EFEITOS NOS PROCESSOS DE FERMENTAÇÃO NA BIODISPONIBILIDADE NUTRICIONAL E ELEMENTAR EM AMÊNDOAS DE CACAU NATIVO DE FLORESTA DE VÁRZEA

Given its high economic value, cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) has attracted scientific interest aimed at developing technological innovations to increase production and improve bean quality. The main biochemical and physical transformations that determine the final quality of cocoa occur during fermentation. This study aimed to evaluate the variation in the physicochemical and chemical properties of fermented cocoa beans. The highest temperature of the fermenting mass was recorded at 72 hours. In conclusion, the fermentation process described in this study was relatively rapid and resulted in beans with high chemical quality. The findings indicate that temperature and pH are key.