Reduce Waste! Cocoa Bean Hulls Can Be Processed Into Tea

The cocoa market drives up the number of cocoa bean hulls! Scientists have discovered that cocoa tea formulated with cocoa bean hulls has antioxidant properties comparable to coffee.

Penang, Malaysia (Business Northeast) – In response to the public’s love for chocolate, there are all kinds of chocolate products on the market, such as chocolate gift boxes, chocolate sauce, chocolate ice cream, etc. The chocolate market drives the amount of cocoa grinding, and cocoa bean hulls are by-products obtained in the cocoa production process; its number keeps increasing every year.

According to the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) 2018/2019 crop year harvest statistics, the world’s total grinding volume of cocoa beans increased by 4.1% to 4585 thousand tonnes. This phenomenon is mainly due to the rapid growth of the chocolate market, which has also led to a large increase in cocoa bean hulls.

How can cocoa bean hulls work? It is a good choice for making tea! According to research: Antioxidant and sensory evaluation of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) tea formulated with cocoa bean hull of different origins, cocoa tea formulated with cocoa bean hulls is unique in its flavor and antioxidant properties; cocoa tea compared to green tea contains more theobromine and less caffeine.

The study also showed that roasting temperature affects flavor, and cocoa teas formulated from cocoa bean hulls from different origins have different flavors. Cocoa tea with a hull to nibs ratio of 3:1 from Malaysia beans had the strongest chocolatey flavor. On the other hand, 67.64% of the 105 respondents said they would buy formulated cocoa tea.

Cocoa beans are the raw material for making chocolate, but most people focus on the inner beans, forgetting that the outer bean hulls also have processing potential. Cocoa bean hulls contain functional compounds such as phenolic phytochemicals, fiber, and a fat content similar to cocoa butter.

Different countries have different processing regulations for cocoa bean hulls, so cocoa bean hulls are limited. Making cocoa bean hulls into tea is an idea to reduce waste by recycling the supply chain, turning cocoa bean hulls that would otherwise be discarded into resources.

Although cocoa tea formulated by cocoa bean hulls has good flavor and antioxidant properties, it still contains caffeine, theobromine, and other substances, so it is still necessary to pay attention when drinking it. For example, children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding people should avoid drinking it.