Process of producing cocoa shell powder
View Patent ↗A process for producing powdered cocoa shells as a food ingredient, as replacer for cocoa powder, to impart coloration in food products, and as fat bloom inhibitor in cocoa-based products.
1. A process for producing cocoa shell powder, which comprises the steps of:
(a) selecting and separating cocoa shells from nibs;
(b) washing the cocoa shells of (a);
(c) adding a chelating agent to (b); and
(d) drying the cocoa shells of (c);
wherein the chelating agent is dissolved in water and comprises an organic acid containing two or three carboxylic groups or any alkali metal salt or alkali earth metal salt thereof;
wherein the organic acid is tartaric acid or citric acid.
2. The process as claimed in claim 1 , which further comprises an alkalization step.
3. The process as claimed in claim 2 , wherein alkalization is performed by suspending washed cocoa shells in water and by adding an alkalizing medium.
4. The process as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the alkalizing medium includes an iron component and comprises an aqueous solution of an alkali metal carbonate or an aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide or a mixture of alkaline solutions.
5. The process as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the washed cocoa shells are alkalized for a period of time between 20 min and 85 min, at a temperature between 80° C. and 130° C., at a pressure between 2 bar and 8 bar, and wherein the alkalized cocoa shells are cooled to 60 to 70° C. in 7 to 12 min and dried for 35 to 85 min.
6. The process of claim 3 , wherein the alkalization occurs after washing the cocoa shell and prior to addition of the chelating agent.
7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the selected cocoa shell fraction is characterized by a mean particle size of more than 1 mm.
8. The process of claim 1 , wherein washing is performed by aqueous buffer solutions for a period of time between 1 min and 12 h at a pH value between 2.0 and 9.0 and at a temperature between 15° C. and 100° C.
9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the cocoa shell fraction is dried for a period of up to 24 h at a temperature above 50° C. at atmospheric pressure or at a temperature below 50° C. under reduced pressure to a moisture content of less than 10 weight %.
10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the cocoa shells are ground to a mean particle size of less than 75 μm.
11. A method of imparting colouration in a food product, wherein the method comprises adding the cocoa shell powder produced according to the process of claim 1 during the manufacture of the food product in order to impart brown or black colouration.
12. A method of increasing resistance against fat bloom in a cocoa-based product, wherein the method comprises adding the cocoa shell powder produced according to the process of claim 1 during the manufacture of the cocoa-based product in order to increase resistance of cocoa-based products against fat bloom.
13. A process for producing cocoa shell powder, which comprises the steps of:
(a) cracking cocoa beans;
(b) removing and separating cocoa shells from nibs;
(c) selecting and separating a fraction of cocoa shells;
(d) grinding the selected fraction of (c);
(e) washing the ground fraction of (d);
(f) adding a chelating agent to (e);
(g) drying the treated cocoa shells of (f); and
(h) grinding the dried cocoa shells of (g);
wherein the chelating agent is dissolved in water and comprises an organic acid containing two or three carboxylic groups or any alkali metal salt or alkali earth metal salt thereof;
wherein the organic acid is tartaric acid or citric acid.