Cocoa fermentation is a central step in chocolate manufacturing. In this research, we performed controlled fermentations of a fine cocoa variety to evaluate the impact of adjunct cultures of selected lactic acid bacteria (LAB) on fermentation parameters, chemical composition, and sensory profile of fine cocoa and chocolate. Improved fermentation processes were carried out at the Centre for the Integral Transformation of Cacao (CETICO) in Dominican Republic. Two strains of LAB, previously isolated from cocoa, and belonging to Lactiplantibacillus fabifermentans and Furfurilactibacillus rossiae species, were employed. Fermentation parameters, protein, peptide and free amino acid profiles of the fermented cocoa and volatile molecules were determined. Sensory analysis of the derived chocolate was also carried out. The obtained results indicated that the addition of the adjunct cultures influences the proteolytic processes and the free amino acid profile. Finally, the adjunct cultures increased the complexity of the flavour profile of the chocolate as they received a higher score for descriptors commonly used for fine chocolate, such as honey and red fruits. The results obtained showed that the selected strains can be an added value to the development of specific flavours that are desirable at industrial level.
Keywords: Theobroma cacao; adjunct cultures; fine chocolate; flavour profile; improved fermentation; proteolytic processes.