Sensory Properties, Consumer Acceptability, Nutritional Composition, and Flavor Profiles of Dark Chocolates Produced from Wild Fine-Flavor Amazonian Cacao

Abstract

Consumer interest in fine flavored cocoa products has continued to grow annually alongside a global decline in cocoa production due to climate change and crop epidemics. Wild cacao from the Brazilian Amazonian regions have been shown to produce high quality cocoa and chocolates. There is a noted lack of literature pertaining to the sensory profiles of these wild cocoa beans and their products. This project set out to characterize the nutritional, chemical, and sensory properties of 70% and 81% cocoa dark chocolate bars manufactured from wild cacao beans harvested along the Tocantins, Cassiporé, Acará, Juruá, and Purus rivers in the Brazilian Amazon. In the free sorting study, panelists (n = 31) were asked to group ten chocolate samples (5 origins, 70 and 81% cocoa) according to similarity (k = n-1) and describe them using open-ended responses. DISTATIS and textural analysis yielded 26 descriptors. In the second study, panelists (n=90) evaluated the five 70% cocoa chocolates (9-pt hedonic; overall-liking, appearance, aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel liking; "Check-All-That-Apply"), and answered a short questionnaire. There were significant differences in consumer acceptance of the chocolates (p<0.05) and Tocantins was most liked overall (6.77 ±1.30). Penalty analysis revealed "creamy," "melting" as positive drivers of acceptability, while "leather" and "hay" contributed to lower hedonic scores. Proximate analysis showed 81% cocoa chocolates had higher ash, moisture, lipid, and protein content than 70% cocoa for all regions. Purus had the highest protein content for 70% and 81%, and lipid for 81%. Tocantins had the highest ash and lowest moisture for 70%, and the lowest lipid but highest protein content for 81% samples. Volatile compounds related to nutty, floral, and fruity were identified. Future research is recommended to optimize fermentation and roasting processes based on cacao origin to preserve desired flavors associated with higher consumer acceptability.