Nutritional composition and fatty acids profile in cocoa beans and chocolates with different geographical origin and processing conditions

• Published in: Food chemistry Vol. 166; pp. 125 - 132
• Main Authors: Torres-Moreno, M., Torrescasana, E., Salas-Salvadó, J., Blanch, C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2015
• Subjects: Cacao - chemistry; carbohydrates; Chocolate; Cocoa beans; cocoa butter; fatty acid composition; Fatty Acids - chemistry; Fatty acids profile; GC–MS; lipid content; Mass Spectrometry; nutrient content; Nutritive Value; provenance; Total fat; Chocolate; Fatty acids profile; GC–MS; Cocoa beans; Total fat
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.05.141

•Fatty acids profile in cocoa beans and chocolates with different geographical origin and processing conditions.•Differences in FAs profile were mainly due in all samples to the geographical origin effect.•Fifteen FA were identified in cocoa and chocolates samples studied.•For all samples, C16:0, C18:0, C18:1 and C18:2 were quantitatively the most important FAs.•Ecuadorian chocolates were those with healthier FAs profile. Nutritional composition and fatty acids (FA) profile were determined in cocoa and chocolates of different geographical origin and subject to different processing conditions. Cocoa butter was the major nutrient in cocoa beans and carbohydrates were the most important in chocolates. Cocoa composition and FA profile varied depending on geographical origin whilst in chocolates only carbohydrates and fat content varied significantly due to the effect of origin and no significant effect was observed for processing conditions. Both for cocoa and chocolates differences in FA profile were mainly explained as an effect of the geographical origin, and were not due to processing conditions in chocolate. For cocoa, differences in FA profile were found in C12:0, C14:0, C16:0, C16:1, C17:0, C17:1 and C18:0 whilst for chocolates only differences were found in C16:0, C18:0, C18:1 and C18:2. For all samples, C16:0, C18:0, C18:1 and C18:2 were quantitatively the most important FA. Ecuadorian chocolate showed a healthier FA profile having higher amounts of unsaturated FA and lower amounts of saturated FA than Ghanaian chocolate.