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Cocoa (Theobroma cacao, L.) represents an important market that gained relevance and became an esteemed commodity thanks to cocoa powder, chocolate, and other related products. This work analyzed 59 cocoa powder samples from the European market. Three distinct subgroups were identified: organic or conventional, alkalized or not alkalized, and raw or roasted processing. The impact of the technological process on their pH, color, and compositional traits, as well as their content of biogenic amines and salsolinol, was evaluated. The phenolic fraction was also investigated through both common and emerging methods. The results depict that the influence of the agronomical practices (organic/conventional) did not significantly (p < 0.05) affect the composition of the cocoa powders; similarly, the roasting process was not a determinant of the compounds traced. On the other hand, the alkalinization process greatly impacted color and pH, no matter the cocoa's provenience or obtention or other processes, also resulting in reducing the phenolic fraction of the treated samples. Principal component analysis confirmed that the alkali process acts on pH, color, and phenolic composition but not on the content of other bioactive molecules (biogenic amines and salsolinol). All the samples were safe, while the alkalized powders saw a great reduction in beneficial biocompounds. A novel strategy could be to emphasize on the label whether cocoa powder is non-alkalized to meet the demand for more beneficial products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao, L.) represents an important market that gained relevance and became an esteemed commodity thanks to cocoa powder, chocolate, and other related products. This work analyzed 59 cocoa powder samples from the European market. Three distinct subgroups were identified: organic or conventional, alkalized or not alkalized, and raw or roasted processing. The impact of the technological process on their pH, color, and compositional traits, as well as their content of biogenic amines and salsolinol, was evaluated. The phenolic fraction was also investigated through both common and emerging methods. The results depict that the influence of the agronomical practices (organic/conventional) did not significantly (p < 0.05) affect the composition of the cocoa powders; similarly, the roasting process was not a determinant of the compounds traced. On the other hand, the alkalinization process greatly impacted color and pH, no matter the cocoa’s provenience or obtention or other processes, also resulting in reducing the phenolic fraction of the treated samples. Principal component analysis confirmed that the alkali process acts on pH, color, and phenolic composition but not on the content of other bioactive molecules (biogenic amines and salsolinol). All the samples were safe, while the alkalized powders saw a great reduction in beneficial biocompounds. A novel strategy could be to emphasize on the label whether cocoa powder is non-alkalized to meet the demand for more beneficial products.

Cadmium (Cd) tends to bioaccumulate in Thebroma cacao beans, affecting human health and its marketing possibilities. For this reason, the European Union (EU) approved Regulation No 488/2014 for processed cocoa products, which applies from January 2019, and motivated authors to conduct research on its bioaccumulation in beans, the potential risks to health, quality, and its export possibilities. The results show high levels in different regions of the main Latin American (LA) producing countries: Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Honduras, and others. However, EU regulation does not stipulate maximum limits for raw cocoa. In the absence of it, research has been classified by reference to the limits for processed cocoa, generating oversized metal levels, controversies in the producer's and setback in replacing illegal coca cultivation in this region. Thus, this review article will detail research on Cd levels in cocoa beans in major Latin American producing countries, the application of EU regulation No 488/2014 to raw cocoa, proposals to set maximum limits on raw beans and their implications for replacing illicit crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cocoa beans are the principal raw material for chocolate manufacture. Moulds have an important place in the change in the quality of cocoa beans due to their role in the production of free fatty acids and mycotoxins, namely ochratoxin A (OTA). This study investigated the impact of the key post-harvest treatments, namely the fermentation and drying methods on OTA contamination of raw cocoa beans. Analytical methods for OTA detection were based on solid–liquid extraction, clean-up using an immunoaffinity column, and identification by reversed-phase HPLC with fluorescence detection. Of a total of 104 randomly selected cocoa samples analysed, 32% had OTA contents above 2 µg kg–1. Cocoa sourced from pods in a bad state of health had a maximum OTA content of 39.2 µg kg–1, while that obtained from healthy pods recorded 11.2 µg kg–1. The production of OTA in cocoa beans increased according to the pod-opening delay and reached 39.2 µg kg–1after an opening delay of 7 days after harvest, while 6.1 and 11.2 µg kg–1were observed when pods were opened after 0 and 4 days. OTA production also seemed to depend considerably to the cocoa fermentation materials. When using plastic boxes for bean fermentation, the OTA production was enhanced and reached an average OTA content of about 4.9 µg kg–1, while the raw cocoa treated in banana leaves and wooden boxes recorded 1.6 and 2.2 µg kg–1on average respectively. In parallel, the OTA production was not really influenced by either the mixing or the duration of the fermentation or the drying materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cacao tree ( Theobroma cacao L.) is the only source for the key raw material in chocolate manufacturing. However, fresh cocoa seeds do not develop any chocolate flavour during chocolate manufacturing because they do not contain the precursors necessary. The latter are formed only during the fermentation process that the seeds are subjected to in the countries of origin. During this in most cases spontaneous fermentation of the fruit pulp surrounding the seeds, the pulp is degraded by yeasts and bacteria. This degradation results in heat and organic acid formation. Heat effect and tissue acidification are the key parameters guiding flavour precursor formation. Accordingly, not microorganisms themselves but exclusively their metabolites are necessary for successful fermentation. In the present study we subjected fresh cocoa seeds to three types of fermentation-like incubation with defined amounts of acetic acid, controlled temperature regime and in the absence of microorganisms. All raw cocoa samples were of high reproducible quality as determined by biochemical quality parameter analysis. We conclude that control of the heat effect and the acidity is the reason for these quality characteristics and that application of this technique may permit standardization and mechanization of cocoa fermentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cocoa and chocolate are widely consumed by humans, and habitual intake is associated with benefits to cardiovascular health, which has been attributed to its polyphenolic content. Classically, in the processing of cacao beans, a final brown color has been preferred over the natural red-violet hues present in raw beans as a marker of proper processing and the development of the characteristic chocolate aroma and flavors. Recently, the industry has shown a renewed interest in the purple-red hues of cacao since the introduction of ruby chocolate to the market. Here, we present a processing method to preserve the composition of flavan-3-ols and procyanidins and to retain pink-red hues in powders produced from unfermented cocoa beans, in which polyphenol-degrading enzymes were first inactivated at 95 °C followed by fast soaking in 1.5 M citric acid and immediate dehydration and grinding to obtain powders with nearly 150 mg/g flavan-3-ols and procyanidins and stable pink-red hues according to CIE L*a*b* color measurements. These procyanidin-rich cacao powders could be added to chocolate products to reach the desired health properties of eating polyphenol-rich chocolates in the new context of the preferred pink shades of the so-called fourth chocolate. • Ruby, a new type of chocolate, is characterized by its sour taste and pink color. • Raw cacao beans display red-purple hues due to their anthocyanin contents, which are lost during processing. • Cacao procyanidins and flavan-3-ols, which are beneficial to human health, are also lost during processing. • Anthocyanins and flavan-3-ols can be retained by controlling the pH and temperature in unfermented cacao beans. • Blanched beans processed in acid retain the pink-red hues and a high procyanidin contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]