Quality Improvement of Non Fermented Cocoa Bean Through Pre-Incubation Treatments

Abstract
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The cocoa beans produced by farmers in Indonesia are mostly nonfermented with unfavourable taste and flavour. Incubating the cocoa beans in acetate buffer medium has been shown to improve the quality of non fermented dried cocoa beans. Pre-incubation treatments of non fermented cocoa beans by physical treatments such as soaking and crushing them prior to the incubation in acetate buffer is expected to improve the beans quality (i.e. fermentation index and polyphenol). The aim of the research was to determine the effect of pre-incubation treatment of non fermented dried cocoa beans in acetate buffer medium on fermentation index and total polyphenols content.The research was carried out in Process Engineering Laboratory, Food Chemical and Biochemical Laboratory, and Postharvest Technology Laboratory at Gadjah MadaUniversity from April to December 2013. The research used three treatments, first: the crushed beans size 4 mm, whole beans soaked in water (45°C; 16 hours), and beans without soaking (control). The incubation was performed in two stages, the first stage was in the acetate buffer medium at pH 2.7; 600 mM for 24 hours, then subconsequently at pH 5.5; 600 mM for 12 hours. The results showed that crushed bean treatment of non fermented cocoa beans prior to incubation increased the fermentation index values, from 1.15 to1.54 and decreased total polyphenol content from 55.69 to 24.16mg GAE/g.
Biji kakao yang dihasilkan petani di Indonesia sebagian besar non fermentasi sehingga rasa dan aromanya kurang baik. Inkubasi biji kakao dalam medium buffer asetat terbukti dapat memperbaiki kualitas biji kakao kering non fermentasi. Perlakuan pendahuluan biji kakao non fermentasi dengan perlakuan fisik, seperti perendaman dan pemecahan biji sebelum diinkubasi dalam buffer asetat, diharapkan dapat lebih meningkatkan kualitas biji (indeks fermentasi dan polifenol). Tujuan penelitian adalah mengetahui pengaruh perlakuan pendahuluan biji kakao kering non fermentasi sebelum diinkubasi dalam medium buffer asetat terhadap indeks fermentasi dan kadar total polifenol. Penelitian dilaksanakan di Laboratorium Rekayasa Proses Pengolahan dan Laboratorium Kimia, Biokimia Pangan, dan Hasil Pertanian, Universitas Gadjah Mada, mulai bulan April sampai Desember 2013. Penelitian menggunakan tiga perlakuan, yaitu biji hancuran ukuran 4 mm, biji utuh direndam dalam air (45°C; 16 jam), dan biji utuh tanpa perendaman (kontrol). Inkubasi dilakukan dengan dua tahap, tahap pertama pada medium buffer asetat pH 2,7; 600 mM selama 24 jam dan dilanjutkan tahap kedua pada medium buffer asetat pH 5,5; 600 mM selama 12 jam. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa perlakuan hancuran pada biji kakao kering non fermentasi sebelum inkubasi dapat meningkatkan nilai indeks fermentasi biji dari 1,15 menjadi 1,54 dan menurunkan kadar total polifenol dari 55,69 menjadi 24,16 mg GAE/g.
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