US 12,133,538 B2
Chocolate, chocolate-like products, chocolate construction kit and methods for preparing the same
Tilo Hühn, Schönenberg (CH)
Assigned to ODC LIZENZ AG, Stans (CH)
Appl. No. 15/742,427
Filed by ODC Lizenz AG, Stans (CH)
PCT Filed Jul. 8, 2016, PCT No. PCT/EP2016/001179
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 5, 2018,
PCT Pub. No. WO2017/005371, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 12, 2017.
Claims priority of application No. 15002046 (EP), filed on Jul. 8, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2018/0192665 A1, Jul. 12, 2018
Int. Cl. A23G 1/00 (2006.01); A23G 1/02 (2006.01); A23G 1/06 (2006.01); A23G 1/32 (2006.01)
CPC A23G 1/002 (2013.01) [A23G 1/0036 (2013.01); A23G 1/02 (2013.01); A23G 1/06 (2013.01); A23G 1/32 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for processing fermented or incubated cocoa beans comprising the steps of:
adding water to fermented or incubated cocoa beans or nibs to form a suspension;
wet grinding said suspension;
subjecting said suspension to a heat treatment at a temperature of from 43° C. to 65° C.;
separating the suspension into a water phase (heavy phase), a fat phase (light phase) and a solid phase, said fat phase comprising cocoa butter as a major component and solids and/or water as minor components and said solid phase comprising cocoa powder and water; and
separately processing the three phases, which comprises the step of:
(i) neutralizing acetic acid formed during fermentation or formed or added prior to or during an incubation of the cocoa beans in the water phase, or (ii) removing said acetic acid from the water phase by extractive distillation, reactive distillation, extraction, emulsion-type liquid membrane processes, salting out or combinations thereof;
separating cocoa butter from the fat phase;
separating cocoa powder from the solid phase; and
separating cocoa aroma and a polyphenolic powder from at least the water phase.