Microbial composition and metabolic profiles during machine-controlled intra-factory fermentation of cocoa beans harvested in semitropical area of Japan.

ABSTRACT: Cocoa bean fermentation is typically performed in a spontaneous manner on farms in tropical countries or areas and involves several microbial groups. Metabolism by microbes markedly affects the quality of cocoa beans fermented and the chocolate produced thereof. The present study characterized the microbiota and their metabolic profiles in temperature- and humidity-controlled intra-factory cocoa fermentation in a semitropical area of Japan. Although environmental factors were uniform, the microbiota of cocoa beans subjected to intra-factory fermentation was not stable between tests, particularly in terms of the cell count levels and species observed. Fermentation was sometimes delayed, and fermenting microbes were present at very low levels after 24 hr of fermentation. Due to the unstable

SUBMITTER: Nishimura H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10767318 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature