Cocoa Processing Plant
PROCESSING OF COCOA BEANS TO COCOA NIBS:
Following units operations are involved in processing cocoa beans to give cocoa nibs.
- Cleaning
- Roasting
- Cracking
- Winnowing
PROCESSING OF NIBS
The cleaned cocoa nibs are milled to break open, the tissue and release the fat. Stone mills, roller mills or disc mills may be used for milling.
This liquor coming out of the mills is known as ‘COCOA MASS’, CHOCOLATE LIQUOR’ or ‘CHOCOLATE’.
The cacao liquor is the starting point of the manufacture of various cocoa products. E.g. cocoa butter, cocoa powder and chocolate
COCOA POWDER
Depending on the fat content in the product various grades of cocoa powder are obtained, viz.
- Breakfast cocoa or high fat cocoa containing more than 22 per cent fat- these are used in fancy ice-creams and icings, may contain upto 35 per cent fat.
- Cocoa or medium fat cocoa containing 12-22 per cent fat;
- Low fat cocoa containing about 10-12 per cent fat used for manufacturing chocolate milk beverages;
- Extra low fat cocoa containing 7-9 per cent fat- used as substitutes of cocoa imitation products for making syrups and
- Alkalized high quality cocoa with 25-35 per cent fat is used for making ice-creams, beverages, icings, syrups.