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Research Article Volume 10 Issue 1
Post-harvestocoa process in the department of antioquia, Colombia
Gabriel J. Merizalde, Gabriel Cubillos, Elizabeth Correa
Received: January 18, 2026 | Published: February 11, 2026
Citation: Merizalde GJ, Cubillos G, Correa E. Post-harvestocoa process in the department of antioquia, Colombia. Horticult Int J. 2026;10(1):9-14. DOI: 10.15406/hij.2026.10.00351
Abstract
The origin of the planting genetic material (Criollo, Forastero, and Trinitario) and postharvest system of the cocoa ( Theobroma cacao L.) are the two determining factors of the raw material quality that producers offer to the market. Processing includes fermentation and drying. The purpose of this study was to examine the processing system used by producers on their farms (both technified and traditional) and to establish quality indicators such as the degree of fermentation, based on the bean cut test and sensory analysis, in the Urabá and North-east regions of the department of Antioquia, Colombia. In Urabá, the percentage of well-fermented beans ranged between 66.6% to 84.6%, meeting the manufacturers’ minimum standard of 65%. Sensory analysis demonstrated that farms with advanced technology met the organoleptic characteristics desired by manufacturers like good taste and aroma and, while traditional farms yielded inconsistent organoleptic characteristics because the fermentation process was not always followed regularly. In the North-east region, the percentage of well-fermented beans on traditional farms was 53.6%, while on farms with advanced technology it ranged between 66.6% and 69.3%. Sensory analysis also show that on farms with a high number of trees of the CCN-51 clone, a characteristic acidic flavor was detected in the beans associated with this clone. To avoid this, it is recommended to ferment the CCN-51 clone pods separately using a specific protocol.
Keywords: fermentation and drying of cocoa, fermentation index, taste and arom
©2026 Merizalde, et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and build upon your work non-commercially.