Agricultural products quality determination by means of near infrared spectroscopy

Cocoa is one of main agricultural products cultivated in many tropical countries and processed onto several derivative products. To determine cocoa beans qualities, laboratory procedures based on solvent extractions were mainly used, however most of them are destructive and may cause environmental pollutions. The main purpose of this present study is to employ near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for rapid and non-destructive assessment of cocoa beans in form of fat content. Near infrared spectral data of cocoa bean samples were measured as diffuse reflectance in wavelength range from 1000 to 2500 nm. Reference fat contents were measured using standard laboratory methods. Prediction models were developed using principal component regression with raw and baseline corrected spectra data. The results showed that fat contents of cocoa beans can be predicted and determined with maximum correlation coefficient (r) of 0.89 and ratio prediction to deviation (RPD) index of 2.87 for raw spectra and r of 0.91, RPD of 3.18 for baseline spectra correction. It may conclude that NIRS was feasible to be applied as a rapid and non-destructive method for cocoa bean quality assessment.

Performance of cocoa beans production modelling in Indonesia

Cocoa beans production Indonesia has decline in recent years but demand for cocoa beans relatively increase. This research aims to analyse the modelling of cocoa beans production in Indonesia. This research used secondary data from 2005-2018, with simultaneous equation models. The results of this research indicate that the production of cocoa beans has a positive relationship with land area, international price of cocoa beans and lag of cocoa beans production, while the price of domestic cocoa beans has a negative relationship with cocoa beans production. Domestic demand for cocoa beans has a positive relationship with domestic price of cocoa beans and the cocoa processing industry. Domestic price of cocoa beans has a positive relationship with domestic demand for cocoa beans, international price of cocoa beans and lag domestic price of cocoa beans, while cocoa beans production has a negative relationship with domestic cocoa bean prices.

Aroma Properties of Cocoa Fruit Pulp from Different Origins

Cocoa pulp occurs as a by-product of cocoa bean production and can be repurposed to different food applications, such as jams, fruit preparations and beverages, improving the sustainability of cocoa production, as well as the livelihoods of cocoa farmers. In this work, aroma-active compounds of fresh cocoa fruit pulps from different origins were investigated by applying aroma extract dilution analyses in combination with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/olfactometry for identification. In total, 65 aroma-active compounds were determined in four different pulps originating from Indonesia, Vietnam, Cameroon, and Nicaragua. Vietnamese pulp showed the highest number of aroma-active regions, while Cameroonian pulp accounted for the lowest. Moreover, Cameroonian cocoa pulp showed the lowest FD factors. Overall, the odorants with the highest FD factors were trans-4,5-epoxy-(E)-decenal, 2- and 3-methylbutanoic acid, 3-(methylthio)propanal, 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine, (E,E)-2,4-nonadienal, (E,E)-2,4-decadienal, 4-vinyl-2-methoxyphenol, δ-decalactone, 3-hydroxy-4,5-dimethylfuran-2(5H)-one, dodecanoic acid, and linalool. This study provides insights into the aroma composition of fresh cocoa pulp from different origins for future food applications.

Chemical and Skincare Property Characterization of the Main Cocoa Byproducts: Extraction Optimization by RSM Approach for Development of Sustainable Ingredients

Methylxanthines and polyphenols from cocoa byproducts should be considered for their application in the development of functional ingredients for food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical formulations. Different cocoa byproducts were analyzed for their chemical contents, and skincare properties were measured by antioxidant assays and anti-skin aging activity. Musty cocoa beans (MC) and second-quality cocoa beans (SQ) extracts showed the highest polyphenol contents and antioxidant capacities. In the collagenase and elastase inhibition study, the highest effect was observed for the SQ extract with 86 inhibition and 36% inhibition, respectively. Among cocoa byproducts, the contents of catechin and epicatechin were higher in the SQ extract, with 18.15 mg/100 g of sample and 229.8 mg/100 g of sample, respectively. Cocoa bean shells (BS) constitute the main byproduct due to their methylxanthine content (1085 mg of theobromine and 267 mg of caffeine/100 g of sample). Using BS, various influencing factors in the extraction process were investigated by response surface methodology (RSM), before scaling up separations. The extraction process developed under optimized conditions allows us to obtain almost 2 g/min and 0.2 g/min of total methylxanthines and epicatechin, respectively. In this way, this work contributes to the sustainability and valorization of the cocoa production chain.

Peningkatan Kualitas Lemak Kakao dengan Penambahan Ekstrak Kulit Biji Kakao

<em>Cocoa bean shells (</em>Theobroma cacao L.<em>) are by-products of cocoa beans processing and are considered waste. However, cocoa bean shells are potential antioxidants due to their content of bioactive compounds. This study aimed to: (1) determine the polyphenol content of cocoa bean shell extract using three types of solvents, and (2) determine the effect of adding cocoa bean shell extract on changes in the quality of cocoa butter. This research was conducted at the Integrated Laboratory of Balittri, Sukabumi, West Java, from December 2020 to January 2021. This study used a completely randomized design (CRD) with several solvents: metanol 80%, ethanol 96%, and ethyl acetate 96%. Three extracts solutions were applied to cocoa butter stored for 12 months (control) with a volumes factor: 0,5; 1,5; and 2,5 ml/50 ml cocoa butter. The results showed that the total polyphenol value and antioxidant capacity of cocoa bean shells extract in ethanol and methanol solvents were not significantly different. The extract using methanol solvent had the highest total polyphenol value and antioxidant capacity compared to the other two solvents, </em><em>29,27±2,45 mgGAE/g and 19,55±5,52 mgGAEAC/g, respectively. The types of solvent were not significantly different in reducing acid number and peroxide value, but increasing the volume of cocoa bean shell extract reducing the acid number and peroxide values. The addition of 2.5 ml extract to cocoa butter that has been stored for 12 months could reduce the acid number and peroxide to below the value of fresh cocoa butter.</em>