cocoa beans (1)

Marketing of cocoa and chocolate products made from single origin cocoa is becoming more popular. However, a reliable analytical method able to verify the geographical origin of cocoa is lacking. The potential of HR MAS 1H NMR (Magic-angle spinning NMR in solid state) on cocoa powder combined with chemometrics for metabolic profiling was assessed for the geographical origins of 60 fermented and dried cocoa beans of 23 different cocoa producing countries from the three major crop-growing areas (Africa, Central/South America, Asia/Oceania) was evaluated. The same samples were also subjected to extraction and analysis with liquid solution 1H NMR. The same metabolites were determined by both methods apart from the additional determination of of cocoa lipids by HR MAS 1H NMR, which were lost in the extraction for liquid 1H NMR. HR MAS 1H NMR  gave better discrimination in the verification of geographical origin.

Read the abstract at: NMR determination of cocoa origin

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