Leading cocoa producer Barry Callebaut has discovered the specific bacteria responsible for flavor creation during extensive research into cocoa bean fermentation - enabling the company to produce better quality chocolate in the future.

[More:]

The chocolate maker teamed up with the University of Brussels to investigate the cocoa bean fermentation process. They were attempting to make production more efficient, improve product quality and learn about flavor, aroma and how these relate to processing techniques.

Researchers discovered that fermentation quality is linked to lactic and acetic acid bacteria breaking down citric acid and sugars. The process by which the bacteria resisted acid and tolerated alcohol and heat impacted on the taste of the chocolate created.

Barry Callebaut innovation manager Herwig Bernaert said: "Studying the microbiological and biochemical reactions that occur during the fermentation process of the cocoa bean helps to increase our knowledge. With these new findings we can further influence our entire chocolate-making process."

Pages: 1 2 3