Processing cacao to produce a product containing all the constituents of raw cacao nibs is disclosed. The process involves: (i) a shortened period of fermentation of the cacao beans between five hours and forty eight hours. (ii) a prolonged period of drying to condition the beans so that the shells are removable by air winnowing. (iii) a two stage grinding process in which the raw (unroasted) nibs are ground, without forming or at least separating into a liquor, to a mesh size of 60 m.

Some embodiments include a chocolate and tocotrienol composition. In some embodiments, a chocolate and tocotrienol composition may be prepared by a process comprising: mixing melted cocoa butter with about 200 mg of tocotrienol at a temperature of about 57 C.; mixing the mixed melted cocoa butter and tocotrienol mixture with a cocoa mass to create a chocolate and tocotrienol composition; and conching the chocolate and tocotrienol composition. Various other embodiments are also disclosed.

Dark, red and dark, brown natural cocoa products are disclosed. The cocoa products may be cocoa liquor or cocoa powder. Processes for producing the dark, red and dark, brown natural cocoa products are also disclosed.

Natural, dark brown cocoa products are disclosed. Processes for producing such natural, dark brown cocoa products are also disclosed, as well as foods including such cocoa products.

The invention relates to an apparatus (1) for drying and/or roasting beans for foodstuff, such as cocoa beans, or parts of beans, such as cocoa nibs, comprising a frame, a drum (2) for receiving the beans or parts of beans rotatably mounted in the frame and at least partially closed at one end (3) and open at the other (4), a shell (5) enveloping the drum (2), a door (7) for closing the open end (4) of the drum (2), a heater (19) for heating the drum (2), and a fan and a valve (26) for maintaining an under-pressure in the space (20) between the drum (2) and the shell (5). A seal (30) is located in the clearance between the drum (2) and the shell (5).

Systems and methods for processing food products. One aspect is a system for processing food products including a base member, a vessel member defining a vessel volume, an opening formed through the vessel member, a vessel lip surrounding the opening; a vessel lid connected to the vessel member to substantially seal the opening; a motor shaft, at least one mixing member connected to the motor shaft and within the vessel volume; a motor connected to the motor shaft; and grinding media within the vessel volume for grinding and mixing food products, where energizing the motor urges the motor shaft and the at least one mixing member to rotate within the vessel volume to agitate the grinding media; and where the grinding media includes first grinding media and second grinding media

The present invention provides the use of a composition obtainable from the pulp of a plant in the theobroma genus or an extract of said pulp, as an ingredient in a chocolate product.

Disclosed is a method for processing unfermented cocoa beans, comprising the steps of: (a) adding water to said unfermented cocoa beans to form a suspension; (b) wet grinding said suspension; (c) subjecting said suspension to a heat treatment at a temperature of 70? C. or less; (d) separating the suspension into a water phase (heavy phase), a fat phase (light phase) and a solid phase, said fat phase comprising cocoa butter as a major component and solids and/or water as minor components and said solid phase comprising cocoa powder and water; and (e) separately processing the three phases, which optionally comprises: separating cocoa butter from the fat phase, separating cocoa powder from the solid phase, and separating cocoa aroma and a polyphenolic powder from at least the water phase. Further disclosed are methods of manufacturing of a cocoa product construction kit and chocolate or chocolate-like products comprising high amounts of nutritionally beneficial and useful components of the cocoa fruit, such as e.g. polyphenols, antioxidants, vitamins and/or sugars, making use of the above technique.

Methods, systems, and apparatus for winnowing. In one aspect, a method includes loading an initial material into a winnowing system via a feed member; feeding the material into a fluidically accelerated winnowing cavity, where the initial material impacts at least one plate member to yield chaff material and processed material, and where the processed material and the chaff material circulate in the winnowing cavity; and separating the chaff material and the processed from the winnowing cavity based on density. Other aspects include yielding intermediate material, where the intermediate material reimpacts the at least one plate member until yielding chaff material and processed material, preprocessing the initial material, controlling the flow of initial material into the winnowing cavity with a feed gate, where the chaff material egresses the winnowing cavity via a chaff chute, where the chaff material collects in a collection cavity, and/or more.

Disclosed is a method for processing cocoa beans or nibs comprising the steps of: (a) adding water to cocoa beans or nibs to form a suspension; (b) wet grinding said suspension; (c) subjecting said suspension to a heat treatment at a temperature of 70? C. or less; (d) separating the suspension into: a water phase (heavy phase), a fat phase (light phase) comprising cocoa butter, and a solid phase comprising cocoa powder and fluid components; (e) continuously separating the fluid components from the solid phase obtained in step (d) to obtain cocoa aroma and cocoa powder by supplying a flow of said solid phase to a mixing device; wherein the mixing device comprises: a cylindrical, tubular body with a horizontal axis having an inlet opening for the solid phase, an outlet opening for the dried solid phase and an optional outlet opening for a vapor phase comprising cocoa aroma; end plates closing the tubular body at its opposite ends; a coaxial jacket heating or cooling the internal wall of the tubular body to a temperature of from 55? C. to 150? C.; and a bladed rotor, which is supported for rotation in the tubular body, its blades being arranged as a helix and oriented for centrifuging the solid phase and simultaneously transporting it towards the outlet opening.