The chemical composition and sensory profile of cocoa beans are essential factors determining the quality of cocoa-based products. In this study, cocoa bean samples were collected from various regions of Indonesia, including Aceh, Banten, Bali, East Java, West Sumatra, West Sulawesi, East Kalimantan, and Yogyakarta. The cocoa beans were fermented and sun-dried according to the producers’ protocols and local practices. The sensory profile, fat content, total phenolic content, and the composition of sugars, organic acids, and amino acids of the cocoa bean samples were analyzed. The results revealed that the chemical composition and sensory profiles of the samples were diverse. The sensory profiles of cocoa liquor samples were described by low intensities of cocoa notes with the occurrence of fruity, floral, spicy, and sweet notes. The concentration of acetic acid, lactic acid, and some amino acids (glutamic acid, proline, and methionine) was associated with fresh fruit, browned fruit, and roasted note of the cocoa liquor, respectively. The variation in the environmental conditions and postharvest practices contributed to the diversity of cocoa beans’ chemical and sensory characteristics.

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.

The addition of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) improved the fermentation performance of cocoa bean. Uncontrolled fermentation causes the mycotoxin contamination in cocoa which is produced by fungi. Lactic Acid Bacteria that have been shown to inhibit fungi are from the species Lactobacillus plantarum and fermentum. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the ability of Lactobacillus plantarum and fermentum to increase the quality and inhibit mold growth of cocoa beans. This research was carried out using Completely Randomized Design. We examined one variable, namely the use of dry starter culture (with Lactobacillus plantarum, with Lactobacillus fermentum, with mixed culture of Lactobacillus plantarum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Acetobacter aceti, and without starter culture). We found that the addition of Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus plantarum in combination with Saccharomycess cerevisiae and Acetobacter aceti could provide suitable temperature and pH conditions for a good fermentation process of cocoa beans and suppress the growth of fungus. Fermented cocoa beans produced by those starter cultures could meet the quality requirements of Indonesian National Standard 2323:2008/Amd1:2010.

In Gunungkidul, there is Agricultural Techno Park (ATP) Nglanggeran which processes fermented cocoa beans from local farmers for making chocolate products. This research aimed to obtain a suitable packaging method for fermented cocoa beans during storage in ATP Nglanggeran. This research was carried out using a completely randomized factorial design. The first factor was the addition of starter (B), which consisted of B1 (with Lactobacillus plantarum HL 15) and B2 (without Lactobacillus plantarum HL 15). The second factor was the packaging methods (K), which consisted of K1 (vacuumed PP plastic 0.8 mm in thickness), K2 (non-vacuumed PP plastic 0.8 mm in thickness), K3 (plastic container), K4 (vacuumed PP plastic 0.8 mm in thickness stored within the plastic container), and K5 (nylon sack). The third factor was the storage time (P), which were P0 (0 month), P1 (1 month), and P2 (2 months). The result showed that the samples with the addition of the starter had a lower number of fungal colonies than those without the addition. Besides, the packaging using vacuumed PP plastic 0.8 mm in thickness stored within a plastic container gave the best result on minimizing the total fungal growth contamination and the peroxide value.

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

Good-quality chocolate can be produced only from good-quality cocoa beans. The cocoa bean quality can be improved using indigenous Lactiplantibacillus plantarum HL-15 as a starter culture in fermentation. The functionality of chocolate can be enhanced by the addition of probiotic L. plantarum Dad-13. This research aimed to evaluate the physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory characteristics of the probiotic chocolate bar Dad 13 made from fermented cocoa beans L. plantarum HL-15 during storage at different temperatures. The research was conducted in three stages. The first stage was the cocoa bean fermentation with and without L. plantarum HL-15, the second stage was probiotic chocolate bar Dad-13 production, and the third stage was the storage of probiotic chocolate bar Dad-13 at temperatures of 4 and 26°C. This study found that adding L. plantarum HL-15 to the fermentation could produce good-quality cocoa beans, prevent the growth of fungi presented by the pH and Aw of cocoa beans, and form a probiotic chocolate bar during storage. Storage at 4°C maintained the viability of L. plantarum Dad-13 and minimized fat breakdown. The organoleptic attributes of the probiotic chocolate bar Dad-13 during storage at 4 and 26°C were not significantly different (p > 0.05).