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Traceability in the cocoa bean trade is vital to ensuring quality. In this study, a handheld near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy was attempted for rapid and nondestructive regional and geographical classification of...

Cocoa bean is the seed obtained from the pod of a tree crop botanically referred to as Theobroma cacao L. It is a famous cash crop with beneficial nutritional and valuable medicinal characteristics. Cocoa has fascinated the world for so many years and is a big component of chocolate and other confectionary foodstuffs. Some of the valuable medicinal benefits of cocoa include enhancement of brain and heart health, reduction in inflammation, control of weight and blood sugar, and development of healthy skin and teeth (Di Castelnuovo et al., 2012). Studies show that cocoa bean contains polyphenols, flavonoids, and procyanidin and it is an intensive source of antioxidants properties that can reduce blood clots and the risk of stroke and cardiovascular attacks (Cooper et al., 2008). Quality valuation