Roadmap of cocoa quality and authenticity control in the industry: A review of conventional and alternative methods.

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) and its derivatives are appreciated for their aroma, color, and healthy properties, and are commodities of high economic value worldwide. Wide ranges of conventional methods have been used for years to guarantee cocoa quality. Recently, however, demand for global cocoa and the requirements of sensory, functional, and safety cocoa attributes have changed. On the one hand, society and health authorities are increasingly demanding new more accurate quality control tests, including not only the analysis of physicochemical and sensory parameters, but also determinations of functional compounds and contaminants (some of which come in trace quantities). On the other hand, increased production forces industries to seek quality control techniques based on fast, nondestructive online methods. Finally, an increase in global cocoa demand and a consequent rise in prices can lead to future cases of fraud. For this reason, new analytes, technologies, and ways to analyze data are being researched, developed, and implemented into research or quality laboratories to control cocoa quality and authenticity. The main advances made in destructive techniques focus on developing new and more sensitive methods such as chromatographic analysis to detect metabolites and contaminants in trace quantities. These methods are used to assess cocoa quality; study new functional properties; control cocoa authenticity; or detect frequent emerging frauds. Regarding nondestructive methods, spectroscopy is the most explored technique, which is conducted within the near infrared range, and also within the medium infrared range to a lesser extent. It is applied mainly in the postharvest stage of cocoa beans to analyze different biochemical parameters or to assess the authenticity of cocoa and its derivatives.

Non-volatile and volatile composition of West African bulk and Ecuadorian fine-flavor cocoa liquor and chocolate.

Cocoa products are obtained from the seeds of Theobroma cacao L. In this research, cocoa liquor and chocolate produced from cocoa beans from West Africa (Forastero, "bulk" cacao) and Ecuador (Nacional variety, "fine-flavor" cacao), were investigated, using a novel approach in which various analytical techniques are combined in order to obtain in-depth knowledge of the studied cocoa samples. The levels of various classes of primary metabolites were determined and a wide range of secondary metabolites, including volatile organic acids, aldehydes, esters, pyrazines, polyphenols, methylxanthines and biogenic amines, were identified and/or quantified by HS-SPME GC-MS (headspace-solid phase microextraction gas chromatography - mass spectrometry). and UPLC-HRMS (ultra-performance liquid chromatography - high resolution mass spectrometry). Odor Activity Values (OAV) were calculated to assess the contribution of individual volatiles on the final aroma. Various volatile aroma compounds were more abundant in the West African cocoa liquor and chocolate, while the Ecuadorian samples were richer in most quantified non-volatile metabolites. Principal component analysis (PCA) confirmed that the four samples can be clearly distinguished. Alcohols, pyrazines, amino acids and biogenic amines were found to be highly influential in causing this differentiation. The proposed approach can be useful in future studies on more extensive cocoa sample collections, in order to highlight similarities and pinpoint typical differences in chemical composition among these samples.

Changes in Antioxidants and Sensory Properties of Italian Chocolates and Related Ingredients Under Controlled Conditions During an Eighteen-Month Storage Period.

BACKGROUND: While there has been an increasing interest in the health properties of chocolate, limited research has looked into the changes of antioxidants occurring in the time span from production to the best before date, which was a period of 18 months in this study. METHODS: Humidity, ash, pH, acidity, fiber, carotenoids, retinols, tocopherols, sugars, proteins, theobromine, caffeine, polyphenols, fats, the peroxide value, organic acids, and volatile compounds, along with the sensory profile, were monitored at 18-week intervals for 18 months under conditions simulating a factory warehouse or a point of sale. RESULTS: At the end of the storage period, more polyphenols were lost (64% and 87%) than vitamin E (5% and 14%) in cocoa mass and cocoa powder, respectively. Conversely, a greater loss in vitamin E (34% and 86%) than in polyphenols (19% and 47%) was shown in the hazelnut paste and gianduja chocolate, respectively. The sensory profiling of cocoa mass, cocoa powder, and hazelnut paste revealed increases in grittiness and astringency, as well as decreases in melting, bitterness, and toasted aroma. Moreover, in the hazelnut paste and gianduja chocolate, oiliness increased with a toasted and caramel aroma. Furthermore, dark chocolate was more gritty, acidic, and bitter. Milk chocolate lost its nutty aroma but maintained its sweetness and creaminess. CONCLUSIONS: These results should contribute an important reference for companies and consumers, in order to preserve the antioxidants and understand how antioxidants and sensory properties change from the date of production until the best before date.

Effects of a Smartphone-Based Approach-Avoidance Intervention on Chocolate Craving and Consumption: Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Repeatedly pushing high-calorie food stimuli away based on joystick movements has been found to reduce approach biases toward these stimuli. Some studies also found that such avoidance training reduced consumption of high-calorie foods. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to test effects of a smartphone-based approach-avoidance intervention on chocolate craving and consumption, to make such interventions suitable for daily use. METHODS: Within a 10-day period, regular chocolate eaters (n=105, 86% female) performed five sessions during which they continuously avoided (ie, swiped upward) chocolate stimuli (experimental group, n=35), performed five sessions during which they approached and avoided chocolate stimuli equally often (placebo control group, n=35), or did not perform any training sessions (inactive control group, n=35). Training effects were measured during laboratory sessions before and after the intervention period and further continuously through daily ecological momentary assessment. RESULTS: Self-reported chocolate craving and consumption as well as body fat mass significantly decreased from pre- to postmeasurement across all groups. Ecological momentary assessment reports evidenced no differences in chocolate craving and consumption between intervention days and rest days as a function of the group. CONCLUSIONS: A smartphone-based approach-avoidance training did not affect eating-related and anthropometric measures over and above measurement-based changes in this study. Future controlled studies need to examine whether other techniques of modifying food approach tendencies show an add-on benefit over conventional, monitoring-based intervention effects. TRIAL REGISTRATION: AsPredicted 8203; https://aspredicted.org/pt9df.pdf.

The challenges and perspectives of the selection of starter cultures for fermented cocoa beans.

Fermentation is an essential process step to develop precursor compounds for aroma and flavour characteristics of chocolate, as well as preventing germination of the cocoa bean. Despite the importance of the role of microorganisms during the chocolate production, to date, there are some discrepancies of the "cocobiota" community found during fermentation and the impact of starter culture in fermented cocoa beans. This review provides both a detailed overview of the starter cultures used in fermented cocoa beans and the microbial diversity involved during this process, and an in-depth discussion of the methods used to identify these microorganisms. In this review, we included only published articles from 2008 to 2018 in English language. A total of forty-seven studies contributed to the description of the cocobiota from 13 different countries. In detail, we observed that the most common fermentation method used is the wooden box, followed by heap. Interestingly, 37% of the studies cited in this review did not mention the type of cocoa variety studied. Most of the techniques used to identify the microbiota are fingerprinting based (DGGE); however, few studies have been using next-generation technologies to elucidate the possible functions and interactions among microbes. Our results showed a greater diversity of yeasts if compared with bacterial involved in the fermentation. This review will help researchers seeking to design starter cultures to drive cocoa bean fermentation, and thus achieve a homogenous mass of fermented cocoa beans as well as serve as a guide for assessing methodologies for the identification of microorganisms.

Incongruências no regulamento técnico para chocolate e produtos de cacau que interferem na qualidade do chocolate brasileiro e na saúde do consumidor / Incongruities in the technical regulations for chocolate and cocoa products that interfere with Brazilian chocolate quality and consumer health

[{"text": "O chocolate no Brasil é produzido com padrões inferiores às normas internacionais\r\ndo Codex Alimentarius, que estipulou para a sua composição,em\r\n1981, um índice mínimo de 35% de sólidos de cacau, atribuindo não menos\r\nde 18% para manteiga de cacau e 14% para massa de cacau. A Agência\r\nNacional de Vigilância Sanitária, como órgão responsável pela elaboração\r\ne publicação das normas brasileiras referentes ao chocolate e produtos de\r\ncacau, adotou em 2005 o índice mínimo de 25%, não especificando taxasaos\r\nsubprodutos, gerando especulações. Diante de metodologia básica e aplicada,\r\no presente trabalho baseou-se na leitura e análise de leis, projetos de\r\nlei, normas, relatórios de pesquisa, publicações em periódicos, dissertações,\r\nteses, entre outros, apoiada em pesquisa bibliográfica virtual,paraverificare\r\nindicaras incongruências no Regulamento Técnico para Chocolate e Produtos\r\nde Cacau contidas na RDC 264. Faz parte do objetivo deste estudo tentar\r\nevidenciaras consequências da Resolução para a saúde do consumidor, para\r\na qualidade do chocolate nacional\r\ne para a credibilidade da ANVISA\r\ncomo órgão promotor da qualidade\r\ne segurança alimentar. Pretende-se\r\ntambém apoiar a aprovação de Projetos\r\nde Lei que tramitam pelo Congresso\r\nNacional, que têm como objetivo\r\no ajuste da RDC 264 através\r\nde propostas de atualização do seu\r\nRegulamento Técnico, embasadasnas\r\nnormas de reconhecimento internacional,\r\nem prol da qualidade do\r\nchocolate nacional, do consumidor e\r\ndo comércio global.(AU)", "_i": "pt"}]