EVALUATION OF BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES IN FOUR VARIETIES OF COCOA PRODUCED IN GHANA -PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND BEAN QUALITY

Raw cocoa bean is not useful for chocolate manufacture unless it is fermented.  Fermentation manufacture unless it is fermented.  Fermentation and drying convert the fruity mucilaginous beans to brown chocolate aroma, low in astringency and residual bitterness determining its qualities. A study arranged in a 4 x 7 full factorial experiment comprising 4 varieties (PA 30, PA 150, Amelonado and Mixed Hybrid) and fermentation duration (0, 1,2,3,4,5,6) to determine the biochemical changes that occur during heap fermentation of cocoa varieties produced in Ghana. The results showed that effects of day of fermentation significantly (P≤0.05) affected all physicochemical properties, proximate composition and cut test. Similarly, main effect of variety was important for all physicochemical properties except core temperature and proximate composition, and only slaty and dull purple qualities in cut test. It was established that except for total sugars, acidity of beans, moisture content of dried beans, ash, crude protein, crude fibre contents and cut test that were significant (P≤0.05) for variety × day interaction, all other parameters were not important.