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Relationship between physicochemical properties of roasted cocoa beans and climate patterns quality and safety implications – database

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posted on 2025-01-15, 12:14 authored by Federman Betancourt-Sambony, Yeison Fernando Barrios-Rodríguez, Maria Elena Medina-Orjuela, Nelson Gutiérrez-Guzmán, Claudia Milena Amorocho-Cruz, Carlos Edwin Carranza, Joel Giron HernandezJoel Giron Hernandez

The characteristics of Theobroma cacao beans are strongly influenced by factors such as climate, origin, processing methods, and plant genotype. This study aimed to explore the relationship between the physicochemical properties of roasted cacao beans—specifically, their quality and chemical safety—and the environmental factors of their origin, using multivariate analysis techniques. Samples from various cocoa roasters were analyzed for water activity, moisture, fat content, pH, color, total phenols, antioxidant capacity, and levels of theobromine, caffeine, and neo-formed contaminants (NFCs) like acrylamide, hydroxymethylfurfural, furfuryl alcohol, and 2-furoic acid. Additionally, mid-infrared spectroscopy was employed to assess the chemical composition of the beans. Multivariate methods were then used to identify correlations between the physicochemical characteristics of the analyzed samples and the climatic conditions of their origin. The results showed that NFCs, fat content, and bioactive compounds (phenols and caffeine) were key differentiators. Beans from regions with high rainfall (2000-2500 mm/year) and mild temperatures (15-18 °C) exhibited higher levels of color, a higher theobromine-to-caffeine ratio, fats, acidity, and antioxidant properties, while beans from drier regions (1000-1500 mm/year) had lower levels of these characteristics. Finally, this study identified patterns showing how physicochemical properties, bioactive compounds, and NFCs influence the safety and quality of roasted cacao beans.

Funding

NERC Cross-disciplinary Research for Discovery Sciences (NE/X018229/1) "Exploring alkaline extracts from food biowaste as building-blocks for Layer-by-Layer assembly

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