Processing Lines in Food Industry CHOCOLATE by Juuli Wacker Spring 2007

Producing of the Cacao Beans ● Cacao trees are hard to grow – they only grow 20 degrees south & north of the equator ● The main producer is western Africa, but is produced in all tropical parts of the world ● Three main varietes (Criollo-the finest)

Harvesting, fermentation & drying ● The pods (containing cacao beans) are harvested from the trees ● The fruits are cut into two halfs, and about yellowish beans together with the surrounding pulp are removed and packed into bags or bins ● The beans are left to ferment for 3-7 days->beans turn brown and get their chocolate ● Beans are dried outside in the sun (weather permitting), the process has to be quick to prevent mold growth

Delivery & Quality Control ● The dried beans are packed into bags and delivered to chocolate factories ● Quality control is done at the factory; colour, weight, taste, aroma

The Chocolate Production ● The beans are rinsed to eliminate impurities ● The beans are crushed by a machine, and the peels are sucked away by air flow ● Beans are roasted in big rotating cylinders filled with gas( C, 0,5-2h)

The Chocolate Production ● During roasting, water and acid compouds are vaporated->bitter taste, deep brown colour ● The beans are grounded to cocoa liquor (contains 54% cocoa butter) ● Cocoa liquor is heated to C and pressed - >cocoa butter is separated from the solids ● The remaining solids are ground in to cocoa powder

The Chocolate Production ● A mixing machine is filled with cocoa liquor, sugar, cocoa butter and in the case of making milk chocolate, milk powder ● The raw materials are mixed to a smooth elastic mixture (kneading)

The Chocolate Production ● To crush the sugar crystals and cocoa powder particles, the chocolate paste is taken to a rolling mill; 3-5 smooth steel rollers rotating in opposite direction (rolling) ● The next step is conching; the paste is constantly stirred in the conches(even for days), the temperature is between C and aeration takes place in the conches->bitter taste & the “sandyness” disappears and the chocolate flavour is developed

The Chocolate Production ● After conching the chocolate is kept in large containers for days in C (tempering)->right kind of crystallisation of the cocoa butter ● The chocolate is cooled a little, molded and packaged

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