BACKGROUND Unsweetened natural cocoa has antimalarial properties. Unsweetened natural cocoa powder (UNCP), obtained as a result of the removal of cocoa butter from a cocoa bean protects against malaria episodes. Cocoa powder, which is prepared after removal of the cocoa butter, contains about 1.9 % theobromine and 0.21 % caffeine. Concomitant consumption of cocoa and artemether/lumefantrine (A/...

The characteristic flavor of chocolate has to be developed in several processing steps. During processing, the components are mixed, refined, and conched to attain desired rheological properties for a final defined product texture and melting characteristics. A conche is a scraped-surface mixer that optimizes flavor development and turns chocolate mass into a flowable liquid. Through shear and ...

Chocolate is often labeled with percent cocoa solids content. It is assumed that higher cocoa solids contents are indicative of higher polyphenol concentrations, which have potential health benefits. However, cocoa solids include polyphenol-free cocoa butter and polyphenol-rich nonfat cocoa solids (NFCS). In this study the strength of the relationship between NFCS content (estimated by theobrom...

2 CONTENTS 3 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 4 1 RATIONALE – BACKGROUND 5 2 OBJECTIVE 6 3 METHOD DESCRIPTION 6 4 PARTICIPANTS 8 4.1 Co-ordination of the validation study 8 4.2 Preparation and distributing of the test samples 8 4.3 Homogeneity tests 8 4.4 Measurements 8 4.5 Collation and statistical evaluation of results 9 5 TEST SAMPLES 9 5.1 Homogeneity study 10 6 THE VALIDATION STUDY 10 6.1 Design of t...

An analytical approach for the determination of milk fat and cocoa butter equivalents in milk chocolate is presented. By performing a single triacylglycerol analysis using gas liquid chromatography several useful pieces of information can be determined, i.e., (i) the milk fat content of the chocolate sample, (ii) the contribution of triacylglycerols originating from milk fat, (iii) the presence...

Numerous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are carcinogenic, making their presence in foods and the environment a health concern. This study assessed the contamination and or/ formation of PAHs in cocoa butter as affected by their cocoa bean drying methods. Three major drying methods were evaluated, including full sundrying, full artificial drying and the drying combination of sundrying f...