Mass Balance and Compositional Analysis of Biomass Outputs from Cacao Fruits

Abstract

The global chocolate value chain is based exclusively on cacao beans (CBs). With few exceptions, most CBs traded worldwide are produced under a linear economy model, where only 8 to 10% of the biomass ends up in chocolate-related products. This contribution reports the mass balance and composition dynamics of cacao fruit biomass outputs throughout one full year of the crop cycle. This information is relevant because future biorefinery developments and the efficient use of cacao fruits will depend on reliable, robust, and time-dependent compositional and mass balance data. Cacao husk (CH), beans (CBs), and placenta (CP) constitute, as dry weight, 8.92 ± 0.90 wt %, 8.87 ± 0.52 wt %, and 0.57 ± 0.05 wt % of the cacao fruit, respectively, while moisture makes up most of the biomass weight (71.6 ± 2.29 wt %). CH and CP are solid lignocellulosic outputs. Interestingly, the highest cellulose and lignin contents in CH coincide with cacao’s primary harvest season (October to January). CB contains carbohydrates, fats, protein, ash, and phenolic compounds. The total polyphenol content in CBs is time-dependent, reaching maxima values during the harvest seasons. In addition, the fruit contains 4.13 ± 0.80 wt % of CME, a sugar- and nutrient-rich liquid output, with an average of 20 wt % of simple sugars (glucose, fructose, and sucrose), in addition to minerals (mainly K and Ca) and proteins. The total carbohydrate content in CME changes dramatically throughout the year, with a minimum of 10 wt % from August to January and a maximum of 29 wt % in March.

Exploring the chemical composition and coloring qualities of cacao fruit epicarp extracts

“…Interestingly, polyphenols in CHE from clone CCN-51 are almost three times higher than in dry cacao beans (47.31 ± 8.03 mg EGA per g bean) from the same clone. 7 …”

“…The fruits were processed in the lab to obtain cacao pod husks (CHs), cacao beans (CBs), cacao mucilage exudate (CME), and cacao placenta (CP) as previously described. 7 The epicarp, corresponding to a 2–5 mm thick outer layer of the fruit, was immediately removed from the fresh CHs. The epicarp samples were placed in cold water (10 °C), frozen, lyophilized and ground in a ball mill.…”

“…60 Secondary ionization occurs by change-exchange reactions where neutral analytes (A) transfer an electron to the matrix primary ions to form radical cations (A + c) and a matrix neutral molecule (M), eqn (6). The reactions associated with secondary ionization are only possible if the analyte's ionization energy (IE) is lower than the matrix's, eqn (7). 62 M !…”

“…Material's circularity in cacao beans (CB) production is only 8 to 10 wt% of the fruit, with the remaining percentage represented by cacao pod husk (CH), cacao mucilage exudate (CME), cacao placenta (CP), and cacao bean shell (CBS). 7,8 CH makes up 67 to 76 wt% of the fruit; 9 in other words, 10 tonnes of CH are produced for each tonne of dry CBs. 10 Cacao bean harvesting is manually intensive, involving opening the cacao fruit, extracting the beans, and discarding the CH right by the crop.…”

Influence of temperature and pH during cacao mucilage exudate concentration on cacao syrup composition

“…During the fermentation or washing of CBs, the mucilage and its leachate are removed (de Souza et al ., 2018; Muhlbauer & Muller, 2020). Currently, the beans (8–10 wt% of the fruit) are the only product from cacao fruits processing; the remaining 90% of the cacao fruit is considered residual biomass (Vergara‐Mendoza et al ., 2022).…”