Effects of fermentation and drying durations on the quality of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) beans during the rainy season in the Juaboso District of the Western-North Region, Ghana

Abstract

Abstract Background Postharvest treatments are crucial to the quality of cocoa finished products. This study aimed at investigating the effects of durations of fermentation and drying on the quality of cocoa (Theobroma cacao) beans during the rainy season. The study employed a 4 × 3 factorial with four fermentation durations of 5, 6, 7 and 8 days and three drying periods of 4, 5 and 6 days, resulting in a total of 12 treatment combinations, laid in a Completely Randomized Design with three replications. Bean quality data were collected on bean count/100 g, moisture content and cut test attributes including mouldy, slaty and purple, as well as percentage purity. Results The study showed that the applied fermentation and drying periods single handedly resulted in moisture content higher than the recommended, coupling 8 days fermentation with 6 days drying period resulted in a moisture content of 5.6% which falls below the acceptable standard (7.5%) recommended. Number of beans/100 g increased with increasing fermentation and drying periods. Coupling any of the fermentation periods with 5 or 6 days drying duration resulted in mould content within the acceptable grade 1 limit (3%). Longer fermentation period coupled with any of the drying durations resulted in very encouraging and minimal values of purple, while coupling 6, 7 or 8 days fermentation period with 6 days drying resulted in slaty content within the grade 1 limit (3%). Conclusion The overall effect of the treatments on the quality attributes from the cut test revealed that 8 days fermentation with the traditional leave heap method, coupled with 6 days sun drying during the rainy season, resulted in superior bean quality with a percentage purity of 98.00%.