- After the cocoa beans are transported to the chocolate factories, on arrival the beans are dusty and sandy and are covered with stones, wood and jute fibres, which must be removed before processing to protect processing machines and to maintain quality.
- Otherwise unpleasant aromas could be created when the beans are roasted, which would spoil the taste and aroma.
- Otherwise unpleasant aromas could be created when the beans are roasted, which would spoil the taste and aroma.
- There is a Pre Cleaning unit, where the cocoa beans go through a few sieving stages, a coarse sieve, a fine sieve, a strong flow of air (aspiration), a metal separator (magnet) and a vibratory sieve.
- This sieves remove leaves, fibres, sand, stones and metal from the beans.
- This sieves remove leaves, fibres, sand, stones and metal from the beans.
- The fermentation and drying stage contaminates the cocoa beans with microorganisms which are mostly harmless.
- These are killed during roasting or before with the use of sterilisation.
- These are killed during roasting or before with the use of sterilisation.
- This is when the beans are treated with high-pressure steam, the heat and moisture kills the microorganisms that live mainly on the outside of the shell.
- When the cocoa beans are roasted the moisture evaporates which makes it easier to separate from the kernel.