Author(s): Moreno-Rojas, José Manuel ; Yadira Erazo Solorzano, Cyntia ; Tuárez García, Diego Armando ; Pereira-Caro, Gema ; Ordóñez Díaz, José Luis ; Muñoz–Redondo, José Manuel ; Rodríguez Solana, Raquel
Date: 2023
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.1/19822
Origin: Sapientia - Universidade do Algarve
Subject(s): Theobroma cacao L.; Preconditioning; Volatiles; Pre-drying process; Aroma quality; HS-SPME-GC -MS
Aiming to improve the quality of cocoa, preconditioning of cocoa after harvesting and before fermentation has become an on-farm processing step of great interest in recent times. The present work aimed to evaluate the influence of a pre-drying process on the volatile composition of Ecuadorian bulk (Forastero and CCN-51) and fine-flavour (ETT103 and LR14) cocoa at the end of primary processing. A total of 63 volatile compounds including aldehydes, alcohols, acids, ketones, esters, terpenes, lactones and other miscellaneous compounds were identified in cocoa samples by HS-SPME-GC-MS. The use of a pre-drying step revealed a varietal homogenization and a reduction in the fermentation time, making this preconditioning step an inexpensive and attractive option for farmers. Moreover, different varietal behaviour was observed after pre-drying, the fine-flavour varieties obtaining a clear improvement in aromatic quality with higher levels of compounds imparting positive notes.
