EP0907324A1 - Technique de sechage de feves de cacao - Google Patents

Technique de sechage de feves de cacao

Info

Publication number
EP0907324A1
EP0907324A1 EP97906285A EP97906285A EP0907324A1 EP 0907324 A1 EP0907324 A1 EP 0907324A1 EP 97906285 A EP97906285 A EP 97906285A EP 97906285 A EP97906285 A EP 97906285A EP 0907324 A1 EP0907324 A1 EP 0907324A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
beans
cocoa
drying
flavour
dried
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP97906285A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Barry John Arnold
John Fisher Clapperton
George Lockwood
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Commonwealth Development Corp
Wrigley Candy UK
Original Assignee
Commonwealth Development Corp
Mars UK Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Commonwealth Development Corp, Mars UK Ltd filed Critical Commonwealth Development Corp
Publication of EP0907324A1 publication Critical patent/EP0907324A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
    • A23G—COCOA; COCOA PRODUCTS, e.g. CHOCOLATE; SUBSTITUTES FOR COCOA OR COCOA PRODUCTS; CONFECTIONERY; CHEWING GUM; ICE-CREAM; PREPARATION THEREOF
    • A23G1/00—Cocoa; Cocoa products, e.g. chocolate; Substitutes therefor
    • A23G1/02—Preliminary treatment, e.g. fermentation of cocoa

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to method of reducing levels of acidity in fermented beans of the cocoa plant Theobroma cacao prior to drying of the beans, to improve and enhance the cocoa flavour of such beans.
  • the beans of the cocoa plant are the raw material for cocoa, chocolate and natural cocoa and chocolate flavouring.
  • Rohan Processing of Raw Cocoa for the Market
  • FAO/U (1963) raw cocoa beans and extracted from the harvested cocoa pod, from which the placenta is normally removed, the beans are then "fermented” for a period of days, during which the beans are killed and a purple pigment is released from the cotyledons.
  • unknown compounds are formed which on roasting give rise to characteristic cocoa flavour.
  • Rohan suggests that polyphenols and theobromine are implicated in the flavour precursor formation. After fermentation, the beans are dried, during which time the characteristic brown pigment forms, and they are then stored and shipped.
  • Cocoa pulp at pH 3.3 is an ideal medium for the formation of alcohol and organic acids by fermentation.
  • the organic acids in their unionised form are able to cross membrane barriers and so enter the beans where they encounter a pH of 6.5 and ionise immediately.
  • the resulting flood of hydrogen ions kills the living cells in the beans by disrupting their normal energy and transport mechanisms. Enzyme/substrate reactions, which under normal conditions would result in the ordered development of a cocoa seedling, progress chaotically to produce cocoa flavour precursors from which the characteristic flavours of cocoa are derived during the roasting process.
  • cocoa flavour is produced from West African beans on roasting. Whereas sun drying is easily managed in West Africa where a million or more cocoa farmers may each produce no more than a few bags (62.5 Kg) of cocoa per annum, it is impractical for estate-scale production where up to 40 metric tonnes of dry beans are produced each day during peak crop seasons.
  • cocoa beans are dried either artificially in a current of hot-air, in the cocoa producing countries of South East Asia, or by spreading out the cocoa beans in the sun to dry in the cocoa producing areas of West Africa.
  • cocoa beans are, however, unable to deliver large amounts of good quality cocoa flavour either because the process is inherently inefficient and cannot conveniently be scaled up (sun- dried method) or because the means used to dry the beans produces high levels of acidity which mask or impair the cocoa flavour produced (hot-air drying method) .
  • the present invention seeks to provide a solution to these problems by providing a means for producing enhanced and improved cocoa flavour from cocoa beans on a commercially useful scale. Whether or not the speculation set out in the last preceding paragraph is correct, it has been found that the flavour of cocoa can be improved by the following method.
  • a method of processing beans of the cocoa plant Theobroma cacao comprising at least partially deshelling, and subsequently drying, the beans.
  • the term "shell” is used to describe the seed coat or testa of the cocoa bean.
  • the dried testa may also be more precisely known as a "hull” or a “husk” .
  • the invention primarily relates to the processing of the beans of the major cocoa plant species, Th . cacao
  • the invention is not limited solely to this species and includes the subspecies Th . cacao cacao and Th . cacao sphaerocarpum.
  • many cocoa varieties are hybrids between different species; an example of such a hybrid is the trinitario variety.
  • the invention involves at least partially deshelling cocoa beans.
  • the shells may be partially removed or even merely opened. In some cases it may be desirable fully to remove the shells of the beans processed according to the method. There is also evidence of flavour improvement if the shell is simply broken to provide an exposed surface of nib which may allow the organic acids to escape. It might not be necessary therefore to separate nibs from shells completely before drying.
  • nib is used in the present application to describe a partially or wholly deshelled bean.
  • the term may also describe a bean which has been deshelled and then broken into fragments. Where the bean remains whole after removal of the shell, it may also described by the term “cotyledons” .
  • the removal or opening of the shell of the cocoa beans may be achieved by any suitable method, which may be mechanical or chemical .
  • Examples of mechanical techniques which may be manual or may be automated using appropriate apparatus, include scoring, scraping, cracking, crushing and/or winnowing.
  • Examples of suitable machines include a rubber creping machine and a custom-built rotating bed of nails.
  • the shells of the cocoa beans can also be removed manually but this is not an economically realistic method. Residual shell particles from beans which have been partially deshelled or opened could be removed by winnowing before or after the broken beans have been dried and/or roasted.
  • Lye-peeling An example of a chemical technique is lye-peeling.
  • Lye- peeling is commonly used for vegetable and fruit peeling and may also be suitable for use in the present invention.
  • Lye-peeling involves the use of an alkali treatment of fruit to remove the skins prior to canning.
  • Deshelled beans or nibs are then suitably dried to produce the cocoa flavour.
  • the drying process may be carried out in a stream of air which is at an ambient temperature of from 15°C to 35°C, suitably 20°C to 30°C and preferably 25°C.
  • the drying at an ambient temperature may be carried out for a period of from 2 to 72 hours, suitable of from 4 to 48 hours and preferably of from 16 to 24 hours.
  • the process may also be suitably carried out under conditions of ambient humidity. This is then followed by drying with air heated to a temperature of from 45°C to 75°C, suitably 50°C to 65°C, more preferably 60°C to bring the beans to total dryness.
  • Drying at the higher temperature may be for a period of from 1 to 12 hours, suitably of from 2 to 8 hours and preferably of from 4 to 6 hours .
  • Acceptable results can also be obtained by drying the deshelled beans or nibs at an ambient temperature alone of from 15°C to 35°C, suitably 20°C to 30°C and preferably 25°C.
  • the method of the invention primarily has application to air drying processes, as typically practised in South East Asia, it may also be used with advantage in conjunction with sun drying processes as typically used in West Africa. However, it is in the air drying process that the greatest improvement in cocoa flavour may be achieved.
  • drying step is subsequent to the deshelling step, it should be understood that a certain amount of drying prior to the deshelling step can be tolerated, even if it is not particularly advantageous to put the invention into effect in this way.
  • the important point is that enough of the overall drying process should take place after the deshelling step to enable the advantage of the invention to be achieved.
  • the breaking of the shells may be facilitated under conditions of ambient temperature and/or ambient humidity (the term "skin" is used to describe the shell of the cocoa bean when the shell is wet) .
  • This step may for a time period of from 30 minutes to 6 hours, suitably of from 1 hour to 4 hours and preferably for 1 hour.
  • the precise time period to be used will depend on the amount of beans to be dried and can be determined by the skilled person in the art without any undue burden.
  • the temperature of the cotyledons does not rise above the levels encountered during fermentation then the enzymic modifications of the cotyledons, which are believed to be responsible for the flavour improvement during final drying, are unlikely to be affected.
  • the method may advantageously contain a primary washing step, prior to the drying and deshelling steps.
  • the removal of mucilage may facilitate the subsequent breaking of the shells and separation of nibs and testa.
  • roasted or unroasted nibs can be used for production of cocoa liquors in the normal way or for the production of cocoa butter and cake by filter pressing (of liquor) or by expelling.
  • fermented cocoa beans dried by the sun or hot-air methods, are normally packed in jute sacks for storage and transportation.
  • Whole beans are traditionally subjected to a roasting treatment to develop flavour at temperatures, typically between 110-150°C.
  • the roasting treatment may be preceded by a process, such as micronising, which facilitates shell removal by winnowing, or winnowing may be carried out after completion of the roasting stage. In either case, the final product of the roasting and winnowing treatments is roasted cocoa nibs, which are then traditionally ground to produce cocoa liquor.
  • Cocoa liquor may be used directly as an ingredient in chocolate recipes (formulations) , or may be separately processed further, by filter pressing, to produce cocoa butter and cocoa cake. Cocoa cake is subsequently milled to produce cocoa powder.
  • expelling process dried beans, with or without a shell or part thereof, are put through a screw press expeller to produce cocoa butter and cake.
  • the improved cocoa flavour produced by the method of the present invention compared to that obtained by simply treating the beans by the hot-air methods typically used at present is characterised by the flavour having a greater level of cocoa flavour but a reduced level of acidity, bitterness and astringency.
  • Cocoa flavour may be classified according to the following categories: cocoa flavour, acid/sharp, astringent, bitter, raw/green, fragrant/floral, brown fruit, late sour and thick mouthfeel . Scores may be assessed on a point system and a high score in a category indicates a strong intensity for a particular flavour.
  • the beneficial results of the invention are achieved because the partial deshelling results in a reduction of the level of acidity in the bean.
  • Other preferred aspects of the second aspect of the present invention are as for the first aspect mutatis mu andis.
  • a device on which beans were cut and torn between a fixed and rotating bed of nails was constructed to provide 50 Kg samples of deshelled nibs for further trials.
  • Deshelled nibs were dried in a current of air at ambient temperature for 16 hours and then at 60°C to final dryness.
  • Flavour profiles of cocoa liquors made from the deshelled nibs, whole beans dried at 60°C throughout and whole beans subjected to the same drying treatment as the deshelled nibs are shown below.
  • the liquor from the deshelled nibs had more cocoa flavour and was less acidic, bitter and astringent than those from the whole beans.
  • the reduced astringency, late sour taste and increased viscous/thick mouthfeel are indicative of changes in the polyphenol chemistry effected by the removal of the shells prior to drying. Cocoa liquors from the deshelled nibs were also much darker in colour.
  • Thick mouthfeel 3.4 3.8 5.3 The three drying treatments used were (i) whole beans dried at 60°C throughout, (ii) whole beans 16/60°C - dried in a current of air at ambient temperature for 16 hours then at 60°C to final dryness, (iii) deshelled nibs 16/60°C were dried likewise as (ii) . Scores on 10 cm line scale. Higher scores denote stronger intensities. The improvements in flavour have been confirmed in further trials. Cocoas have been tasted as cocoa liquors and as plain chocolates.
  • Example 4 Mechanical deshelling of beans using rubber creping machine (no pre-washing step and no skin drying step)
  • Fermented beans have also been put through a rubber creping machine. A spacing of 3/16 of an inch between the rollers rotating at slightly different speeds tears the beans while leaving larger pieces of shell intact. The debris is dropped onto a rapidly rotating cone which throws it onto a screen sieve. Pieces of nib pass through the screen. Larger pieces of shell are retained for recycling until the degree of separation of nib and shell fragments is satisfactory.
  • the efficiency of both bean breaking on the creping machine and separation of nibs and shells is improved by prior treatment of the fermented beans with a pectolytic enzyme to remove excess mucilage.
  • Example 5 Mechanical deshelling of beans using rubber creping machine with pre-washing step and skin drying step
  • Beans straight from the fermentation box were paddled mechanically under running water for 10 minutes to remove residual mucilage and are then skin dried at 60°C for up to 60 minutes depending on the bed depth. Removal of mucilage and skin drying facilitates subsequent breaking of the beans and separation of nibs and testa.
  • the temperature of the cotyledons does not rise above the levels encountered during fermentation, the enzymic modifications of the cotyledons, which are believed to be responsible for the flavour improvements during final drying, are unlikely to be affected.
  • the skin dried beans were then broken manually or by putting them through the rollers of a machine used to crepe latex (known as a rubber creping machine) .
  • the stainless steel rollers which have diamond cut surfaces and are at a gap setting of 3/16", rotate at slightly different speeds and so cut, crush and tear the beans.
  • testa The debris comprising broken nibs and shells (testa) was then dried in a current of air by one of two procedures.
  • the current of air was either passed through the debris in a box with a base of fine metal or nylon gauze, or the current of air was passed over the debris spread out in thin layers on trays.
  • the previous standard treatment used to dry whole beans is to dry the beans in a current of hot air at 60°C for 48 hours which results in beans with a whole bean moisture content of 7.5%.
  • flavour improvement while being directionally similar, was much less pronounced than when the beans were broken to expose the nibs prior to drying, i.e. as in treatments described in examples 6(b), 6(c) , 6(d) , 6(e) , 6(f) and 6(g) below.
  • Two kilogram samples of broken beans were dried by burying them in nylon net bags in the mass of whole beans on the hot air dryers using the standard air temperature of 60°C.
  • the bags were inserted towards the end of the 48 hour period of drying when the bulk mass of beans was drier than the broken beans, which therefore did not absorb any moisture from the whole beans.
  • Flavour was further improved by drying the broken beans in a current of air at ambient temperature for 16 hours and then for a further period of up to 4 hours at 60°C, as above, to 5% nib moisture.
  • the broken beans were dried at about 4 cm bed depth in boxes with a fine wire mesh (mosquito net) based and solid sides, inserted in bulk samples of fermented beans being dried at about 12 to 18 inches bed depth on flat bed dryers. This example used a "high" velocity air flow to dry the cocoa beans.
  • the beds were dug out so that the boxes could be inserted with the mesh base in direct contact with the perforated floor of the drying platform.
  • the heat source to the drying bed was turned off one hour before the boxes were inserted. If the bulk beans on the drier were still wet and/or deep, most of the air onto the drier was channelled through the thin layer of broken beans in the boxes, that being the point of least resistance. The flow rates of air through the broken beans were estimated at between 15 and 30 cubic metres per minute. Under these conditions the broken beans dried very quickly.
  • Draeger tube estimates of acetic acid concentration showed that acid low was rapid also - from about 40ppm at time zero, the acetic acid concentration had dropped to lOppm after only 4 hours before reaching a limiting concentration of less than 5ppm after 16 hours.
  • flavour improvement results from the enzymic modification of the nibs under conditions of reducing acidity, then the enzymic reactions will need time to progress and may do so only when the nibs remain sufficiently moist.
  • Fast drying whole beans at high temperatures might have 3 possible disadvantages - acidity is retained, the higher temperature deactivates the enzymes involved and the beans dry too quickly.
  • Cocoa liquors had much more cocoa flavour, were less astringent and were darker in colour and more viscous than all previous samples from the present trials.
  • the rate of drying was reduced still further by increasing the bed depth of broken beans in the boxes to 8cm.
  • the flow rate was then about 3 cubic metres per minute initially rising gradually to about 7 as the beans dried and offered less resistance to air flow through the boxes.
  • Plain chocolates were made from nibs from example 6(c) .
  • Half of the chocolates were kept in a fridge and the other half at room temperature (air conditioned) .
  • the nibs were divided and stored, one portion deep frozen and another at ambient temperature.
  • One week later further batches of chocolate were made from nibs from the two storage conditions.
  • the chocolates were stored as before and were allowed to condition for at least 4 days from the time of preparation before tasting.
  • example 6(f) was devised which appears to have given the best flavour quality from the present series of trials (see example 8 and Table 3 - below) .
  • the beans were washed for 10 minutes to remove residual mucilage and then skin-dried, keeping the external temperature of the skin dried beans below 45°C.
  • the skin dried beans were broken either manually or mechanically between rollers. The broken beans were then spread on trays and dried for about 24 hours in a current of air at ambient temperature blown over but not through the debris. After 20 hours drying the nib moisture was less than 7.5%. A dark purple brown colour in the dried nibs was achieved which produced a dark and viscous liquor with distinct cocoa flavour and low astringency and acidity. Particles of dry shells that were free of adhering nibs were removed by coarse winnowing or sieving.
  • BAL209, PBC123, NA33 and UIT1 each with 0 and 10 days post harvest pod storage and prepared by (1) fast drying whole beans and (2) broken beans according to example 6(c) were tested. Fifty kilograms of wet beans were fermented in baskets according to BAL/BCCA flavour trial procedure.
  • the results are the averages of 2 tests of each liquor from a first set in which the four genotypes with the same drying treatment were tested and from a second set of 4 comprising a single genotype with the 2 pod storage treatments and the 2 drying conditions. Sun dried samples of whole beans of all four genotypes are available.
  • Cocoa flavour 6 6.9 6.3 7.5 2.3 4.7 2.2 4.5 intensity
  • O-HA 0 Days pod storage and hot air dried.
  • 10-NP 10 Days pod storage and new drying process [example 6(c)] . Characteristics were scored for intensity on 10cm. open line scales. Higher scores denote stronger intensities. Scores are the averages of 2 blind tests of each liquor. Differences greater than 1.0 are significant.
  • Table 3 Effects of pod storage and drying treatments on flavour characteristics averaged over all four genotypes N - 16 for each treatment.
  • the new drying process is more effective than pod storage in bringing about the desired changes in these four critical flavour characteristics.
  • Example 8 Beans from mixed planting materials BAL standard process versus new process
  • example 6 (d) was better than the treatment of example 6(c) and the best overall treatment was example 6(f) in terms of increased cocoa flavour and reduced astringency combined with a lower score for "wheaty/rancid" flavour than in any of the other drying treatments of broken beans from the examples.
  • 6(f)# Drying treatment in example 6(e) . Broken beans. Slower ambient air drying for 24-26 hours. No further treatmen .

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  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Biotechnology (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Food Science & Technology (AREA)
  • Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
  • Confectionery (AREA)
  • Beans For Foods Or Fodder (AREA)
  • Seasonings (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention a trait à une technique visant à renforcer la saveur du cacao obtenu à partir des fèves du cacaoyer Theobroma cacao. Dans le cadre de cette technique, on retire, du moins en partie, la coque des fèves avant que ne débute la phase de séchage.
EP97906285A 1996-03-11 1997-03-07 Technique de sechage de feves de cacao Withdrawn EP0907324A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GBGB9605076.0A GB9605076D0 (en) 1996-03-11 1996-03-11 Drying method
GB9605076 1996-03-11
PCT/GB1997/000645 WO1997033484A1 (fr) 1996-03-11 1997-03-07 Technique de sechage de feves de cacao

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0907324A1 true EP0907324A1 (fr) 1999-04-14

Family

ID=10790174

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP97906285A Withdrawn EP0907324A1 (fr) 1996-03-11 1997-03-07 Technique de sechage de feves de cacao

Country Status (8)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0907324A1 (fr)
AP (1) AP9801309A0 (fr)
AU (1) AU2102697A (fr)
BR (1) BR9707970A (fr)
GB (1) GB9605076D0 (fr)
ID (1) ID16225A (fr)
OA (1) OA10844A (fr)
WO (1) WO1997033484A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1121020B1 (fr) * 1998-10-15 2004-07-07 Kraft Foods R&D, Inc. Cacao faible en arome, son procede de production et ses utilisations
GB0801119D0 (en) 2008-01-22 2008-02-27 Barry Callebaut Ag Composition
BRPI0911983A2 (pt) 2008-05-15 2015-07-28 Barry Callebaut Ag Método para processamento de feijões de cacau
AP2011005764A0 (en) 2008-11-28 2011-06-30 Archer Daniels Midland Co Method of washing cocoa beans to improve the quality of the cocoa products obtained from such beans.

Family Cites Families (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR656410A (fr) * 1928-01-16 1929-05-07 Procédé et dispositif pour la préparation de fèves fraîches de cacao
US2428802A (en) * 1943-09-01 1947-10-14 Rockwood & Co Process of treating cocoa beans
FR980556A (fr) * 1948-06-22 1951-05-15 Gen Foods Corp Perfectionnements aux procédés de traitement du cacao vert et au produit ainsi obtenu
CH307956A (de) * 1951-11-12 1955-06-30 Friedrich Dr Kaden Oskar Verfahren zur Herstellung einer Kakaomasse.
GB825103A (en) * 1956-05-01 1959-12-09 Gordon Albert Gray A new or improved machine for drying and polishing cocoa beans
US3904777A (en) * 1970-07-21 1975-09-09 Nabisco Inc Process for continuously producing a roasted cocoa mass and for manufacturing a chocolate mass
DD221632A1 (de) * 1983-12-22 1985-05-02 Nagema Veb K Verfahren und vorrichtung zum kontinuierlichen herstellen von geroesteter kakaomasse
DE3420591A1 (de) * 1984-06-01 1986-02-06 Noe Lausanne Drevici Verfahren und vorrichtung zur aufbereitung von kakao- und kaffeebohnen

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO9733484A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU2102697A (en) 1997-10-01
ID16225A (id) 1997-09-11
GB9605076D0 (en) 1996-05-08
OA10844A (en) 2003-02-05
BR9707970A (pt) 2000-01-04
WO1997033484A1 (fr) 1997-09-18
AP9801309A0 (en) 1998-09-30

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