Traceability, Authenticity and Sustainability of Cocoa and Chocolate Products: a Challenge for the Chocolate Industry

Cocoa beans, the seeds of the tree Theobroma cacao L., are the key raw material for chocolate production that implies an extensive post-harvest process. Chocolate properties can vary depending on cocoa origin, composition and manufacturing procedure, which will give unique sensory properties to the...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Pérez Bosch, Maria, López-Yerena, Anallely, Vallverdú i Queralt, Anna
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión aceptada para publicación
Fecha de publicación:2020
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
OAI Identifier:oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/173597
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/173597
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Cacau
Xocolata
Polifenols
Seguretat alimentària
Cocoa
Chocolate
Polyphenols
Food security
Descripción
Sumario:Cocoa beans, the seeds of the tree Theobroma cacao L., are the key raw material for chocolate production that implies an extensive post-harvest process. Chocolate properties can vary depending on cocoa origin, composition and manufacturing procedure, which will give unique sensory properties to the final product. On the other hand, the high global consumption of cocoa products, long recognized as a major source of dietary polyphenols with important health benefits, has increased interest in tracking the geographical origin of cocoa and authenticating chocolate to guarantee product quality and reveal possible commercial fraud. However, the sustainable production of high-quality cocoa is still far from reality, and the cocoa sector continues to face many challenges in this field. This review provides an update on the progress toward the authenticity, traceability and sustainability of cocoa products, issues that chocolate producers still need to resolve.