Factors influencing quality variation in cocoa (Theobroma cacao) bean flavour profile—A review

Factors influencing quality variation in cocoa (Theobroma cacao) bean flavour profile—A review

John Edem Kongor, Michael Hinneh, Davy Van de Walle, Emmanuel Ohene Afoakwa, Pascal Boeckx, Koen Dewettinck

This review examined the factors that influence flavour volatiles of cocoa beans and the volume of work that needs to be done on these factors and their impact on the flavour volatiles of commercial cocoa beans. Cocoa bean flavour is one of the most important quality attributes as flavour is central to acceptability of cocoa beans and cocoa products such as chocolate. The complex composition of cocoa bean flavour depends on bean genotype, postharvest treatments such as pulp pre-conditioning, fermentation and drying, industrial processes such as roasting as well as the type of soil and age of cocoa tree. The bean genotype determines the chemical composition of the bean, specifically the contents of bean storage proteins, polysaccharides, and polyphenols. This determines the quantities and type of precursors formed during fermentation and drying processes leading to flavour formation, hence, influencing both …

Elsevier

2016

Food research international

English