PHYSICAL-CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF COCOA “HONEY” AND POTENTIAL FOR PROCESSING

It’s known that most of the profit obtained from cocoa farming comes solely from the use of cocoa seeds for chocolate production, and in this specific processing, all other parts of the fruit are rendered useless. Among these, there is 'cocoa honey,' a viscous, mucilaginous liquid with a light color and rich in sugars that coats the exterior of the seeds. With that said, this work aimed to characterize the physicochemical properties of cocoa honey, as composition is one of the determinants for the processing of derived products, applications, and technological feasibility. Following the methodology of the 'Physical-Chemical Methods for Food Analysis' from the Adolfo Lutz Institute, we conducted analyses of moisture content, pH, water activity, total sugars, reducing sugars in glucose, Brix, minerals, citric acid, and vitamin C. The water content (89.72%), water activity (0.98), total sugar content (51.76%), reducing sugars in glucose (15.22%), Brix (14.20), mineral content (0.38%), pH (3.7), citric acid content (6.40%), and vitamin C (0.03%) obtained reveal a product rich in possibilities for applications and transformations, such as the development of marketable products like ferments, sweets, and juices. Furthermore, these results reflect the sensory characteristics previously reported, with an acidic product having a sweet flavor. In conclusion, it can be said that this product, previously considered a byproduct, has technological feasibility for processing and subsequent industrialization into a value-added product.