NT20803

Post Harvest HandlingTechnology

COCOA
Outline
• Introduction
• Classification of Cocoa
• Cocoa Structure
• Cocoa Beans Contents
• Harvesting of Cocoa Fruit (Cocoa Pod)
• Fermentation
• Drying Postharvest
• Storage & Packaging Handling
• Cocoa Quality & Grading
• Cocoa Problem (Losses)
Introduction
• Cocoa belongs to Theobroma genus, a family of
Sterculiaceae.

• A native of the Central and South American rainforests.

• Cocoa trees are now cultivated in many tropical

locations around the world.

• More than 20 species of cocoa, but only Theobroma

cacao L. are widely grown.
Introduction
• Cocoa planting was introduced in Southeast Asia
(Philippines) in the seventeenth centuries (1670) by the
Dutch and Spanish.

• The plant was then brought to Indonesia (Borneo Island

- Sabah) in the early eighteenth century.

• In Peninsular Malaysia, cocoa was first grown in Melaka

(1778).

• Cocoa Plantation in Malaysia has begun in Selangor

(Serdang) and Sabah (Silam).
Introduction
• Department of Agricultural (Malaysia) has conducted an
intensive research on cocoa cultivation, especially on
breeding and selection of cocoa seeds (1950).

• Until 1960, researchers in Sabah are able to cultivate

the ‘Upper Amazon’ species.

• The cocoa plantation areas increases every year started

from 1960 to 1988.

• The cocoa plantation areas decreases from 1989 to

2018.
 Cocoa Industry In Malaysia
Cultivated Area
• Commercial planting in Malaysia started in early 1950s and experienced
a growth that was accelerated by high prices of cocoa in the 1970s and
1980s.
• The cultivated area expanded to its peak at 414,236 hectares in 1989.
However, the persistent low prices started in early 1990s, have seen
the declining in hectareage especially in the plantation sector.
• The cocoa cultivated area in 2003 has been further revised downwards
to 45,364 hectares, which was about 5.56% lower as compared to the
previous year’s estimation of 48,035 hectares.
• The reduction in cultivation area was attributed to the planned
falling in the estate sector and the revision made on both the
estates and smallholders cocoa areas.
• From the total cultivated area in Malaysia, the abandoned cocoa
area accounting for 25.6%.
• With the reduction in the estate sector, the contribution and role of
the smallholding sector towards the cocoa industry in Malaysia has
become of more importance.
• Currently, the smallholding sector accounts for 66.0% of the total
cocoa hectareage.
• Regionally, Sabah still remain the major cocoa-growing centre
accounting for 59.3% of the total hectareage followed by
Peninsular Malaysia, 21.2% and Sarawak, 19.5%.
Classification of Cocoa
• There are three broad types of cocoa – Criollo,
Forastero, Trinitario, a hybrid of the two
(Amelonado).

• Criollo
Criollo is grown in Indonesia, Central and South America.
They have pods either red or yellow when ripe. The pod
wall is thin and easy to cut. The seeds are plump, round in
section, the fresh cotyledons either white or pale violet.

• Forastero (Amazonian Forasteros)

Producing the greater part of all cocoa grown, Forastero is
hardy and vigorous, producing beans with the strongest
flavour. The Forastero variety most widely grown in West
Africa and Brazil. It has a smooth yellow pod and pale
purple beans.
Classification of Cocoa
• Trinitario
Plants are not found in the wild as they are cultivated
hybrids of the other two types (Criollo + Forastero).
Trinitario cocoa trees are grown mainly in the Caribbean,
but also in Cameroon and Papua New Guinea. The mostly
hard pods contain 30 or more beans of variable colour,
though white beans are rare.

• Amelonado
The cocoa is believed to have originated in the Western
Africa, which is a homogeneous population. It has been
planted in most parts of the world.
 Cocoa Fruit

• Cocoa fruit (cocoa pod) can be differentiate

besed on size, shape and colour.
• Type / spesies – Criollo, Forastero,
Amelonado & Trinitario.
• 95% world cocoa production - Forestero &
hybrid.
• Pod colour changes from green to yellowish
when mature, another species from purple
to orange.
Structure of cocoa fruit

Epicarp

Endocarp

Mesokarp
• Cocoa fruit consist of 3 layers – epicarp, mesocarp and
endocarp.

• Endocarp – important part content of cocoa seed, the

most valuable part in cocoa. Normally each cocoa fruit
content 30-40 seeds.

• Fresh cocoa seed coated with white layer called pulp

that consists of bigger tubular cell.

• This pulp layer was harder in young cocoa fruit but turn
to softer when it ripen because of weakness binding
between cell make the endocarp softer and juiciness
with sweet and sour taste.
Embryo

1. Consist of 2 cotyledons dan reticle where cotyledon

consist 2 types of cell:
• Small cell – content starch and fat for storage
that consist major part of cotyledon.
• Big cell – content flavonoid, polyphenols
which give bitter taste to cocoa bean.
Cocoa Beans Content
 Ripe cocoa
pod

Harvesting

Removing
beans

Fermentation

Drying

Packaging

Cocoa processing flow chart

Pre-Harvesting of Cocoa
• It is important to make sure that only ripe pods be
picked.

• Most pods have distinctive color when ripe.

• Green podded Amelonado turns yellow; red pods

turn an orange or near orange color.

• Under ripe may not have sufficient sugar in the pulp

for successful fermentation.

• Over-ripe pods tend to become dry, and germination

of the beans may be induced.
Cooca
Maturation Index
Harvesting of Cocoa
• Harvesting involves removing ripe pods from the
trees and opening them to extract the wet beans.

• The pods are harvested manually by making a

clean cut (close to the tree) through the stalk with
a well sharpened blade.

• For pods high on the tree, a pruning hook type of

tool can be used, with a handle on the end of a
long pole (long-handled knife).
• By pushing or pulling according to the position of the
fruit, the upper and lower blades of the tool enable
the stalk to be cut cleanly without damaging the
branch that bears it.

• The pods are opened to remove the beans within a

week to 10 days after harvesting.

• The harvested pods are grouped together and split

either in or at the edge of the plantation.

• Sometimes the pods are transported to a fermenter

place before splitting.
• If the pods are opened in the planting areas, the
discarded husks can be distributed throughout the fields
to return nutrients to the soil.

• The best way of opening the pods is to use a wooden

club.

• If it strikes the central area of the pod, causes it to split

into two halves.

• It is then easy to remove the wet beans by hand.

• A cutting/harvesting tool is often used to split the pod,
though this can damage the beans.

• Some machinery has been developed for pod opening,

but smallholders in general carry out the process
manually.

• After extraction from the pod, the beans undergo a

fermentation and drying process before being bagged for
delivery.
Fermentation
• The fermentation is a process of releasing energy that
involve oxidation and degradation of substrate as a
result microorganisms activity such as yeasts, fungi and
bacteria.

• Organic acids, alcohol and gases will be produced as a

result of carbohydrate breakdown.

• The final result of fermentation will be the precursor of

cocoa flavour.
• Fermentation can be carried out in a variety of ways.

• All methods depend on removing the beans from the

pods and piling them together or in a box to allow
microorganisms to develop and initiate the fermentation
of the pulp surrounding the beans.

• The piles are covered by banana leaves.

• The fermentation process begins with the growth of

microorganisms.
• In particular, yeasts grow on the pulp surrounding the
beans.

• The yeasts convert the sugars in the pulp surrounding

the beans to ethanol.

• Bacteria then start to oxidize the ethanol to acetic acid

and then to carbon dioxide and water, producing more
heat and raising the temperature.
• The pulp starts to break down and drain away during
the second day.

• In anaerobic conditions, the alcohol converts to lactic

acid but, as the acetic acid more actively oxidizes the
alcohol to acetic acid, conditions become more aerobic
and halt the activity of lactic acid.

• The temperature is raised to 40ºC - 45ºC during the

first 48 hours of fermentation.

• In the remaining days, bacterial activity continues

under increasing aeration conditions, as the pulp drains
away and the temperature is maintained.
• The process of turning or mixing the beans increases
aeration and consequently bacterial activity.

• The acetic acid and high temperatures kill the cocoa

bean by the second day.

• The death of the bean causes cell walls to break down

and previously segregated substances to mix.
• This allows complex chemical changes to take place in
the bean such as enzyme activity, oxidation and the
breakdown of proteins into amino acids.

• These chemical reactions cause the chocolate flavour

and colour to develop.

• The length of fermentation varies depending on the

bean type, Forastero beans require about 5 days and
Criollo beans 2-3 days.
Fermentation – 2 major processes

1. Outer microbial process – at pulp level where

production of ethanol, acetic acid and heat will be
generated to kill the cocoa seed.
2. Internal autolysis – at cotyledon level involved
enzyme reaction in cocoa seed; glycosidase and
polyphenol oxidase
The importance of fermentation process:
1. Decompose the pulp and separate from cocoa
seed.
2. avoid cocoa bean germination by killing the seed
with lowering the pH < 3.7/3.8 (formation of acetic
acid) and increasing the temp. up to 45-50oC. This
activity will stabilized the cocoa fat and
contamination if the shell opened.
3. Produce cocoa precursor.
Fermentation Techniques
1. Platform - Ecuador
2. Basket or heap - Ghana, Africa
3. Rack - Venezuela
4. Boxes - Malaysia

Fermentation – Malaysia technique consider advance with

shallow box fermentation.

Normally up to 6 days with 2 times turn over to ensure

temperature and oxygen generated with even spread.

Microbial include yeast, lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid

bacteria that naturally involved in normal fermentation.
Photo : Shallow box fermentation MARDI
Shallow box fermentation (Fermentasi kotak cetek)
1st day: wet cocoa beans put into the
box with 33 cm height and cover with
plastic bag.
2nd day: leave the beans in the box.
3rd day: cocoa beans transferred
into another box with agitation
to ensure irritation happed to
ensure uniform fermentation
process.
4th day: leave the beans in the
box
5th day: cocoa beans transferred
into another box with agitation
process as similar to day 3rd.
6th day: leave the beans in the
box
7th day: cocoa beans separated
and
proceed to drying process.
• Flavour precursor caused by breaking of sugar into
ethanol and aldehydes.

• Best chocolate flavour will performed through

perfect fermentation process and slow drying
process.

• End of fermentation process – moisture content

raised up to 60%.

• Drying process need to reduced the moisture content

to 7.5%.

• > 7.5 – potential microorganism to grow and spoil

the seed
Drying
• Cocoa beans are dried after fermentation in order to
reduce the moisture content from about 60% to about
7.5%.

• Drying must be carried out carefully to ensure that off-

flavour are not developed.

• Drying should take place slowly.

• If the beans are dried too quickly some of the chemical

reactions started in the fermentation process are not
allowed to complete their work and the beans are
acidic, with a bitter flavour.
Drying
• However, if the drying is too slow, moulds and off
flavours can develop.

• Various research studies indicate that bean

temperatures during drying should not exceed 65ºC.

• There are two methods for drying beans - sun drying

and artificial drying.
Sun Drying
• The beans are transferred from fermenting-boxes and
spread on the concrete floor.
• The period of sun drying may take from one to two
weeks, depending on the whether.
• Cocoa seed also can spread onto drying rack to reduce
contamination and easier to handle.
• The moderate temperature make the drying process
suitable to produce good quality dried cocoa beans
with reddish brown in colour and shining.
Artificial Drying -Mechanical Drying
• Mechanical drying is rotating type dryer.

• Fermented cocoa beans put into dryer and hot air

will apply by using blower. Drying process undergo
2 phase.

• First phase: faster drying rate (velocity of hot air will

be controlled) at 65oC to allow the water
evaporation from cotyledon with shrink the cocoa
beans surface.

• Second phase: Slow drying rate (air dissemination)

at 80oC.
 Drying process
Mechanical drying method: fermented
cocoa beans put into dryer and hot air will
apply by using blower. Drying process
undergo 2 phase;
1phase: faster drying rate (velocity of hot air
will be controlled) at 65oC to allow the water
evaporation from cotyledon with shrink the
cocoa beans surface.
2phase: Slow drying rate (air dissemination) at
80oC.
 Quality control of
dried cocoa beans
 Moisture content - ~ 7.5%
 Cocoa beans morphology ~ well
separated individual bean (non
lumpy form)
 Nutrient composition ~ fat
Packaging
• Dried cocoa beans normally packed in gunny with
62.5 kg for each packing.

• Storage study showed this method can retained the

cocoa beans quality up to a year with proper storage
condition – no insect and controlled moisture content
environment.
 Cocoa Bean Grading
Grade Bean Mouldy Slaty Insect and
SMC (%) (%) germination
count
(100g)
SMC 1A ≤ 100 ≤ 3.0 ≤ 3.0 ≤ 2.5
SMC 1B >100 ≤ 110 ≤ 3.0 ≤ 3.0 ≤ 2.5
SMC 1C >110 ≤ 120 ≤ 3.0 ≤ 3.0 ≤ 2.5
SMC11A ≤ 100 ≤ 4.0 ≤ 8.0 ≤ 5.0
SMC11B >100 ≤ 110 ≤ 4.0 ≤ 8.0 ≤ 5.0
SMC11C >110 ≤120 ≤ 4.0 ≤ 8.0 ≤ 5.0
SS(sub-std) > 120 > 4.0 >8.0 > 5.0
 11

Dried cocoa Chocolate

beans
Raw material or semi
finished products derived
from cocoa
 1. Fresh cocoa bean –
anthocyanin (colouring agent)
 2. Dried cocoa bean –
commercial RM
 3. Semi finished product –
cocoa liquor, butter and
powder
 10

Cocoa beans Cocoa butter

Cocoa liquor Cocoa powder

Natural vs Alkalized Cocoa owde
p r
Alkalization (Dutching) makes a difference in the health value of
cocoa. A 2008 paper1 measured the ORAC (antioxidation efficacy), the
TP (total polyphenol content) and content of flavanols (procyanidins)
in natural cocoa (pH 5.39) and cocoa that was lightly alkalized (pH
6.5– 7.2), medium alkalized (pH 7.21–7.60) and heavily alkalized (pH
≥ 7.61).
The results showed that natural cocoas tend to group with the highest
total flavanols ranging from 22.86 to 40.25 mg/g. The lightly alkali
processed cocoa powders ranged from 8.76 to 24.65 mg/g total
flavanols, the medium alkali treated powders from 3.93 to 14.00
mg/g, and the heavily
alkali treated powders from 1.33 to
6.05 mg/g total flavanols. The natural
cocoas showed the highest levels of
ORAC and TP. Both antioxidant
capacity and TP were highly
negatively correlated with pH.
Milling/Grindings
• The cocoa grindings industry in Malaysia started in 1973
and has expanded rapidly in the 1980s.

• There are ten local grinding plants in Malaysia with a

total annual processing capacity of 260,000 tonnes.

• Currently, only 5 to 7 active cocoa grinders in Malaysia

because of lack in raw materials
• Cocoa grindings industry had produced 285,608
tonnes of cocoa in the form of liquefied cocoa, cocoa
butter and solid cocoa press cake for export and
domestic use.

• Local cocoa consumption was still low at 0.5kg per

capita compared to 3.5kg in developed countries He

• R&D - development for cocoa-based products, such

as heat resistant chocolate, compact make-up
products, cocoa bean pulp juice and pharmaceutical
products.
“The Malaysian Cocoa Board (LKM) will continue efforts to
increase not only productivity, but also the efficiency and
quality in cocoa cultivation.

“This includes incentives for smallholders to ensure

sufficient yield to meet the local industry’s grinding needs.

“Local industry players are also given assistance in the

form of training and grinding equipment to increase
productivity.

“Entrepreneurs under LKM produced RM11.9 million worth

of cocoa products in 2013, with some producing more
than 800kg of chocolate blocks a month.”
The supply of cocoa to local cocoa processors that require
300,000 tonnes each year bearing in mind Malaysia only
produced 3,630 tonnes of cocoa in 2012.

Ministry of Agriculture would continue to carry out policies

to strengthen and improve the competitiveness of the
national cocoa industry.

"This involves the development of networks in

development, research and commercialization towards
productivity, industry modernization focused on the use of
the latest technology and innovation and the creation of
new high value added products to fulfil the needs of the
market.
"As such the Ministry has targeted the expansion of 2,000
hectares of cocoa being planted each year for the period
2012 to 2020."

Mean the cocoa planting area would be increased from

20,543 hectares in 2011 to 40,000 hectares by 2020.

"This will contribute to the production of cocoa by as

much as 60,000 tonnes, where it will meet at least 20 per
cent of the national demand."
Thank you