ABSTRACT
Cocoa beans are the principal raw material for chocolate manufacture. Fermentation and drying are critical processes during which the beans develop the flavour precursors that generate into distinctive chocolate flavour notes during subsequent manufacturing processes such as roasting and conching. The technique of pod storage as a method of pulp pre-conditioning has been found to cause reduction in nib acidification and increase in flavour notes in Malaysian cocoa beans. However, the extent to which this technique would influence the quality of Ghanaian beans still remains unknown. This study investigated the effect of pod storage (pulp pre-conditioning) and fermentation on the chemical, physicochemical, biochemical and fermentative quality of Ghanaian cocoa beans (mixed hybrids of Forastero). Chemical analysis on the samples revealed that fermentation and increasing pod storage result in decreases in ash, protein and fat content of Ghanaian cocoa beans. Carbohydrate content, however, increased with similar treatments. Amongst the minerals studied, potassium was the most abundant mineral followed by magnesium, phosphorus and calcium in both the fermented and unfermented cocoa beans. Fermentation and increasing pulp pre-conditioning of the beans increased the copper content whereas iron and magnesium levels decreased progressively.
