Changes in Biochemical and Physico-chemical Qualities during Drying of Pulp Preconditioned and Fermented Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) Beans (original) (raw)
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African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 2015
Fermentation and drying are critical to the development of flavour precursors that generate into distinctive chocolate flavour notes during industrial manufacture. These processes also lead to reduction in acidity and free fatty acids of nibs, which dictates the levels of bitterness and colour development in chocolates. This study investigated changes in nib acidity, flavour precursors (sugars concentration and proteins) and free fatty acids during drying of pulp pre-conditioned and fermented cocoa beans using a 4 x 3 full factorial experimental design with pod storage (0, 3, 7 and 10 days) and drying time (0, 3 and 6 days) as the principal factors. Non-volatile (titratable) acidity, pH, sugars (reducing, non-reducing and total sugars), changes in protein content and free fatty acids of the beans were studied using standard analytical methods. Increasing pod storage consistently increased pH of the fermented nibs at the end of drying with consequential decrease in titratable acidity...
2016
Fermented cocoa bean is the main ingredient of chocolate products because through fermentation the required flavour and aromas can be obtained. The proper fermentation methods applied is a must in order to produced chocolate with high quality because the specific aromas compound cannot be obtained from incomplete fermentation of the beans. Fermentation is carried out by microorganisms that dominating the fermentation inoculum. The microorganism that have been found to be important in order to reached cocoa fermentation succession are yeast, lactic acid bacteria and acetic acid bacteria as their activities will affect the physical and chemical properties of the fermented cocoa bean. Chemical that have been synthesized by those microorganisms will affect the taste and colour of the cocoa bean. By regulating the fermentation culture and pod storage practice, high fermented cocoa bean quality can be produced. By using starter cultures from specific species of yeasts, lactic acid bacteri...
Preliminary empirical studies have suggested a likely relationship between cocoa pulp flavour attributes and the expression of fruity and/or floral flavours in "fine" or "flavour" cocoa genotypes. In the current study, the aromatic pulp of two tropical fruit species (Theobroma grandiflorum and Anona muricata) was added to Amelonado cocoa beans during the fermentation process to further assess the possible effect of the cocoa bean flavour environment on the flavour attributes of cocoa nibs and of chocolates. The fruit pulps were added in equal quantities to wet Amelonado cocoa beans in micro-fermentation bags placed in the middle of an Amelonado fermentation mass one or two days after the start of the fermentation process. Organoleptic analysis of the fermented and dried cocoa nibs, and of cocoa liquors and chocolates made with beans from the mixed micro-fermentations revealed the presence of flavour attributes from T. grandiflorum and A. muricata. This suggests t...
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2008
Cocoa flavour precursors are developed during fermentation and drying of cocoa beans. Polyphenols and alkaloids contribute to astringency and bitterness of cocoa and chocolate. RESULTS: Population dynamics, metabolite target analyses, and chocolate production were performed for seven independent spontaneous cocoa bean heap fermentations in Ghana. Although the same micro-organisms were involved in these heaps, carried out at different farms or in different seasons, heap temperatures and microbial metabolite concentrations were different. This could be due to heterogeneity and size of the heaps, but was mainly ascribed to microbial variability. Indeed, differences in microbial activity could be linked with the flavour of chocolates made from the corresponding dried, fermented cocoa beans. Whereas the polyphenol and alkaloid contents of cocoa beans were crop-and heap-dependent, epicatechin and theobromine levels decreased during fermentation due to diffusion out of the bean cotyledons and polyphenol oxidation and condensation. Residual levels were responsible for the degree of bitterness of the final chocolates.
2012
Empirical observations carried out by the first author during his many visits to cocoa producing countries suggested that a relationship might exist between cocoa pulp flavour attributes and sensory traits of cocoa liquor and chocolates. A first attempt to demonstrate such a relationship was made by evaluating the following flavour attributes: volatile aroma upon opening the pods, pulp sweetness, pulp acidity, pulp astringency, pulp flavour intensity and type, overall preference for pulp taste, and degree of bitterness of the cotyledon. Blind pulp tasting was carried out by a six-person panel of ripe fruits of nine cocoa clonal varieties, representing different genetic origins, several of which are well known for their contrasting sensory traits of their chocolates. Overall pulp preference was significantly related to the known fine flavour potential of the cocoa varieties tested, whereas specific pulp flavour attributes appeared related to specific types of fine flavour of the test...
Changes in Chemical Properties of Dreid Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) Beans during Fermentation
Changes in acidification and sugars of cocoa pulp during fermentation of pulp pre-conditioned cocoa (Theobroma cacao) beans were investigated using a 3 × 3 full factorial experimental design with tree level treatment (control (TI), inoculum added in begin fermentation (IA), inoculum added in step (IB) and fermentation time as principal factors. pH, non-volatile (titratable) acidity, reducing sugars, and fermentation indexes of cocoa beans were studied using standard analytical methods. pH of the cocoa nibs increased with inoculum added and fermentation with consequential decrease in non-volatile acidity. Contrary, inoculum added and fermentation decreased the reducing sugars in cocoa nib. The most abundant fermentation indexes in unfermented cocoa bean with values of (TI) 0.31 – 0.88, (IA) 0.32 – 0.99, (IB) 0.33 – 1.03).
2013
Changes in total polyphenols, O-diphenols and anthocyanin concentrations during fermentation and drying of pulp pre-conditioned cocoa (Theobroma cacao) beans were investigated using standard analytical methods. Increasing pod storage, fermentation and drying led to variable reductions in total polyphenols, O-diphenols and anthocyanins content of the beans. The rates of reduction were however more pronounced during fermentation than pod storage and drying. Storage of cocoa pods between 3-7 days with 6 and 7 days of fermentation and drying respectively retained 85%-90% of the total polyphenol and O-diphenols of the cocoa beans. Similarly, anthocyanin content of beans from the 10 days of pod storage decreased by 70% in the sixth day of fermentation. Pod storage decreased the anthocyanin content at all periods of fermentation. These suggest that the post-harvest treatments of pod storage, fermentation and drying all results in variable reductions in polyphenolic content (total polyphenols and O-diphenols) and anthocyanins content of cocoa beans.
International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 2011
Changes in acidification, proteolysis, sugars and free fatty acids (FFAs) concentrations of Ghanaian cocoa beans as affected by pulp preconditioning (pod storage or PS) and fermentation were investigated. Non-volatile acidity, pH, proteolysis, sugars (total, reducing and non-reducing) and FFAs concentrations were analysed using standard methods. Increasing PS consistently decreased the non-volatile acidity with concomitant increase in pH during fermentation of the beans. Fermentation decreased the pH of the unstored beans from 6.7 to 4.9 within the first 4 days and then increased slightly again to 5.3 by the sixth day. Protein, total sugars and non-reducing sugars decreased significantly ( p , 0.05) during fermentation, whereas reducing sugars and FFA increased. PS increased the FFA levels, reduced the protein content but did not have any effect on the sugars. The rate of total and non-reducing sugars degeneration with concomitant generation of reducing sugars in the cocoa beans was largely affected by fermentation than by PS. ; 62 : 755-764 Int J Food Sci Nutr Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by University of Gent on 01/17/12 For personal use only. Int J Food Sci Nutr Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by University of Gent on 01/17/12 For personal use only. Int J Food Sci Nutr Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by University of Gent on 01/17/12 For personal use only. Int J Food Sci Nutr Downloaded from informahealthcare.com by University of Gent on 01/17/12 For personal use only.
International Journal of Food Science and Technology, 2003
Incubation of unfermented and partly fermented cocoa beans in acetate buffer, pH 5.5, at 45°C increased yellowness, total colour differences and fermentation index value of the cocoa bean powders and decreased cocoa procyanidins (monomers to pentamers), and their astringency. Fermentation index and (-)-epicatechin content, equivalent to those of fully fermented beans, were reached by unfermented beans after 4-8-h incubation, but not by partly fermented beans even after 16 h. During incubation of partly fermented cocoa beans enriched with polyphenol oxidase, yellowness and fermentation index value were increased, whilst (-)-epicatechin was decreased. Tyrosinase had a less significant effect in yellow colour formation, but showed a significant reduction of (-)-epicatechin and increase in fermentation index compared with crude cocoa polyphenol oxidase. However, both enzymes have similar effects on procyanidin degradation and astringent taste reduction. Incubation of cocoa beans for 16 h increased the cut test score of unfermented and partly fermented beans by 50 and 30%, respectively.