Alkalized Cocoa Powders Bill Dyer Blommer Chocolate Company ocoa powder has gained a significant ever, a variety of new applications, particu- Camount of attention in the industry, larly in the dairy and bakery industries, and not only because of its volatile price, but increased consumption in developing coun- also because of the increase in the con- tries have increased demand for cocoa pow- sumption of cocoa powder in non-confec- der. There have been several other factors tionery applications (i.e., dairy and bakery in the last two years that have contributed segments). Because of this growth in use, it to a shortage of supply and increase in cost is important to understand the uses and of cocoa powder. For instance, the use of applications of various powders.This paper cocoa butter equivalents and pgpr (a vis- gives an overview of cocoa powder as it cosity-reducing emulsifier) has reduced the applies to its process and application; iden- demand for cocoa butter, thus reducing the tifies the types of cocoa based on the alka- cocoa butter/cocoa powder production, and lization process; determines its flexibility outsourcing by large manufacturers that and limitations in a given application; and were once large producers of cocoa butter shows how to select a cocoa powder for a and cocoa cake has taken some manufac- specific application. turing capacity off line. An increase in demand for cocoa powder coupled with sta- WHAT IS COCOA POWDER? tic demand for cocoa butter has created a Dyer is the director of The FDA defines cocoa powder as the global shortage of quality cocoa powders technical sales and food prepared by pulverizing the mater- and soaring prices. This cocoa supply issue service at Blommer Chocolate Company. ial remaining after part of the cocoa fat will remain until the demand for cocoa pow- He joined the company has been removed from ground cocoa nibs. der is rationalized in line with the relative in 1996. It is the product obtained by grinding the demand for cocoa butter. Dyer previously worked solids remaining after cocoa butter has Like any other ingredient, cocoa pow- at Loders Croklaan, been pressed out of chocolate liquor. This ders have a specific role in food applications. Durkee Industrial Foods, separation of cocoa solids and cocoa but- They are expected to deliver flavor and color and Gill and Duffus Products. ter is achieved typically through hydraulic while not imparting any negative attributes. pressing. Chocolate liquor contains about Not all cocoa powders are the same and no 54 percent cocoa butter; after pressing, one cocoa powder meets the requirements cocoa solids will have about 10–12 per- for all applications.This means one needs to cent cocoa butter. have a very clear understanding of whether Cocoa powder evolved in the chocolate a cocoa can or cannot perform its functions industry as a by-product. The original pur- in a given application. pose of pressing chocolate liquor was to obtain cocoa butter, which is utilized in the COCOA POWDER PRODUCTION manufacture of chocolate coatings. How- In order to learn about and understand dif- Bill Dyer ➤ 128 57th PMCA Production Conference, 2003 Alkalized Cocoa Powders ferent types of cocoas and how they can This knowledge is a very helpful tool An increase in be used in various applications, we need to predict a flavor profile in powders demand for cocoa to start with a brief overview of the cocoa based on a type of bean or a blend of sev- powder coupled process, from selection of beans through eral beans. Problems can arise due to vari- with static demand alkalization. With this in mind, three sub- able climate conditions during a given for cocoa butter jects will be discussed briefly: cocoa beans, year, changing the profile for a given ori- has created soaring roasting process and types of roasters. gin. Political instability can affect the prices and a global More time will be spent on alkalization availabilities of specific types of beans in shortage of quality processes and cocoa applications. specific quantities at times. These unpre- The following terminologies will be used dictable variables have prompted the cocoa powders. frequently in the rest of this paper: industry to put more emphasis on pro- • Nib — Shell-free cocoa bean pieces. cessing, specifically roasting and alka- • Chocolate liquor — Paste resulting from lization, which are the two key process- grinding nibs. ing steps that can assure quality and • Press cake — Cocoa solids remaining in the press pot after part of the cocoa but- maintain quality consistently. ter has been removed by hydraulic press (the fat content is generally 10 percent Roasting to 12 percent). In general, there are three ways to roast • Kibbled press cake — Pieces of crushed cocoa beans or cocoa nibs. press cake after they are removed from Fluid bed roasters are designed for bean the press. roasting. In these roasters cocoa beans are • Alkalization — A process where nibs, in constant motion from hot air on an oscil- chocolate liquor or crushed press cake (coarse cocoa powder) is treated with a lating conveyor. These roasters are com- suitable alkali solution and, subsequent monly used for large-volume operations to alkali treatment, the moisture is where the objective is to roast one or two removed during drying and/or the roast- types of beans. ing process. Cocoa powders derived The second category of roaster is the from these processing options are static bed roaster where a bed of beans or referred to as nib-alkalized cocoa, liquor- alkalized cocoa or cake-alkalized cocoa. nibs is conveyed horizontally or vertically Cake-alkalized cocoa is also referred to through various heating and cooling zones. as powder-alkalized cocoa. There are two types of static bed roasters. • Cake alkalization/powder alkalization — In the first type, a bed of nibs or wet nibs refers to the alkalization process where (after alkalization) travels horizontally crushed cocoa press cake is treated with through several zones where the wet nibs a suitable alkali solution. are first dried, then roasted and finally Beans cooled. This type is more practical in the The making of cocoa powder is a many- nib alkalization process because this step process that begins with the bean. roaster can be used not only for roasting, Each step at each stage of cocoa powder but drying as well. production can have a large impact on the Flavor Notes of Cocoa Beans final powder product application. In “The Origin Typical Flavor Profile Application of Cocoa Powders in Choco- Indonesia Bitter to acrid late Confectionery,” Hans Kattenberg very Malaysia & New Guinea Acid to astringent clearly shows the correlation between West Africa Rich cocoa flavor beans from various origins and their char- Ecuador Floral/perfumy acteristic flavor notes (Figure 1). Figure 1 ➤ 57th PMCA Production Conference, 2003 129 Alkalized Cocoa Powders By controlling the The second type of static bed roaster is limited to the types of cocoa beans avail- degree of more suited to cocoa beans and not nibs. able for blending and to the type of cocoa alkalization, the The beans travel vertically through sev- bean roasters. Conversely, there are many types of alkali eral heat zones. Roasting is achieved by types of alkalized cocoa powders. By con- applied, the cocoa forcing heated air through the bed of beans trolling the degree of alkalization, the types as it travels through each zone. With this of alkali applied, the cocoa bean types and bean types and at roaster, there are options to sterilize the at which stage of the cocoa process the alka- which stage of the beans with a pressure cooker-type system lization takes place, a whole spectrum of cocoa process the prior to roasting.This approach allows one alkalized cocoa powders can be produced. alkalization takes to obtain liquors and powders free of place, a whole spore-forming bacteria. ALKALIZATION spectrum of The third roasting method utilizes the The alkalization process has been well doc- alkalized cocoa rotary drum. Rotary drum roasters are umented by Mike Kostic. In “Cocoa Alka- powders can be used in nib roasting and are the most lization” he covers in detail the types of produced. widely used form of roasters.They are also alkali and the types of alkalizing methods. used in the nib alkalization process.After The purpose of alkalization is threefold: the alkalization treatment, wet nibs are • To neutralize the acidity of the cocoa beans dried and roasted in drum roasters. Hot and remove astringent cocoa flavor. air is blown into a rotary drum, causing • To promote reaction between cocoa pig- maximum exposure of nibs to heat. Uti- ment and alkali in the presence of oxy- lizing this method, process parameters can gen and heat to develop colors ranging be customized to achieve a range of fla- from light brown to red, and in some cases very dark colors. vors and colors for natural cocoa powders • To promote flavor development by pro- (nonalkalized cocoa powders). moting reaction between protein and reducible sugars present in the cocoa Powders beans. Cocoa powders are categorized based on Alkalized cocoa powders can be obtained two factors. First, cocoa powders are cate- by using any one of these approaches: gorized by the percent of cocoa butter in liquor alkalization, powder alkalization or the powder. Powders with 10 to 12 percent nib alkalization. Each process results in cocoa butter are referred to as low fat certain advantages and disadvantages. cocoas. Fat contents of 16 to 18 percent are called medium fat cocoa. Fat contents Liquor Alkalization of 22 to 24 percent are called breakfast Liquor alkalization is ideal to get mild-fla- cocoa or high fat cocoa.