CocoaFerm

The large amount of by-products in the cocoa supply chain and the volatility of cocoa bean prices in recent years have significant environmental and economic consequences for farmers. Sustainable agriculture and the utilization of by-products such as cocoa pulp can help to alleviate these problems. The aim of CocoaFerm is to investigate alternative processing and stabilization strategies for partially de-pulped cocoa beans and the valorization of the resulting cocoa pulp.

The impact on fermentation will be investigated by partially de-pulping the beans, taking into account that the proportion of remaining pulp does not affect the quality of the beans. After screening a variety of Amazonian pods, the stabilization of cocoa pulp will be investigated by either conventional treatments or non-thermal technologies, considering variations in time and temperature. Cocoa beans will be studied for their impact on chocolate processing in Brazil, and physical properties of cocoa liquor will be analyzed in Germany (WP 2). Stabilized cocoa pulp will be fermented with a variety of selected basidiomycetes, taking into account the adjustment of fermentation settings and the analysis of toxins (WP 3). The fermented pulp will be separated into solid and liquid fractions using different separation technologies. The fermented fractions will be stabilized, evaluated for quality characteristics and used for the development of fermented beverages or puffed fruit snacks. Key aroma-active compounds will be identified by a combination of sensory evaluation, instrumental analysis and human olfactometry. A trained panel will perform sensory evaluation of the cocoa fractions as well as the developed products to ensure high quality end products. WP 4 will cover the development of a drying process to obtain cocoa pulp powders using different technologies, e.g. microwave vacuum expansion technology and foam mat drying.

WP 5 will provide an economic feasibility assessment and proof of concept for companies and SMEs not only to utilize the huge amounts of cocoa pulp by-products produced annually, but also to develop valuable ingredients and products that can be placed in the growing market segments of healthy and aromatic beverages, puffed snacks and food products such as chocolate or powder.