A Review on the Potential Applications of Cocoa Shell in Food Industry

Abstract

Cocoa shell is one of the main by-products of cocoa beans. It is separated from the nibs and are disposed of, as it could affect the final quality of cocoa products. As a result, a high amount of waste can be produced during mass production of cocoa beans. Indonesia is one of the largest producers of cocoa beans, and thus hundreds of tonnes of cocoa shells being thrown away can be expected each year. Despite being considered waste, cocoa shells are actually nutritionally dense, containing high amounts of dietary fiber and polyphenols. Using the appropriate treatment to remove the naturally occurring mycotoxins in cocoa shells, this underutilized ingredient can have economical value when incorporated into food products. Some products that are included in this review, namely corn extruded snacks, butter biscuits, cooked beef, and a functional beverage, all show an increase in polyphenols and dietary fibers when cocoa shells were added. However, the main challenge of cocoa shell application lies in the sensory acceptability of the consumers. This paper summarizes the overview of the nutritional and chemical compositions of cocoa shell and its potential application in the food industry as a functional ingredient.

Physical characteristics of extrudates from wheat semolina enriched with cocoa bean shells

“…Cocoa bean shells (Figure 1) are one of the by-products of cocoa beans obtained in the chocolate industry and they are well known as waste [2,6]. Despite this fact it was established that cocoa bean shells are rich in dietary fibers and polyphenols and could be used as foodadditives or supplements of high nutritional value [7].…”

Sorption and mass exchange characteristics of extrudates enriched with cocoa bean shells

“…They are excellent source of valuable biologically active components polysaccharides, proteins, vitamins, caffeine, tannin, theobromine, organic acids, etc. [6]. The cocoa bean shells can be successfully used as additives in various foods due to their high antioxidant capacity [7].…”

Effect of soaking time of cocoa fruit peel and addition of citronella grass extract (Cymbopogon nardus) on quality characteristics of infused water from indonesian local resources for increasing body immune to face bad environment

“…Cocoa fruit peels contains phenolic compounds with antimicrobial properties so that they can inhibit the growth and activity of microbes. By-products of chocolate processing, such as cocoa fruit peels, contain high levels of dietary fiber and polyphenols [5]. Cocoa fruit peels can naturally kill Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, and Escherichia coli.…”