. The main changes that determine the final quality of cocoa—and also the product’s homogeneity—occur during fermentation, given the great number of factors that affect the process. This research seeks to identify the most relevant factors affecting quality in order to offer higher-quality and more homogeneous cocoa for the chocolate industry. The dynamics of the fermentation process were observed in three contrasting locations, monitoring different variables and evaluating the final quality of the cocoa. Results show that temperature and pH profile are the key factors to be monitored and controlled in order to achieve high-quality cocoa beans.

PHYSICAL QUALITY AND PRODUCTIVITY OF COCOA BEAN (Theobroma cacao L.) BASED ON CANOPY POSITION AND PLANT AGE

The research aimed to study the cocoa bean quality and productivity based on their position on canopy and different plant ages. This has been conducted at cocoa farming area at Wonggeduku Subdistrict, Konawe Regency, Southeast Sulawesi Province. These treatments were arranged based on the nested design in which the pod position on the canopy i.e. on main stem, primary and secondary branches, and nested to the plant ages i.e. 8,10, 12, and 14 years old were used. The observed variable were pod length, pod diameter, seed weight, seed number, and dry production per pod. The data gathered were analysed by analysis of variance and the difference between treatments were justified by Duncan’s Multiple Range Test at 95% significant level. To study the relationship between plant ages and pod position on canopy, the regression analysis was applied. Research result showed that there were interaction effect on pod position and ages on all variable observed. The best treatment on the main stem and primary branch at eight year age of the plant was on the length, diameter and weight of pods, seed number, and dry seed production per pod. KEY WORDS: Cocoa pod, plant age, pod position, production, quality

Karakteristik Biji Kakao Kering (Theobroma cacao L) Hasil Perkebunan Petani Kakao di Kecamatan Oba Kota Tidore Kepulauan

This study aims to determine the postharvest process and the quality of dry cocoa beans produced by cocoa farmers in Oba District, Tidore Islands City. The survey method was used to determine the post-harvest process, while to test the quality of dry cocoa beans were analyzed using the method according to SNI 2323-2008. The cocoa postharvest process carried out by farmers in Oba Subdistrict includes fruit picking, fruit peeling, drying and packaging activities, not fully following the Operating Procedures Standard or postharvest handling of cocoa based on SNI 01-2323-2008. Based on size standards, dry cocoa beans produced by farmers in Oba District are classified as grade A, while for standards of moisture content, number of insect seeds, number of moldy beans and foreign matter content still do not meet the desired requirements.

In vitro protein digestibility of enzymatically pre-treated cocoa bean powder using commercial protease

The quality and selling value of cocoa beans could be greatly improved through proper drying of fermented cocoa. Cocoa products are one of the foods that are in great demand by the community, and the fruit could be a source of vegetable protein production. However, the nutritional value of a food is determined by both its total protein content, and the availability of digestible protein. Therefore, the digestibility of this class of food needs to be evaluated. This study was conducted using cocoa beans from the regions of Bali, Jember, Yogyakarta, and Sukabumi, with 2 types of cocoa powder samples namely fat-free, and fat-polyphenols. Furthermore, it used a completely randomized factorial design, consisting of two factors. The first factor was pepsin concentration, comprising of 1000 and 2000 U/ml, while the second was pancreatic activity, consisting of 3 and 8USP. The protein content of the cocoa was tested and the digestibility was determined. The results show that fat-polyphenol-free cocoa powder with 1000 U/mL pepsin and 3USP pancreatic and Jember had the highest protein digestibility with a value of about ± 95%. Furthermore, the results of protein digestibility showed that variations in the concentration of pepsin and pancreatic enzymes had a significant effect on the protein. Therefore, this research shows that interactions between compounds present in foods, like protein-phenolic, could have a significant effect on protein digestibility.

Inhibition the growth of fungi and improving the quality of cocoa beans through fermentation using lactic acid bacteria

The addition of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) improved the fermentation performance of cocoa bean. Uncontrolled fermentation causes the mycotoxin contamination in cocoa which is produced by fungi. Lactic Acid Bacteria that have been shown to inhibit fungi are from the species Lactobacillus plantarum and fermentum. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the ability of Lactobacillus plantarum and fermentum to increase the quality and inhibit mold growth of cocoa beans. This research was carried out using Completely Randomized Design. We examined one variable, namely the use of dry starter culture (with Lactobacillus plantarum, with Lactobacillus fermentum, with mixed culture of Lactobacillus plantarum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Acetobacter aceti, and without starter culture). We found that the addition of Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus plantarum in combination with Saccharomycess cerevisiae and Acetobacter aceti could provide suitable temperature and pH conditions for a good fermentation process of cocoa beans and suppress the growth of fungus. Fermented cocoa beans produced by those starter cultures could meet the quality requirements of Indonesian National Standard 2323:2008/Amd1:2010.

Peningkatan Kualitas dan Kuantitas Biji Kakao Melalui Intensifikasi Perawatan Kakao, Introduksi Alat Budidaya, dan Pengering Sistem Hybrid

Putat village, Patuk district, Gunung Kidul regency is one of cocoa production center in Yogjakarta. Cocoa bean products in this region have been marketed not only in Yogjakarta but also several areas in Indonesia. In order to support production continuity of cocoa bean productions, to date the farmers face obtacles in cacao plantation maintenance and cocoa beans drying. Thus, this activity aimed to increase quality and quantity of cocoa beans through maintenance intensifications of cacao and introduction of cacao cultivation equipments and cocoa beans drying hybrid system. Partner in this activities were Kelompok Tani Kakao Sido Dadi and cocoa dan chocolate production industry “Joglo Coklat” located in Patuk, Gunung Kidul, Yogjakarta. The activities were conducted in several stages including 1) basic data collection, 2) socialization of cacao plantation maintenance, 3) socialization of cocoa beans drying, 4) introduction of cultivation equipments, 5) contruction of drying chamber, 6) handover of equipment, and 7) evaluation of parnter response. The results of the activity indicated that the provision of information and the introduction of equipment for cacao plant maintenance activities had a positive impact on partners. From the questionnaires, the partners stated the benefits of this activity and the desire for sustainable activities. The introduction of maintenance equipment and cocoa beans drying made it easier for farmers to carry out cultivation, harvest and post-harvest activities of cocoa beans so would be able to improve the quality and quantity of cocoa beans.

Impact of pollen genetic origin on compatibility, agronomic traits, and physicochemical quality of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) beans

Incompatibility within and between cocoa trees or cocoa clones is incontestably one of those factors which reduce cocoa yield in fields. Indeed, the traceability of raw materials is one of the major challenges that agro-industries face today. Improvement of cocoa and cocoa products’ quality passes through the identification of cocoa genetic and geographic origin as well as the farm where cocoa is produced and harvested. Hand-pollination was used to assess compatibility between clones, to select interested agronomic traits (pod length, pod cortex thickness, average beans number, average beans weight, average weight of fresh or dry beans) and to improve specific cocoa beans quality through physicochemical parameters after post-harvest practices. Three different parents were used as female-clones: ICS40 (higher Trinitario), SNK16 (Trinitario), SCA12 (Lower Amazon Forastero) and four clones added to the female ones as pollen donors: SNK16, SNK13 (Trinitario), UPA134 (Upper Amazon Forastero), T79/467 (Amelado, Forastero), T60/877 (Amelado, Forastero), ICS40 and SCA12. Crosses within Trinitario clones showed a low level of compatibility (0–18%) whereas the general combination ability between Trinitario×Forastero (59–81%) and within Forastero (84–88%) and between Forastero×Trinitaro (78–88%) was very promising. SCA12 showed a high level of compatibility efficiency compared to the two Trinitario female-clones studied. The pollen grains from SCA12 increased the pod length and average weight of fresh beans in ICS40 female-clone meanwhile those of T60/877 also increased the pod cortex thickness and average weight of fresh/dry beans in SNK16 female-clone. The genetic description of each pollen clone donor played a key role in the resulting hybrids. The pH values of fermented dried beans, ranged from 5.31 to 6.26 and was female-clone dependent. A strong negative correlation was observed between the average beans weight (fresh or dry) and pH. These results highlighted that the genetic origin of pollen grains could increase compatibility between clones, agronomic traits and consequently the physicochemical parameters of beans.

Formation and development of flavour of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) cultivar Criollo and Forastero: a review

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) tree grown in tropical places, particularly in Africa, Asia, and South America. Cocoa beans is a fundamental ingredient in chocolate manufacturing. There are four cultivars namely Criollo, Forastero, Trinitario, and Nacional, which are commercially grown worldwide. Criollo and Forastero are the most intense cultivar used for making cocoa-based products. The Criollo is known as “fine” flavour cocoa yet has the lowest production, while Forastero as “bulk” cocoa has the highest contribution to the cocoa market in the world. Criollo has the complexity of aromatic components that may enhance fruity, flowery, herbal, woody, nutty and caramel aroma, and thus creating unique pleasant flavours. Compared to Criollo, Forastero offers a basic or ordinary flavour despite its highest productivity. Flavour as a sensory attribute of chocolate had a great contribution to consumer acceptance and market demand. The distinctive flavour of the final cocoa/chocolate products are influenced by several factors from farm to bar such as the cocoa cultivars, post-harvest treatment and processing techniques. Those factors changes the internal quality of cocoa beans, most importantly the flavour precursors or chemical compounds important to cocoa flavour. The aim of this review is to provide information on the formation and development of cocoa flavour during processing.

Application of portable near infrared spectroscopy for classifying and quantifying cocoa bean quality parameters

Fermentation duration (FmD), fermentation index (FI), pH, and moisture content (Mc) are vital quality attributes of cocoa beans. In this study, portable near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and multivariate analyses were used for rapid determination of FmD, FI, pH, and Mc of cocoa beans. The samples were scanned in 900- to 1,700-nm wavelength, and the spectral data were pretreated independently with first derivatives (FD) and second derivatives (SD), multiplicative scatter correction (MSC), mean centering (MC), and standard normal variate (SNV), while linear discriminant analysis (LDA), support vector machine (SVM), and partial least squares regression (PLS-R) were used to build the prediction models for FmD, FI, pH, and Mc. MSC plus SVM gave an accurate classification of 100%. For predicting FI, pH, and Mc, the PLS-R model gave coefficient of correlation of 0.87, 0.82, and 0.89, respectively. The results showed that portable NIRS could be employed for cocoa bean examination. Novelty impact statement Fermentation is the single most essential postharvest operation that influences cocoa beans quality parameters including moisture content, fermentation index (FI) and pH. Unlike stationary laboratory based wet chemistry technique or table top NIR spectroscopy, this study revealed that the relatively inexpensive portable NIR spectroscopy could provide very fast (within 30 s) results in the routine onsite evaluation of cocoa beans moisture content, fermentation index and pH on farmers field in Sub-Saharan Africa. In particular, the study outcome highlights the potential application of portable NIR spectroscopy based on machine learning for efficient classification of fermentation duration and quantification of moisture content & pH of cocoa beans in real-time usage.

Mechanical Drying System’ Adoption and its Impact on Cocoa Beans Quality and Household Incomes at Farm Level: A Case Study of Central and South-West Cameroon

Drying has been considered as a key farm-based, quality determining unit operation in the cocoa processing chain which can have an integral effect on the bean quality. In recent years, minimal attention has been directed to this process mainly because of the outdated methods and lack of technical know-how with regards to the modern technology adoption by producers. This article therefore aimed to analyze the adoption and welfare impacts of the Mechanical Drying System in Cameroon using data from a sample of 128 farm households. Using well-structured questionnaires, six villages were included in our study, and about 19 farmers from each village were approached and interviewed. The survey collected valuable information on several issues at the farm level: the data on farmer resources, drying activities, technology choices, constraints, socio-economic profiles, input markets, and cocoa beans processing markets. Using various treatment effect estimators, such as Endogenous Switching Regression, Propensity Score Matching, and Inverse Probability Weighting, our results revealed that adoption of the Mechanical Drying System leads to substantial gains in crop quality, and household incomes. For asset value, households that adopted the MDS technology had a per capita asset value of XAF2608.22 compared to those households that did not adopt the MDS who had a per capita asset value of about XAF412.83 less. Our ESR results further depicted that the adoption of MDS lowered the probability of poverty by 9.29% points for adopters compared to non-adopters. Also, ESR results indicated that the adoption of MDS increased the probability of MDS security for adopters by 37.68% points compared to non-adopters. On average, our PSM results depicted that, MDS adoption increased yield in the range of 614.74 to 679.04 kg/ha for adopters compared to non-adopters and the household income per capita from 86.21 XAF to 108.95 XAF for adopters compared to non-adopters. ATT results also demonstrated that farmers who adopted MDS had higher yields 679.04Kg/ha compared to those who did not adopt the MDS technology which resulted in higher household incomes, and decreased risk of high levels of poverty. Although the magnitude of the estimated effects varied between the three econometric models, the qualitative results were consistent and like the descriptive statistics. Hence, we concluded from our study that, the adoption of MDS by farm producers led to substantial gains in crop quality, and household incomes. Therefore, stimulating agricultural growth depends largely on policies that promote technology adoption at the farm level.

Identification of Methylxanthines and Phenolic Compounds by UPLC-DAD-ESI-MS OTOF and Antioxidant Capacities of Beans and Dark Chocolate Bars from Three Trinitario×Forastero Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) Hybrids

Interest on Trinitario cocoa has continuously increased due to the fact that some genotypes of this group had inherited some characters of vigorosity from Forastero and the flavor grade of Criollo. The pronounced incompatibility between Trinitario clones orientates research on the crossing of Trinitario clones with other varieties of cocoa in order to increase productivity and cocoa beans quality. Polyphenols and methylxanthines are bioactive compounds responsible for the health benefits of cocoa and cocoa based products. Cocoa is a crop with a high content of bioactive compounds in the plant kingdom. This study aims at correlating genotypes, methylxanthines and polyphenols as well as antioxidant activity of beans and dark chocolate derived from Trinitario×Forastero hybrids. Total polyphenol content and total condensed tannin contents were determined by spectrophotometric methods. Individual bioactive compounds were identified by UPLC-DAD-ESI(+)-MS both in beans and dark chocolate bar. Results showed differences within beans of dark chocolate and between beans and dark chocolate. Beans from the hybrid (♀)SNK10×(♂)IMC67 recorded the highest polyphenol content (49.18±1.55mg CatE/g) considering the two matrices. The highest concentration of condensed tannins (22.81±0.69 mgCatE/g) was recorded in beans obtained from the hybrid (♀)ICS40×(♂)UPA134. Dark chocolate bar from beans of the hybrid (♀)ICS40×(♂)UPA134 was the richest in condensed tannins (18.25±0.71 mg CatE/g). The total polyphenol and total condensed tannin contents, the chemical composition as well as the antioxidant activity could be genotype-dependent and were affected negatively during roasting. In fact, roasting decreased the polyphenol content and consequently the antioxidant activity. (-)-epicatechin, theobromine, ferulic and chlorogenic acids and their derivatives, procyanidin C1, caffeine and salicylic acid 3-O-glucose/galactose were identified in beans and/or dark chocolate.

Good agricultural and postharvest handling practices of Cocoa pods in Lombok to meet Cocoa bean quality for the global market

Despite being the third-largest cocoa export country globally, the quality of cocoa beans produced in Indonesia, including in West Nusa Tenggara, is low. This paper presents the critical role of good agricultural and postharvest handling practices on local cocoa beans’ quality. This paper’s source of information was obtained from the survey, laboratory trials, and secondary sources. Supporting information was also obtained through reviews of related literature. Good agricultural practice with no chemical application to support sustainable agriculture and postharvest handling practices to produce cocoa pods and cocoa beans that meet the international quality standard is critical. Postharvest handling of the pods, which covered the fresh cocoa beans’ fermentation process, produced a significantly better flavor of the dried cocoa beans. However, these practices have not yet been adopted by farmers in Lombok. Price incentives for the fermented beans may not be promising at the farmer’s level. Another reason is related to the fermentation technology itself, which is not appropriate for small-scale farmers’ conditions. Innovative technology for applying fermentation on the cocoa pods is essential to enhance the technology’s adaption by cocoa farmers.