Method of fermenting cocoa beans

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017280742-A1
Application number	US-201515507505-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 27, 2015
Priority date	Aug 29, 2014
Publication date	Oct 5, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Use of a yeast capable of producing ethanol and acetic acid by fermentation of a carbohydrate, in a method for the fermentation of cocoa beans, is disclosed.

First claim

1 . A method for the fermentation of cocoa beans comprising the steps of:
a) adding at least one yeast to a plant material comprising:
(i) beans derived from fruit pods of the species Theobroma cacao ; and
(ii) pulp; and
b) fermenting the plant material to obtain fermented cocoa beans, the fermentation environment containing at least one other microorganism selected from the group consisting of yeast, lactic acid bacteria and acetic acid bacteria; wherein the added yeast is able to produce ethanol and acetic acid by fermentation of a carbohydrate.

2 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein said added yeast is able:
to produce acetic acid during assay I in a concentration of at least 0.7 g/L, and/or to produce acetic acid during assay I in a ratio of the concentration of acetic acid produced by said yeast over the final OD of at least 50 mg/L/OD.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein no acetic acid bacterium is added during the fermentation step.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein more than 60% of the acetic acid produced during the fermentation of cocoa beans is carried out by said at least one added yeast.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio (log/log) total yeast/total acetic acid bacteria present in the fermentation environment is more than 0.8 during the 3 first days of fermentation.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one yeast is from a genus selected from the group consisting of Dekkera, Brettanomyces, Hanseniaspora, Kloeckera, Pichia, Candida, Saccharomyces, Kluyveromyces, Debaryomyces, Kazachstania, Wickerhamomyces, Lindnera and Zygotorulaspora , or any mixture thereof.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one yeast is from a species selected from the group consisting of Dekkera bruxellensis (anamorph Brettanomyces bruxellensis ), Brettanomyces custersianus, Brettanomyces nanus, Brettanomyces naardenensis, Hanseniaspora uvarum (anamorph Kloeckera apiculata ), Hanseniaspora guillermondii (anamorph Kloeckera apis ), Hanseniaspora osmophila (anamorph Kloeckera cortisis ), Pichia fermentans (anamorph Candida lambica ), Pichia membranifaciens (anamorph Candida valida ), Wickerhamomyces anomalus, Pichia kluyveri, Kluyveromyces lactis, Debaryomyces hansenii (anamorph Candida famata ), Lindnera jadinii (anamorph Candida utilis ), Kazachstania unispora, Zygotorulaspora florentina , and Saccharomyces bayanus or a mixture of any thereof.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one yeast has a pectinolytic activity.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
at least one other yeast is added in step (a), and said other yeast has a pectinolytic activity.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one enzyme having a pectinolytic activity is added in step (a).

11 . A method of producing a cocoa-based product, wherein the method comprises:
(a) providing fermented cocoa beans obtained or obtainable by a method according to claim 1 , and (b) carrying out one or more further processing steps on said fermented cocoa beans to produce the cocoa-based product.

12 . The method according to claim 11 wherein the one more more further processing steps of (b) comprise(s) drying said fermented cocoa beans.

13 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the method comprises a further step of thermally treating the dried beans.

14 . The method according to claim 13 , wherein the method comprises further steps of:
removing shells from the roasted beans to produce cocoa nibs, and grinding the nibs to produce a cocoa liquor.

15 . (canceled)

16 . A mixture of yeasts, wherein the mixture comprises at least 2 yeasts of different species selected independently from the group consisting of Saccharomyces bayanus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces marxianus ( Candida kefyr ), Dekkera bruxellensis, Hanseniaspora guillermondii, Pichia kluyveri and Pichia anomala.

17 . A mixture of yeasts according to claim 16 , wherein:
one yeast is selected from the group consisting of Saccharomyces bayanus and Dekkera bruxellensis ; and one yeast is selected from the group consisting of Saccharomyces bayanus, Dekkera bruxellensis, Kluyveromyces marxianus ( Candida kefyr ), Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Hanseniaspora guillermondii, Pichia kluyveri and Pichia anomala.

18 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein said added yeast is able:
to produce ethanol during assay I in a concentration of at least 30 g/L, and/or to produce ethanol during assay I in a ratio of the concentration of ethanol produced by said yeast over the final OD of at least 3 g/L/OD.

19 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio (log/log) total yeast/total acetic acid bacteria present in the fermentation environment is more than 0.8 during the whole fermentation step.

20 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one yeast is a species selected from the group consisting of Dekkera bruxellensis and Saccharomyces bayanus.

21 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one yeast is selected from the group consisting of a mixture of yeasts comprising Dekkera bruxellensis and a mixture of yeasts comprising Saccharomyces bayanus.

22 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein any yeast species from Pichia kluyveri is other than the strains Pichia kluyveri PK-KR1 (V06/022711) and Pichia kluyveri PKKR2 (V06/022712).

Assignees

• Dupont Nutrition Biosci Aps

Inventors

• Fourcassie Pascal
• Boyaval Patrick
• Bonard Claire

Classifications

• A23G1/56

  Liquid products; Solid products in the form of powders, flakes or granules for making liquid products, e.g. for making chocolate milk {, drinks and the products for their preparation, pastes for spreading or milk crumb (A23G1/305 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• C12N1/02

  Separating microorganisms from their culture media · CPC title

• C12N1/20

  Bacteria; Culture media therefor · CPC title

• A23G1/003 Primary

  with introduction or production of gas, or under vacuum; Whipping; Manufacture of cellular mass · CPC title

• A23G1/02 Primary

  Preliminary treatment, e.g. fermentation of cocoa · CPC title