Nestlé innovation increases cocoa fruit yield

Nestlé has announced the development of a novel patented technique designed to get more yield from cocoa fruit. The new method utilises up to 30% more cocoa fruit to produce chocolate while still maintaining a great taste, the multinational said.

As well as minimising waste, this approach should enable farmers to get more yield as well as value from their cocoa harvests.

Chocolate is traditionally made using only the cocoa beans that are extracted from inside the cocoa pod. These beans are harvested, fermented, dried, roasted and then ground into a liquor, which is used to make chocolate. This leaves a significant amount of the cocoa fruit unused — including the pulp, placenta and pod husk.

Realising the untapped potential of these underutilised parts of the cocoa fruit, Nestlé's R&D experts developed a technique that leverages all parts of the fruit inside the cocoa pod. In this novel, simplified method, everything inside the pod is collected as a wet mass, which ferments naturally, unlocking the key chocolate flavour. The mass is then ground, roasted and dried into chocolate flakes which can be used to make chocolate.

Louise Barrett, Head of the Nestlé Research and Development Centre for Confectionery in York, said that with climate change increasingly affecting cocoa yields around the world, the company was exploring innovative solutions that could help cocoa farmers maximise the potential of their harvests.

The innovative technique has the potential to free up valuable time for farmers, allowing them, for example, to focus on good agricultural practices such as pruning, which has been demonstrated to improve yields.

“This groundbreaking technique utilises more of the fruit, while enabling us to provide delicious chocolate to our consumers,” Barrett said.

“While this project is still at a pilot stage, we are currently exploring how to apply this innovation at a larger scale.”

Image credit: iStock.com/Everyday better to do everything you love