Cocoa

Cocoa: a plant that can be classified as an alkaloid and / or oil-based drug, because both cocoa powder, rich in alkaloids and carbohydrates, and a triglycerine fraction known as cocoa butter are obtained from it.

The plant Theobroma cacao belongs to the Sterculiacee family; is a small tree in South America with berry fruits containing a number of seeds ranging from 40 to 80, depending on the variety.

The seeds represent the drug and undergo a particular processing: they are collected, peeled and left to ferment, on racks in the open, so that the aroma is generated; the fermentation can last up to two weeks: the longer it is, the more the organoleptic characteristics of the drug are enhanced. The cocoa resulting from this fermentation process is directed to the confectionery industry; it is therefore a product intended for the dietary sector. If, on the other hand, the fermentation is reduced to one - two days maximum, the resulting cocoa will be less aromatic than the previous one, but will have a fraction richer triglycerine which will make it particularly suitable for the cosmetic sector.

Fermentation is followed by a phase of mild drying, which is sometimes not performed (optional). Roasting follows, at 100-140 ° C, which characterizes the drug in its final appearance: blackish-brown color and more fragile consistency than the starting source. From this procedure the cocoa beans are obtained, which in turn is subjected to processing; it is a "mechanical extraction, necessary to separate the glycerine fraction from the rest of the seed; technically speaking, the cocoa butter is separated from the panel, the latter characterized by the presence of proteins, carbohydrates and alkaloids; even a small fat portion separates.

The cocoa butter is obtained from the pressing and not the oil, because at room temperature it assumes a semi-solid consistency, due to the high quantity of saturated fatty acids. This butter is added with a further fat fraction, which can be extracted from the panel by extraction with solvent, generally with hexane.

Cocoa powder contains the following alkaloids: caffeine and theobromine, both with stimulating properties.

Cocoa butter has functional expression characteristics as an excipient; in the cosmetic field it is used in hypoallergenic lip sticks, but its use has decreased over time due to the high production cost.
In the last decade cocoa plantations have suffered very consistent phytopathogenic attacks, due to the marked agronomic selections carried out on this plant; today we are trying to set up new plantations in the Ivory Coast and in Africa.



Soluble Chocolate - Nesquik® Type - Homemade

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