Review of Related Literature

What is cacao?

Cacao (Theobroma cacao) differs greatly from what most have experienced in the form
of processed chocolate. Cacao is a very interesting in that it has the most complex make up of
any known natural food source. Nibs and beans have even higher concentrations of antioxidants
and can be fun to have around and can be put to good use making granola and other goodies (use
them as a replacement for chocolate chips). The fruit, called a cacao pod, is ovoid, 15–30 cm (6–
12 in) long and 8–10 cm (3–4 in) wide, ripening yellow to orange, and weighs about 500 g (1 lb)
when ripe. The pod contains 20 to 60 seeds, usually called "beans", embedded in a white pulp.
The seeds are the main ingredient of chocolate [ CITATION Dep15 \l 1033 ]

Cocoa beans weighs 0.593 gram per cubic centimeter or 593 kilogram per cubic meter,
i.e. density of beans, cocoa is equal to 593 kg/m³. In Imperial or US customary measurement
system, the density is equal to 37 pound per cubic foot [lb/ft³], or 0.343 ounce per cubic inch
[oz/inch³] [ CITATION Bul14 \l 1033 ].

Mechanism of Cacao Roaster

Cocoa beans (Theobroma cacao L.) roasting modifies the precursor compounds of flavor
and aromas of origin, those formed during fermentation and drying (postharvest treat-ment).
Roasting involves complex chemical transformations, attributed to Maillard reactions,
caramelization of sugars, protein degradation, and synthesis of sulfur compounds. During
roasting, some compounds increase in concentration, the volatile fraction decreases, and new
compounds are formed. Moisture loss and chemical reactions suffered by the beans in the
roasting process affect the color, volume, mass, shape, bead pop, pH, density, and especially
volatile compounds and flavour [ CITATION Joa19 \l 1033 ].

Cocoa beans are dry roasted primarily to achieve a certain flavor, but not to control microbial
hazards related to raw beans. Due to the required temperatures to produce the desired flavors
(110–140°C at exit of roasting), the microbial load of the beans is significantly reduced
(Penaloza-Izurieta et al., 2008). However, to be established as a control point for microbial
hazards, a consistent, validated reduction of pathogenic microorganisms has to be achieved. This
is a big challenge in dry roasting operations where many variables influence the kill effect during
processing: fluctuating incoming moisture of the beans, heating transfer by air flow, partially
broken beans and residence times in roaster [ CITATION Yas15 \l 1033 ].

The cocoa beans are roasted in roasters, on grills or in large rotating drums using hot air.
At temperatures between 130 and 150°C, the beans develop their typical roasted cocoa aroma
and dark brown color. The beans' water content and microflora continue to drop. During this
step, the shells come loose and separate from the kernels. Depending on the intended level of
roasting, this process can take between 10 and 35 minutes. The roasting time depends not only
on the size and variety of the coffee beans but also on their quality. Bulk cocoa is roasted at
slightly higher temperatures than fine or flavor cocoa. Afterwards the beans cool down and are
ready for the next step in their processing: deshelling and breaking [ CITATION Mic161 \l 1033 ].

During cocoa beans roasting, there are physicochemical changes that develop the chocolate
quality attributes. Roasting systems have a particular influence on the development of these
characteristics, and the effects of operation variables for each system must be evaluated. Cocoa
beans were roasted as a function with a central rotatable design with 2 ² + 5 central points and 4
axial points ( - 1.414, - 1, 0, +1, and +1,414) and a response surface methodology was applied.
Temperature and time levels were 110–170°C and 5–65 minutes, respectively. The effect of the
variables was nonlinear and modeled with a second-order response polynomial. Roasting time
and temperature presented a significative effect ( p<0.05 ) on the response variables except for
both TPC and DPPH radical capacity in aqueous extract [ CITATION Mar19 \l 1033 ]

There are different roasting methods that could be categorized as either batch or
continuous modes, direct or indirect heating, and under dry or wet conditions. Table 1 showed
the Independent variables and their levels in central composite design.

Table 1. Independent variables and their levels in central composite design

The Ivory Coast cocoa beans were roasted in a convective oven at 110, 135 and 150°C, at the air
flow rate of 1.0m/s and relative air humidity (RH) of 0.8–0.4%, 2.0% and 5.0%. Pigmentation
expressed as both OD460/OD525 and a ratio of anthocyanins to yellow and brown pigments
(F1/F3) and water content were assayed throughout cocoa roasting. The experiments provided
evidence that higher humidity of air (particularly of 5.0%) was beneficial to the color of roasted
cocoa beans. The beans roasted at 135 and 150°C displayed desired coloration (OD460/OD525
above 1.1, and F1/F3 below 0.33) [ CITATION Gia16 \l 1033 ].

The longer the roasting time and higher roasting temperature, the greater the moisture
loss. This finding is supported by García-Alamilla et al. (2017) who roasted cocoa bean in their
study where they found the moisture content of the cocoa bean were reduced when roasting
temperature and time increased due to the evaporation of moisture during roasting.

The roasting step process is conducted to reduce moisture, which might have an influence
on the reactions that develop organoleptic properties, such as flavor, aroma, and color, in sum
with another physicochemical changes of the intrinsic properties, such as the temperature of
crystallization. All of these factors define the bean quality. In addition to the characteristics
mentioned above, roasting reduces volatile compounds and tannins that are produced during
fermentation. The simulation of the roasting process through mathematical models is a widely
used tool, since it helps to minimize operating problems, such as high energy consumption. It is
necessary to use mathematical equations for the simulation and modelling of the kinetics of mass
or moisture transfer, which are a function of the different conditions applied, while bearing in
mind that any study carried out in simulation has to be validated to control the drying and/or
roasting process [ CITATION Ley19 \l 1033 ].

In general, cocoa is roasted at about half the temperature (100-120 degrees Celsius) and for about
twice the time (25-35 minutes). It is more gentle process. The cocoa bean is very brittle and it is
important to produce as little broken beans as possible to make further processing efficient and
delicate [ CITATION SMA16 \l 1033 ].
What is thermostat?

A thermostat is a device that switches a system or motor on or off according to the

temperature. Thermostats are used, for example, in central heating systems and fridges. A
thermostat is simply the controls used to regulate temperature in a heating system. You can set a
preferred temperature, and the thermostat works to keep your room or boiler at this desired level. If
the home starts to drop in temperature, a thermostat switches the heating on to warm it up. After the
interior temperature has reached the set point, the thermostat works to switch off the heating to
prevent you from getting overheated [ CITATION Mar15 \l 1033 ].

A traditional thermostat has two pieces of different metals bolted together to form what’s
called a bimetallic strip (or bimetal strip). The strip works as a bridge in an electrical circuit
connected to your heating system. Normally the “bridge is down”, the strip carries electricity
through the circuit, and the heating is on. When the strip gets hot, one of the metals expands
more than the other so the whole strip bends very slightly. Eventually, it bends so much that it
breaks open the circuit. The “bridge is up”, the electricity instantly switches off, the heating cuts
out, and the room starts to cool [ CITATION The17 \l 1033 ].