Cocoa bean fermentation is an important process in the manufacturing of cocoa products. It involves microbes, such as lactic acid bacteria, yeast, and acetic acid bacteria. The presence of mold in cocoa bean fermentation is undesired, as it reduces the quality and may produce mycotoxins, which can cause poisoning and death. Aspergillus niger is a fungus that produces ochratoxin A, which is often found in dried agricultural products such as seeds and cereals. In this study, we applied indigenous Candida famata HY-37, Lactobacillus plantarum HL-15, and Acetobacter spp. HA-37 as starter cultures for cocoa bean fermentation. We found that the use of L. plantarum HL-15 individually or in combination Candida famata HY-37, Lactobacillus plantarum HL-15, and Acetobacter spp. HA-37 as a starter for cocoa bean fermentation can inhibit the growth of A. niger YAC-9 and the synthesis of ochratoxin A during fermentation and drying. With biological methods that use indigenous Lactobacillus plantarum HL-15 individually or in combination with Candida famata HY-37 and Acetobacter spp. HA-37, we successfully inhibited contamination by ochratoxin-A-producing fungi. Thus, the three indigenous microbes should be used in cocoa bean fermentation to inhibit the growth of fungi that produce mycotoxins and thus improve the quality.

Salak Pondoh (Salacca edulis Reinw) merupakan komoditi unggulan Yogyakarta, khususnya Kabupaten Sleman. Buah salak Pondoh telah diekspor ke beberapa Negara. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mempelajari pengaruh pelilinan dan kemasan individu salak Pondoh menggunakan plastik Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE). Lima perlakuan pelilinan dan pengemasan, yaitu pengemasan individu buah (kantong LDPE) dengan pengemasan sekunder (kotak karton berlubang) (A), pengemasan individu buah (kantong LDPE) dengan pengemasan sekunder (keranjang plastik) (B), pelilinan dengan penambahan ekstrak lengkuas 5% dengan pengemasan sekunder (keranjang plastik) (C), pengemasan sekunder (keranjang plastik) (D), dan pengemasan dengan kotak karton berlubang (E). Rancangan percobaan yang digunakan adalah Rancangan Acak Lengkap dengan ulangan sebanyak 3 kali. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penggunaan kantong LDPE dengan kemasan sekunder keranjang plastik maupun karton berpengaruh positif dalam menurunkan susut bobot, mempertahankan tekstur dan warna daging buah. Pelilinan dengan penambahan ekstrak lengkuas 5% berpengaruh negatif pada penurunan susut bobot, mempertahankan kekerasan (tekstur) dan warna daging buah. Penggunaan kantong LDPE untuk pengemasan buah salak dapat mempertahankan umur simpan sampai hari ke-30 dengan susut bobot di bawah <10%.

Cocoa powder is a cocoa-based food product. Indonesian cocoa powder has a big potential in the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) market. Agricultural Agro Techno Park is a company that produces cocoa powder in Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta. This company realizes the importance of improving their product safety. Therefore, the research aimed to determine the safety quality of cocoa powder produced by Agricultural Agro Techno Park by assessing its Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) implementation and determining the critical control points. The results of assessment of GMP implementation showed that it was categorized in Level IV (the lowest level). Thus, it is strongly recommended to do some corrective actions that identified some incompatibilities before planning the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP). The flow chart assessment showed that there were two stages that might affect the cocoa powder quality. The stages were receiving raw material and the storage at a low temperature. From the determination of the critical control points which was conducted to improve the cocoa powder quality, the same two stages were also found as the critical control points that might affect the final product quality.

Cocoa powder is made from fermented cocoa beans which are separated from fat, grounded and sifted to produce a powder. The fermentation stage is an important stage in processing cocoa beans for chocolate flavor formation. The traditional fermentation done by farmer triggers fungal growth that can produce a toxin called mycotoxin. The use of lactic acid bacteria in cocoa beans fermentation has been known to inhibit the growth of mycotoxin-producing fungi. The addition of Lactobacillus plantarum HL 15 as a culture starter has known as an antifungal. The objective of this research is to study the effect of Lactobacillus plantarum HL 15 as culture starter and fermentation box variation on microbiology, chemical and sensory characteristics of cocoa powder. Cocoa beans fermentation was conducted by starter culture addition and without starter culture addition and then using a new fermentation box and old fermentation box. The analysis of cocoa powder was carried out include water content, pH, fungi contamination, and sensory evaluation on color, flavor and taste of the cocoa powder. The result showed that water content (3.85 % to 4.55%), pH (4.85 to 4.95), and sensory evaluation is not significant differences for all treatment. The addition of Lactobacillus plantarum HL 15 as a culture starter in old and new fermentation boxes has a smaller lever of fungi contamination compare to the treatment without Lactobacillus plantarum HL 15 as culture starter.

The present study investigated the ingestion effect of chocolate probiotic containing Lactobacillus plantarum Dad‐13 in undernourished children. A 100‐day observation was conducted on undernourished children in Lombok, who were divided into probiotic (n = 28) and placebo (n = 28) groups. Fecal sampling was performed on the 10^th and 100^th days and further analyzed for gut microbiota composition, short‐chain fatty acid (SCFA), and fecal pH. A significant difference was found in the diversity index, fecal pH, and several microbiotas at the phylum and genus levels. At the phylum level, Bacteroidetes was significantly higher in the probiotic group, and a higher relative abundance (RA) of Firmicutes was found in the placebo group. At the genus level, significant differences were observed in some bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium and Prevotella. Therefore, it can be concluded that the probiotic intervention in this study resulted in changes of gut microbiota diversity and fecal pH.Trial Registration: Thai Clinical Trials Registry identifier: TCTR20220425001

The contamination of mycotoxin-producing fungi during cocoa fermentation is a major concern of cocoa bean quality. This research aimed to investigate the effect of indigenous lactic acid bacteria starter culture, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum HL-15, on the fungi population and the quality of cocoa beans. Fermentation of cocoa beans was carried out by four treatments, namely, fermentation without starter culture in the used box, fermentation with starter culture in the used box, fermentation without starter culture in the new box, and fermentation with starter culture in the new box. The population dynamics of yeast, lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid bacteria, and fungi during fermentation were evaluated. The addition of L. plantarum subsp. plantarum HL-15 ensured the rise of temperature in the fermentation. There were changes in the growth pattern of these microorganisms during fermentation as the effect of starter culture addition. The addition of L. plantarum subsp. plantarum HL-15 effectively inhibited fungi growth. Fermentation using starter culture in newly made boxes was the most effective method to inhibit fungi growth and improve cocoa bean quality. Fermented cocoa beans produced by this method can adhere to the requirements of first-grade quality cocoa beans based on the Indonesian National Standard.