Food product

Abstract

The present invention provides a cocoa pod shell powder having an insoluble dietary fiber concentration of at least 55% by weight of the total weight of the cocoa pod shells and / or a total fiber concentration of at least 68% by weight of the total weight of the cocoa pod shells, and the powder has a total ash content of 6.0% by weight or less. The present invention further provides a method for making the cocoa pod shell powder of the present invention, comprising the steps of grinding cocoa pod shells to form a paste by a wet-grinding process and drying the paste at a temperature of at least 80°C or at least 85°C.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to cocoa pod shell powder, food products and methods for producing same, in particular to cocoa pod shell powder, food products comprising cocoa pod shells and methods for producing cocoa pod shell powder for use in human food products. [Background technology]

[0002] Cocoa pod husk (CPH), also known as "cocoa fruit pulp", is the outer body of the cocoa pod or fruit that surrounds the cocoa bean core and cocoa pulp. It is also known by other names such as "cascara", "cocoa pod pericarp", "cocoa pod husk", "surface", and "shell". Hereinafter, the terms "cocoa pod shell" and "cocoa fruit pulp" are used interchangeably to refer to the outer body of the cocoa fruit. Cocoa pod shells make up about 52-76% by weight of a fresh, intact cocoa pod or fruit. During cocoa pod processing, about 10 tons of moist cocoa pod shells are produced for every ton of dry cocoa beans extracted from the pod.

[0003] Cocoa pod shells are generally considered a waste product and are disposed of through landfills, incineration, etc. There have been attempts to utilize cocoa pod shells, or at least parts thereof, as products that can be incorporated into food products. For example, in US Patent No. 4,206,245, cocoa pod shells (referred to in the patent as cocoa fruit flesh) are first processed by peeling the husk from the shell and then removing the cocoa beans and pulp, leaving the peeled cocoa pod shells. The peeled shells are then processed either to extract juice containing pectin or to be ground to provide a powder that can be used in further products. Examples in US Patent No. 4,206,245 include the use of extracted shell juice in the manufacture of tobacco products and the use of peeled shell flour in various foodstuffs including beverages, mayonnaise, macaroni, cake mixes, chocolate desserts, pizza bases, and animal feed. Other methods of producing powders of cocoa pod shells are reported in B. Yapo, V. Besson, B. Benoit and L. Kouassi, "Adding Value to Cacao Pod Husks as a Potential Antioxidant-Dietary Fiber Source", American Journal of Food and Nutrition, vol.1, no.3, pp.38-46, 2013; R. Martinez, P. Torres, MA Meneses, JG Figueroa, JA Perez-Alvarez and M. Viuda-Martos, "Chemical, technological and in vitro antioxidant properties of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) co-products", L. Vriesmann, R. Amboni, C. Petkowicz "Cacao pod husks (Theobroma cacao L.): Composition and hot-water-soluble pectins", P. Ozung, O. Oko and EAA Giang "Chemical Composition of Differently Treated Forms of Cocoa POD Husk Meal (CPHM)” and I. Amir, H. Hanida and A. Syafiq, “Development and physical analysis of high fiber bread incorporated with cocoa (Theobroma cacao sp.) pod husk powder”, International Food Research Journal, vol. 20, no. 3, pp. 1301-1305, 2013. These methods produce powders of cocoa pod shells with different compositional makeups and do not maximize the total dietary fiber or insoluble dietary fiber of the resulting product.Among the prior art CPH powders, the maximum total amount of fiber in the cocoa pod shell powder produced using the method described in Ozung et al. is 61.8% by weight of the powder, while the maximum total amount of insoluble dietary fiber is 53% by weight, as described in Martinez et al. The use of cocoa pod shells in food and beverages has been limited because the chemical makeup of cocoa pod shells produced by known methods does not benefit the use of cocoa pod shells in commercially useful products. In particular, known techniques for producing cocoa pod shell products, such as cocoa pod shell juice or ground powder, result in products that do not have high levels of fiber, especially pectin, which makes them suboptimal for use as thickeners, gelling agents, or low-calorie fiber-rich fillers. Furthermore, high levels of ash and / or sugars reduce the ability of known cocoa pod shell powders as effective flour substitutes or thickeners in a variety of foodstuffs, including bakery products and confectionery. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Pat. No. 4,206,245 [Non-patent literature]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] B. Yapo, V. Besson, B. Benoitand L. Kouassi, “Adding Value to Cacao Pod Husks as a Potential Antioxidant-Dietary Fiber Source”, American Journal of Food and Nutrition, vol.1, no.3, pp.38-46, 2013 [Non-Patent Document 2] R. Martinez, P. Torres, MAMeneses, JGFigueroa, JAPerez-Alvarez and M. Viuda-Martos, "Chemical, technical and in vitro antioxidant properties of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) co-products" [Non-Patent Document 3] L.Vriesmann, R.Amboni, C.Petkowicz "Cacao pod husks(Theobroma cacao L.): Composition and hot-water-soluble pectins" Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide cocoa pod shell powders and materials that can be used in a variety of food products and that overcome one or more of the deficiencies of prior art cocoa pod shell products.

[0007] Furthermore, it would be advantageous to provide a powder of cocoa pod shells that can be utilized as an effective gelling, thickening, or bulking agent and does not require further processing for effective use in different foodstuffs or beverages. It would also be advantageous to provide a powder of cocoa pod shells that does not have significant thickening capabilities for effective use in confectioneries such as chocolate, that can function similarly to cocoa powder.

[0008] It would also be advantageous to provide an improved cocoa pod shell powder having higher levels of fiber, particularly higher levels of insoluble fiber, as compared to known cocoa pod shell powders.Furthermore, it would be advantageous to provide a cocoa pod shell powder having an increased ratio of insoluble fiber to soluble fiber.

[0009] It is therefore an object of embodiments of the present invention to overcome or mitigate at least one of the problems in the prior art. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a powder of cocoa pod shells having an amount of insoluble dietary fibre of at least 55% by weight and / or a total dietary fibre content of at least 68% by weight of the total weight of the cocoa pod shells, and a total ash content of not more than 6.0% by weight.

[0011] The ash content of the powder of cocoa pod shells according to the first aspect of the invention may be 5.5% by weight or less, 5.4% by weight or less, 5.3% by weight or less, 5.2% by weight or less, 5.1% by weight or less, 5.0% by weight or less, or 4.5% by weight or less. It has been found that a powder of cocoa pod shells according to the invention containing an ash content of less than 6.0% by weight, in particular an ash content of 5.5% by weight or less or 5.0% by weight or less, allows the CPH powder of the invention to be utilized in a much wider range of foodstuffs, performing various roles including as a non-sweet bulking agent, flour substitute, and / or thickener, without significantly impairing the taste or texture of the foodstuff.

[0012] In some embodiments, the insoluble dietary fibre (IDF) concentration is at least 56% or at least 58% by weight. In preferred embodiments, the amount of insoluble dietary fibre in the cocoa pod shell powder is at least 60% by weight, at least 65% by weight, at least 67% by weight, at least 68% by weight, or at least 70% by weight. In some embodiments, the total dietary fibre (TDF) is at least 70% by weight, at least 71% by weight, at least 72% by weight, at least 73% by weight, at least 74% by weight, or at least 75% by weight. In some embodiments, the insoluble dietary fibre content is at least 60% by weight and the total dietary fibre content is at least 70% by weight of the total weight of the cocoa pod shell. In other embodiments, the TDF may be at least 72% by weight and the IDF may be at least 65% by weight, or the TDF may be at least 75% by weight and the IDF may be at least 67% by weight.

[0013] According to another aspect of the invention, a powder of cocoa pod shells is provided having an insoluble dietary fiber content of at least 60% by weight and a total dietary fiber content of at least 70% by weight of the total weight of the cocoa pod shells. In this aspect of the invention, the total ash content may be relatively high, but the very high levels of IDF and TDF allow the product to be used in a variety of food products as a flour substitute, thickener, etc. In preferred embodiments, the amount of insoluble dietary fiber in the powder of cocoa pod shells is at least 60% by weight, at least 65% by weight, at least 67% by weight, at least 68% by weight, or at least 70% by weight. In some embodiments, the total dietary fiber is at least 70% by weight, at least 71% by weight, at least 72% by weight, at least 73% by weight, at least 74% by weight, or at least 75% by weight. In other embodiments, the TDF may be at least 72% by weight and the IDF may be at least 65% by weight, or the TDF may be at least 75% by weight and the IDF may be at least 67% by weight.

[0014] Throughout this specification, "cocoa pod shells" may refer to either the cocoa pod shell skin, the cocoa pod shell pulp, or both, while the term "whole cocoa pod shells" means the cocoa pod shell pulp and skin combined.

[0015] It should also be noted that "cocoa pod shells" refers to the outer body of the cocoa pulp or pod that surrounds the cocoa beans and the pulp within the pulp. The term "cocoa pod shells" should not be confused with "cocoa shells," "cocoa nib shells," or "cocoa nib shells," which in the art refer to the skin or shell of the cocoa beans (nibs) within the pod or pulp. "Food product" refers to a food or beverage product or ingredient. "Ash" may refer to the mineral content of the cocoa pod shells, including potassium, phosphorus, calcium, silicon, magnesium, sodium, and iron, and their oxides. Ash may be determined using Test Method AOAC 942.05 (Official Methods of Analysis of AOAC INTERNATIONAL (OMA) Online).

[0016] Total dietary fiber and insoluble dietary fiber may be determined by any suitable method, such as AOAC 2009.01 and AOAC 2011.25.

[0017] Surprisingly, it has been found that powders of cocoa pod shells can be produced with enhanced levels of fiber, particularly insoluble dietary fiber, and also surprisingly with reduced ash content, compared to prior art products. The higher fiber content, lower ash content, and ability to adjust fiber functionality allow the cocoa pod shells of the present invention to be used in food products for applications that were not previously commercially achievable or acceptable, such as thickening, gelling, and filling applications in a wide range of products, but without contributing significant calorie counts. The high levels of fiber and low levels of ash allow the cocoa pod shells to be used as a substitute ingredient in many food ingredients without significantly affecting the taste, mouthfeel, or texture of the food ingredient. In prior art cocoa pod shell products, lower levels of fiber often result in higher levels of carbohydrates, which affect the resulting product more significantly in taste, texture, and quality, and contribute relatively more calories.

[0018] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a powder of cocoa pod shells having an ash content of 5.0% by weight or less. It was not previously thought possible to provide an extract and powder of cocoa pod shells without treating the shells in a way that increases the ash content to unacceptable levels. The inventors have surprisingly found a method of producing a powder (extract) of cocoa pod shells that can reduce the ash content to levels previously unattainable in the prior art, resulting in a product that can be utilized in a wider variety of food products.

[0019] The following statements apply to all aspects of the invention.

[0020] The cocoa pod shell powder may comprise powdered cocoa pod shell skin and / or powdered cocoa pod shell pulp. In some embodiments, the cocoa pod shell powder comprises powdered cocoa pod pulp that has had the skin removed, while in other embodiments, the cocoa pod shell powder comprises whole cocoa pod shell powder.

[0021] The cocoa pod shell powder may contain protein in an amount by weight of 15% or less, 14% or less, 13% or less, 12% or less, 11% or less, or 10% or less.

[0022] The cocoa pod shell powder may contain fat in an amount by weight of 5% or less, 4% or less, 3% or less, 2% or less, or 1.5% or less.

[0023] In some embodiments, the cocoa pod shell powder comprises at least 55% by weight insoluble dietary fiber, no more than 10% by weight protein, and no more than 2% by weight fat. An exemplary cocoa pod shell powder comprises at least 65% by weight insoluble dietary fiber, no more than 8.5% by weight protein, and no more than 1.5% by weight fat.

[0024] The moisture content of the cocoa pod shell powder may be 10% by weight or less, 8.5% by weight or less, or in particular 8% by weight or less. In some embodiments, the moisture content may be less than 8% by weight. The reduced moisture content in the cocoa pod shell powder of the present invention, in combination with the high concentration of fiber, allows the product of the present invention to be used in applications that are not possible using prior art CPH powders or products. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the cocoa pod shell powder of the present invention comprises at least 55% by weight of insoluble dietary fiber and less than 8% by weight of moisture.

[0025] The water activity (Aw) of the cocoa pod shell powder is preferably less than 0.5, less than 0.4, or less than 0.3.

[0026] The sugar content of the powder of cocoa pod shells may be 8% or less, preferably 7% or less, by weight of the powder. According to another aspect of the present invention, a powder of cocoa pod shells is provided that contains 8% or less sugar by weight. It has been found that a powder of cocoa pod shells that contains 8% or less, particularly 7% or less, of sugar by weight allows the CPH powder to be utilized in a much wider range of foodstuffs, performing multiple roles including as a non-sweetening bulking agent, flour replacer, and / or thickener. In some embodiments, the powder of cocoa pod shells contains 8% or less or 7% or less sugar by weight, does not contain invert sugar, or contains less than 1% invert sugar by weight.

[0027] The fibre of the cocoa pod shell powder may comprise lignin, cellulose and / or pectin. In a preferred embodiment, the fibre comprises all three of lignin, cellulose and pectin. The ratio of lignin to cellulose in the powder may be from 2:1 to 1:2, preferably from 1.25:1 to 1:1.25. The ratio of the amount of pectin to the total amount of lignin and cellulose in the powder may be from 1:3 to 1:5 or from 1:3 to 1:4.

[0028] The ratio of insoluble dietary fiber to soluble dietary fiber may be from 4:1 to 10:1, preferably greater than 4:1, or greater than 4.5:1, or greater than 5:1. In some applications of the cocoa pod shell powder of the present invention, such as use as a low calorie bulking agent, the ratio of insoluble fiber to soluble fiber may be at least 5:1 or at least 6:1.

[0029] In some embodiments, the cocoa pod shell powder comprises at least 5% by weight pectin, or at least 7.5% by weight pectin. Surprisingly, it has been found that it is possible to produce cocoa pod shell powders that contain significant levels of functional pectin, allowing the cocoa pod shells to be used in a variety of applications in which pectin is particularly useful.

[0030] According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a food or edible product comprising the powdered cocoa pod shells of any of the other aspects of the present invention.

[0031] It should be understood that when mixed with other ingredients in a food product, the cocoa pod shell powder of the present invention may or may not be in powder form in the final product and therefore should be referred to as "cocoa pod shells" in the food product.

[0032] The food or edible product may be any suitable food or beverage, which may be selected from the group consisting of beverages, confectioneries, baked goods, edibles, and spreads. In other embodiments, the edible product may be a food ingredient or beverage ingredient. The food or beverage ingredient may be, for example, a bulking agent, in some embodiments, for example, a bulking agent for chocolate or other confectionery products. The food or beverage ingredient may include CPH powder and one or more additional ingredients independently selected from the group including fiber, protein, dairy powder, fat, emulsifier, hydrocolloid, carbohydrate, mineral, vitamin, thickener, flavor, color, and sweetener. The CPH powder may be thoroughly mixed with the additional ingredient(s) in a ratio of CPH powder:additional ingredient(s) of 25:75 to 99.5:0.5. The CPH powder and the additional ingredient or ingredients may be thoroughly mixed by agglomeration, spray drying, fluidized bed drying, extrusion, or any other suitable technique.

[0033] The beverage may include a powdered beverage, which may be selected from a fruit flavored powdered beverage, a cocoa powder, a malt beverage, or any combination thereof. The cocoa pod shells in the powdered beverage may include a powder. The cocoa pod shell powder and the beverage powder may include a homogenous mixture. The cocoa pod shell powder may be present in the beverage powder in an amount of 45% or less, 40% or less, 35% or less, 30% or less, 20% or less, 15% or less, or 10% or less by weight of the total weight of the beverage powder.

[0034] The beverage may comprise a liquid beverage which may be selected from milk, milkshakes, chocolate milk, smoothies, malt-based beverages, chocolate beverages, soups, yogurt beverages, and coffee-based beverages. The cocoa pod shells may be present in the liquid beverage in an amount of 45% or less, 40% or less, 35% or less, 30% or less, 20% or less, 15% or less, or 10% or less by weight of the total weight of the beverage powder.

[0035] In both beverage powders and liquid beverages, the cocoa pod shells may act as a thickening or gelling agent in the resulting beverage, hi other embodiments, the cocoa pod shells may function as a reduced calorie bulking or filler, or as a spacing agent that may act to separate sugar and hydrocolloid particles to improve ease of dispersion.

[0036] The confectionery product may include chocolate. The term "chocolate" in the context of the present invention is not limited by the various definitions of chocolate provided by governments and regulatory authorities. "Chocolate" is simply a product that contains a fat phase and includes cocoa products and sweeteners. Other optional ingredients of chocolate include dairy ingredients (e.g., milk fat and milk powder).

[0037] The fat may be cocoa butter, butterfat, cocoa butter equivalent (CBE), cocoa butter substitute (CBS), vegetable fat that is liquid at standard ambient temperature and pressure (SATP, 25° C. and 100 kPa), or any combination of the above. In certain embodiments, the chocolate comprises cocoa butter.

[0038] CBE is defined in Directive 2000 / 36 / EC. Suitable CBE include illipe, Borneo tallow, tengkawang, palm oil, sal, shea butter, kokum butter, and mango kernel. CBE is usually used in combination with cocoa butter. In one embodiment, the chocolate contains 5% by weight or less of CBE.

[0039] Chocolate may contain cocoa butter substitutes (CBS) (sometimes known as cocoa butter replacers (CBR)) in place of some or all of the cocoa butter. Such chocolate materials may be known as compound chocolates. Suitable CBS include CBS laurates and CBS non-laurates. CBS laurates are short chain fatty acid glycerides. Although their physical properties differ, they all have a triglyceride structure that makes them compatible with cocoa butter. Suitable CBS include those based on palm kernel oil and coconut oil. CBS non-laurates consist of fractions obtained from hydrogenated oils. The oils are selectively hydrogenated with the formation of trans acids, which increase the solid phase of the fat. Suitable sources of CBS non-laurates include soybean, cottonseed, peanut, rapeseed, and corn (maize) oils.

[0040] The chocolate may contain at least one vegetable fat that is liquid at standard ambient temperature and pressure (SATP, 25° C. and 100 kPa). Suitable vegetable fats include corn oil, cottonseed oil, rapeseed oil, palm oil, safflower oil, and sunflower oil.

[0041] The present invention is further applicable to chocolate products in which some or all of the fat is constituted partly or entirely by non-metabolizable fats, such as caprenin.

[0042] Chocolate may contain at least one sweetener. At least one sweetener may be bulk sweetener or intense sweetener. Suitable bulk sweeteners include sucrose, invert sugar syrup, caramel, glucose, fructose, polydextrose, high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, honey, maple syrup, stevia, and sugar alcohols such as glycerol, maltitol, isomalt, sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, erythritol, galactitol, polyglycitol, mannitol, or may be selected from raffinose, inulin, FOS, GOS, IMO, XOS, HMO, soluble corn fiber, cyclodextrin, resistant maltodextrin, or other soluble fiber.

[0043] The chocolate product may comprise two or more chocolate ingredients. In one embodiment, the chocolate comprises two different chocolate ingredients or two different chocolate ingredients with different appearances. For example, the chocolate may comprise both milk chocolate and white chocolate, or both milk chocolate and dark chocolate in a swirl pattern.

[0044] The chocolate product may be a chocolate bar, such as a solid chocolate bar or a filled chocolate bar or item. The chocolate product may be a molded chocolate product (i.e. one in which molten chocolate is solidified in a mould).

[0045] The cocoa pod shells may be mixed homogeneously with the chocolate ingredients in the chocolate product.

[0046] The cocoa pod shells may be present in the chocolate in an amount of 30% or less, 20% or less, 15% or less, or 12% or less by weight of the total weight of the chocolate. In some embodiments, the cocoa pod shells are present in an amount of 2-10% or 5-10% by weight of the total weight of the chocolate. Thus, in some embodiments, the ratio of cocoa pod shells to other chocolate ingredients may be, for example, from 30:70 to 1:99.

[0047] The confectionery product may be a non-chocolate confectionery, such as a sugar food or sugar substitute or a candy product. Suitable candy products for the present invention include, for example, chewy candies, sugar confections, jellies, and gums, such as caramel, toffee, fudge, marshmallow, and nougat. The candy product may include at least one sweetener. The at least one sweetener may be an increased sweetener or an intense sweetener. Suitable bulk sweeteners include sucrose, invert sugar syrup, caramel, glucose, fructose, polydextrose, high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, honey, maple syrup, stevia, and sugar alcohols such as glycerol, maltitol, isomalt, sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, erythritol, galactitol, polyglycitol, mannitol, or may be selected from raffinose, inulin, FOS, GOS, IMO, XOS, HMO, soluble corn fiber, cyclodextrin, resistant maltodextrin, or other soluble fibers.

[0048] In some embodiments, the candy products, particularly chewy candies, gums (or gum candies), jellies (or jelly candies), and marshmallows, comprise at least one gelling or thickening agent.

[0049] As used herein, "chewy candy" refers in the art to a particular type of chewable candy that contains fat and emulsifiers and includes crystalline sugar or bulk non-sugar sweeteners within a bulk amorphous phase, which may also contain up to 20% air.

[0050] Jellies and gummies are popular confectionery snacks because they combine a desirable chewing sensation with sweet flavors. Jellies and gummies have traditionally been produced using sugar or sugar-free bulk sweeteners with gelling agents such as gelatin. Suitable gelling agents for use in the jellies or gummies of the present invention include one or more soluble hydrocolloids selected from gelatin, xanthan gum, pectin, locust bean gum, psyllium, gum arabic, starch, and sodium alginate.

[0051] Cocoa pod shells can be used to replace some or all of the gelling or thickening agents in chewy, gummy, or jelly candies. In some embodiments, at least 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or up to 100% of the gelling or thickening agents normally present in the candy can be replaced by cocoa pod shells. Thus, in candy embodiments that include gelling or thickening agents, the ratio of cocoa pod shells to gelling or thickening agents (or the total amount of gelling or thickening agents) can be 1:9 to 99:1, e.g., 1:4 to 50:1, or 1:1 to 9:1. In particular, cocoa pod shells can be used to replace pectin in chewy, jelly, or gummy candies.

[0052] When the product is a filling, the filling can be a confectionery filling. Some confectionery fillings will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The filling can be a fat-based filling material or a water-based filling material. Suitable fat-based filling materials include truffles, mousses, and chocolates. Suitable water-based filling materials include caramel, fondant creme, jams, and jellies such as Turkish delight. In one embodiment, the filling material is a liquid or flowable material at room temperature. For example, the filling material can be a viscous liquid such as caramel, fondant creme, or a jelly such as Turkish delight.

[0053] Cocoa pod shells can be used to replace some or all of the gelling or thickening agents in the filling. In some embodiments, at least 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or up to 100% of the gelling or thickening agents normally present in the filling can be replaced by cocoa pod shells. Thus, in embodiments of the filling that include a gelling or thickening agent, the ratio of cocoa pod shells to the gelling or thickening agent (or the total amount of gelling or thickening agent) can be from 1:9 to 99:1, for example, from 1:4 to 50:1, or from 1:1 to 9:1. In particular, cocoa pod shells can be used to replace pectin in the filling.

[0054] In embodiments where the food product is a baked product, the baked product may be a flour-based product. By "baked product" and food product that has undergone baking, we also include the product prior to the action of baking, such as when the product comprises a raw or partially cooked dough or batter form. Flour-based food products may include dough- or batter-based products, such as cakes, biscuits, cookies, or pastries. The dough or batter may comprise wheat, barley, rye, oat, or maize (corn) flour, or any other suitable cereal or non-cereal flour.

[0055] The cocoa pod shells may comprise a filler in the baked product. The cocoa pod shells may be used to replace at least a portion of the flour in the baked product. In some embodiments, at least 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, or 33% of the flour normally present in the baked product may be replaced by the cocoa pod shells. Thus, in some embodiments, the ratio of cocoa pod shells to flour in the baked product may be from 5:95 to 35:65, or from 10:90 to 25:75.

[0056] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a food product comprising powder of whole cocoa pod shells. The food product may be as defined and described above for the other aspects of the present invention. The whole cocoa shell powder may comprise insoluble dietary fiber in an amount of at least 55%, 56%, 57%, 58%, 59% or at least 60% by weight of the total weight of the whole cocoa shell powder. In a preferred embodiment, the amount of insoluble dietary fiber in the powder of cocoa pod shells is at least 65%, 66%, 67%, 68% or at least 69% by weight.

[0057] The cocoa pod shell powder according to any one of the embodiments of the present invention may have the following properties: a) breaking cocoa pod shells into small pieces; b) optionally incubating the cocoa pod shell pieces in water at a temperature between 35 and 85°C; c) wet grinding the cocoa pod shell pieces to form a paste; d) drying the paste; e) forming a powder from the dry paste. Steps b) and c) may be performed in any order.

[0058] Thus, another aspect of the present invention is a method for producing a method for treating a pulmonary circulation comprising the steps of: a) breaking cocoa pod shells into small pieces; b) optionally incubating the cocoa pod shell pieces in water at a temperature between 35 and 85°C; c) wet grinding the cocoa pod shell pieces to form a paste; d) drying the paste; e) forming a powder from the dried paste. Steps b) and c) can be performed in any order.

[0059] Surprisingly, it has been found that the above process produces a powder of cocoa pod shells having a level of insoluble dietary fiber of more than 55% or even 60% by weight of the total weight of the powder of cocoa pod shells, far exceeding the insoluble dietary fiber levels achieved in the prior art. Furthermore, the total dietary fiber content is more than 68% or even 70% by weight, also far exceeding the levels of the prior art. The process also produces a product with an ash content of 6.0% or less by weight. As mentioned above, the powder of cocoa pod shells produced by the method described herein retains the functionality of pectin compared to the products of the prior art, which allows the powder of cocoa pod shells of the present invention to be utilized in a wide range of food products and for numerous ingredient applications, such as thickening and gelling agent replacement (e.g., in jellies, gummies, or chewy candies, fillings, or beverages) or as a bulking agent (in confectionery products such as chocolate, and flour-based products such as, for example, cookies, biscuits, and cakes).

[0060] The process of distilling small pieces of cocoa pod shells in hot water (rather than using whole pods and neutralizing them with alkaline and acid treatment processes, as known from the prior art) reduces the amount of insoluble fiber lost from leaching from the cocoa pod shells, but helps to retain and concentrate the insoluble fiber by leaching out the less desirable soluble fiber.

[0061] Step a) may involve shearing or cutting whole cocoa pod shells, the pulp of the cocoa pod shells or the pericarp of the cocoa pod shells, but preferably whole cocoa pod shells are used. The pieces may have a maximum dimension of from 0.05 cm to 10 cm, or from 0.05 cm to 5 cm, preferably from 0.5 cm to 3 cm, more preferably from 1 cm to 3 cm.

[0062] The cocoa pod shells used in step a) are preferably fresh cocoa pod shells that have not been previously processed (e.g. obtained immediately after opening the pods and recovering the beans) or, alternatively, vacuum-sealed and frozen cocoa pod shells, in which case there may be a step prior to step a) of thawing the freeze-dried cocoa pod shells.

[0063] The cocoa pod shells used in step a) may also be cleaned and washed, preferably with water.

[0064] In some embodiments, the pericarp of the cocoa pod shells may be removed prior to step a), such as by peeling, although in preferred embodiments the pericarp is left on the cocoa pod shells.

[0065] Step b) may comprise incubating the cocoa pod shell pieces in water for at least 30 minutes, 45 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, 2 hours, 2.5 hours, or at least 3 hours. In some embodiments, the time is at least 4 hours, 5 hours, or 6 hours.

[0066] Step b) may comprise incubating the cocoa pod shell pieces at a temperature of at least 40° C., at least 45° C., or at least 50° C., and at most 80° C., at most 75° C., at most 70° C., or at most 65° C. In some embodiments, the temperature in step b) is between 45° C. and 65° C., or between 45° C. and 60° C., preferably between 50° C. and 60° C. In some embodiments, the temperature is about 52-54° C.

[0067] Step b) is believed to soak the cocoa pod shell pieces and extract some of the water soluble pectins, sugars, soluble fiber, polyphenols, and some proteins / peptides, leaving behind the more desirable insoluble fibers such as insoluble pectins that would otherwise be removed in prior art processes, for example by alkaline or acid treatment, and this is believed to soften the pieces for size reduction (wet milling) in step c) below.

[0068] The amount of water used in step b) may be between 1 L and 5 L per kg of cocoa pod shell pieces, preferably between 2 L and 4 L, such as about 2.5 to 3.5 L per kg of cocoa pod shell pieces.

[0069] The preferred temperature, time, and amount of water are believed to provide a good balance between yield of useful cocoa pod shell fiber and reduction of mold, heavy metals, pesticides, and insect pests in and on the cocoa pod shells.

[0070] Step b) may include the use of one or more preservatives in the water. Suitable preservatives include sorbates, citric acid, antioxidants, essential oils, mild alkali, or any combination thereof. The use of a preservative in the incubation water ensures that any mold growth on the cocoa pod shell pieces is minimized.

[0071] After step b), the incubation liquid is removed and discarded and the moist cocoa pod shell pieces can be recovered.

[0072] Step c) may comprise wet grinding the pieces in a suitable grinder or crusher. The cocoa pod pieces may be placed in a grinder or blender, for example with or without the addition of 0.25-1 L of water per kg of cocoa pod pieces. Alternatively, the cocoa pod pieces may be mechanically pressed, for example using a screw press, to reduce the moisture content of the pieces before grinding or crushing. In another approach, the cocoa pod pieces may be homogenized by passing them through a shear or colloid mill, or other device designed for size reduction of wet slurries. It is noted, however, that the cocoa pod pieces are not dried prior to grinding or crushing (or mechanical pressing).

[0073] The paste produced at the end of step c) is then dried during step d). Drying can be carried out by any suitable method, including but not limited to oven drying, drum drying, sun drying, freeze drying, fluidized bed drying, and vacuum drying. The drying technique can be selected depending on the scale of operation, the desired color, functionality, and water binding capacity of the final powder product. The selected drying method has a large impact on the functionality of the final product, especially its ability to increase viscosity, which may be desirable in some applications but not others.

[0074] In a preferred embodiment, drying is performed using freeze-drying or oven drying (with or without vacuum) as these drying techniques have been found to impart beneficial but different properties to the resulting powder. During freeze-drying, the paste loses 90-95% of its water by weight, forming a dry cake with a water activity (Aw) of less than 0.3, most often less than 0.2 or even less than 0.15. The lower the Aw (less than 0.25, or most preferably less than 0.2), the lower the chance of potential mycotoxin growth in the resulting powder.

[0075] Lyophilization may be carried out for at least 6 hours, 12 hours, 18 hours, 24 hours, 3 days, 4 days, 5 days, 6 days, or for at least 7 days.

[0076] For vacuum drying, the paste can be placed in a vacuum oven at 85 °C and evacuated at <-20 mmHg to produce a dry cake in which 90-95% of the water is lost by weight, achieving the same Aw levels as freeze drying. Alternative drying methods using heat treatments, such as oven drying, may also be used to achieve the desired functionality.

[0077] Step e) may comprise knife milling, hammer milling or other methods of grinding the dry product produced after step d).Step e) may comprise comminuting the dry product to an average particle size of d90>5 micrometers to d90<70 micrometers, such as d90<26 micrometers.

[0078] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of making cocoa pod shell powder, the method comprising the steps of grinding cocoa pod shells into a paste by a wet-grinding process and drying the paste at a temperature of at least 80°C to form a powder from the paste.

[0079] The drying step may include vacuum drying. The drying step may include drying the paste at a temperature of at least 85°C.

[0080] It has been found that subjecting the paste to a heat treatment step during drying at a temperature of at least 80°C, preferably at least 85°C, allows the production of cocoa pod shell fibre with increased levels of insoluble dietary fibre and total dietary fibre and reduced moisture content.

[0081] This method can be used to produce the cocoa pod shell powder of any of the other aspects of the invention described above.

[0082] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided the use of the cocoa pod shell powder of the present invention as a gelling agent, thickening agent or bulking agent.

[0083] According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided the use of cocoa shell powder as an egg solids replacer in a food product.

[0084] According to another aspect of the invention there is provided the use of the cocoa shell powder of the invention as a flour substitute in a dough or batter. The cocoa shell powder may be used to replace from 1% to 50% or from 5% to 33% by weight of the flour in the dough or batter.

[0085] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cocoa pod shell powder comprising at least 68% by weight of insoluble dietary fiber. In some embodiments, the amount of insoluble dietary fiber is at least 70% by weight of the total weight of the cocoa pod shell powder. The cocoa pod shell powder, the insoluble dietary fiber, and the method of producing the powder may be as described and defined above for the other aspects of the present invention. In particular embodiments, for example, the following items are provided: (Item 1) A powder of cocoa pod shells having an amount of insoluble dietary fiber of at least 55% by weight of the total weight of the cocoa pod shells and / or an amount of total dietary fiber of at least 68% by weight of the total weight of the cocoa pod shells, and a total ash content of the powder is 6.0% by weight or less. (Item 2) 2. The powder of cocoa pod shells according to item 1, containing 8% by weight or less of total sugars. (Item 3) A powder of cocoa pod shells having an ash content of 5.0% by weight or less. (Item 4) The powder of cocoa pod shells according to any one of items 1 to 3, produced by a method comprising the steps of crushing cocoa pod shells into a paste by a wet grinding process and drying the paste at a temperature of at least 80°C. (Item 5) 5. The cocoa pod shell powder according to any one of items 1 to 4, having an insoluble dietary fiber content of at least 60% by weight of the total weight of the cocoa pod shell powder and / or an overall dietary fiber content of at least 70% by weight of the total weight of the cocoa pod shell powder. (Item 6) 6. The cocoa pod shell powder according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the powder contains moisture in an amount of 12.5% ​​by weight or less of the total weight of the powder. (Item 7) 7. The cocoa pod shell powder according to any one of items 1 to 6, wherein the water activity of the cocoa pod shell is Aw0.4 or less. (Item 8) 8. The powder of cocoa pod shells according to any one of items 1 to 7, comprising fat in an amount of less than 2% by weight and protein in an amount of less than 10% by weight of the total weight of the cocoa pod shells. (Item 9) The cocoa pod shell powder according to any one of items 1 to 8, wherein the cocoa pod shell comprises cocoa pod shell pulp and / or cocoa pod shell pericarp. (Item 10) 10. The cocoa pod shell powder according to claim 9, wherein the cocoa pod shell powder comprises whole cocoa pod shells. (Item 11) 11. The cocoa pod shell powder according to any one of items 1 to 10, having an average particle size of 2 to 750 micrometers, preferably 20 to 250 micrometers. (Item 12) A food product comprising the cocoa pod shell powder according to any one of items 1 to 11. (Item 13) Item 13. The food product according to item 12, comprising a product selected from confectioneries, baked products, fillings, spreads, and beverages. (Item 14) Use of the cocoa pod shell powder according to any one of items 1 to 11 as a gelling agent, thickening agent, or bulking agent. (Item 15) Use of the cocoa pod shell powder according to item 14 in the food product according to item 12 or 13. (Item 16) Use of the powder of cocoa pod shells according to any one of items 1 to 11 as a substitute for egg solids in food products. (Item 17) 12. A method for producing a food product, comprising homogenously mixing the powder of cocoa pod shells according to any one of items 1 to 11 with one or more food product ingredients to form the food product. (Item 18) 1. A method for producing cocoa pod shell powder, comprising the steps of: grinding cocoa pod shells into a paste by a wet grinding process; and drying the paste at a temperature of at least 80°C or at least 85°C. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0086] The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee. In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Figure 1A-1] 1 is a table showing the concentrations of fiber and other components of the CPH powder of the present invention, as well as various component parameters of the CPH powder of the present invention (FIG. 1A, Experiments Z3, Z11, B13-14, and B16-19). [Figure 1A-2] 1 is a table showing the concentrations of fiber and other components of the CPH powder of the present invention, as well as various component parameters of the CPH powder of the present invention (FIG. 1A, Experiments Z3, Z11, B13-14, and B16-19). [Figure 1B-1] 1 is a table showing the concentration and parameters of fiber and other ingredients of the CPH product described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,206,425, other prior art CPH products, and defatted cocoa powder. [Figure 1B-2] 1 is a table showing the concentration and parameters of fiber and other ingredients of the CPH product described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,206,425, other prior art CPH products, and defatted cocoa powder. [Diagram 2]FIG. 1 is a graph showing the thickening behavior of CPH materials with different treatments compared to commercial food hydrocolloids using RVA method 41.02 (Young NWG, Non-starch Applications - Hydrocolloids (as described in The RVA Handbook (Crosbie GB, Ross AS (eds.)), AACC International, St. Paul, MN, 2007, p. 85-94) in which a 1% w / w aqueous solution (or suspension) of hydrocolloid was maintained at 80° C. for 5 minutes with an agitation speed of 160 RPM and then cooled to 20° C. at 1° C. / min. [Diagram 3] 1 is a series of photographs showing cookies produced using freeze-dried CPH of the present invention ("CPH-FD") and vacuum-dried CPH at 85°C ("CPH-Vac85C") as a 25% replacement for flour compared to a control cookie. [Figure 4A] Photographs of soft cakes produced using egg (control cake) and soft cakes produced using CPH-FD as a 30% and 100% egg solids replacement. [Figure 4B] 4B is a photograph of a cross section of the soft cake shown in FIG. 4A. [Figure 5A] FIG. 3: Photograph of refiner paste before the first pass through the refiner for the experimental chocolate mass described in Example 4: control (left), CPH-Vac85C (middle) and CPH-FD (right). [Figure 5B] FIG. 1 is a table of particle size and viscosity measurements for the experimental chocolate masses described in Example 4. [Figure 5C] Photographs of the experimental chocolate bars described in Example 4: control (left), a bar with 9.2% CPH-Vac85C (middle), and a bar with 9.2% CPH-FD (right). [Figure 5D] 1 is a summary of comments from an informal sensory taste test of the experimental chocolate bars described in Example 4. [Figure 6A] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a benchtop process for incorporating CPH into a milk chocolate mass at a <200 g scale, which is used in preparing the chocolates described in Examples 5 and 6. [Figure 6B]Photographs comparing experimental chocolate bars as described in Example 5 containing: (5i) 10% NFDM (comparative), (5ii) 10% CPH (from experiment no. B19 sieved >230 mesh), (5iii) (from experiment no. B19 sieved <230 mesh), (5iv) 10% CPH (from experiment no. B19 sieved <325 mesh), and (5v) 10% CPH (from experiment no. B18 sieved <325 mesh). [Figure 7] Photograph comparing experimental chocolate bars as described in Example 6 containing: (6i) 15% CPH (from experiment no. B19 sieved through <230 mesh) and (6ii) 10% lactose (comparative example). EXAMPLES

[0087] In the examples described below and illustrated in the figures, the following abbreviations are used:

[0088] CPH-Cacao pod shell

[0089] CPH-FD - freeze-dried cocoa pod shells made according to the invention

[0090] CPH-Vac85C - 85°C vacuum dried cocoa pod shells made according to the present invention

[0091] FD - freeze-dried according to the drying step of the method of the present invention

[0092] Vac85C - vacuum dried at 85°C according to the drying step of the method of the present invention

[0093] CPHS - Pericarp of cocoa pod shell according to the invention

[0094] CPHF - pulp of cocoa pod shell according to the invention

[0095] CPH (mixture) - skin and pulp of cocoa pod shell according to the invention

[0096] St - distilled according to incubation step b) of the method of the invention

[0097] M1 - wet-ground according to step c) of the process of the invention

[0098] StMl and MISt - distilled and wet-ground according to steps b) and c) of the inventive process, or vice versa.

[0099] Whole CBS - whole cocoa pods not treated according to the present invention

[0100] TDF - Total Dietary Fiber

[0101] IDF - Insoluble Dietary Fiber

[0102] Food products - food or beverage products Example 1 - Preparation of whole cocoa pod shell powder, cocoa pod pulp powder and cocoa pod peel powder

[0103] Cocoa pod shells (hereinafter "CPH") were collected immediately after the pods were opened (a standard process for chocolate processing in which the beans are removed and the CPH is typically discarded). Fresh CPH was frozen or vacuum sealed and shipped from the cocoa farm for processing. In other embodiments, the freezing / vacuum sealing step can be eliminated by locating the processing facility closer to where the pods are opened.

[0104] The frozen / sealed CPH was then thawed / opened and washed with deionized water at room temperature to remove any exterior dirt and debris. After washing, two types of cocoa pod shells were prepared. a) The outer skin of the CPH was removed with a common fruit peeler or other peeling mechanism, which resulted in the pericarp of the cocoa pod shell (see FIG. 1), which was evaluated only for contaminants, and the pulp of the cocoa pod shell, both of which were subsequently used separately in further processing steps. Sample numbers Z3 and Z11 in FIG. 1 are examples of only the pulp of cocoa pod shells, the skin of which was removed using a peeler. b) some CPH was left untreated, both the skin and pulp were kept untreated (i.e. whole cocoa pod shells) and the whole cocoa pod shells were used in a further processing step (samples no. B16, B17, B18 and B19 in FIG. 1 are all examples where both the skin and pulp were untreated);

[0105] Each of the two types of CPH was then cut into small chunks of about 1 cm in diameter and / or length and incubated in a warm deionized water bath. The bath temperature may vary from 45-85°C or 45-60°C in some embodiments. The bath temperatures for the various samples are reported in Figure 1. This incubation or "soaking" step was designed in part to extract soluble pectins, sugars, soluble fiber, some polyphenols, soluble proteins / peptides, and generally some of the small molecules formed in the oxidation process that occurred during the ripening of the cocoa pod shells, while retaining significant amounts of insoluble fiber such as lignin, cellulose, and insoluble pectins.

[0106] Typically, 3.5 L of water per kg of usable CPH (or CPH pulp) was used in the incubation step, which lasted for about 3.5 hours. Larger amounts of water, longer soaking times, and agitation during soaking could also potentially be used to further reduce heavy metals and pesticides to desired levels, possibly at the expense of reduced yield. When using incubation bath temperatures above 60° C., it would be expected that for applications where a low pectin concentration in the CPH pieces is desirable (e.g., foodstuffs requiring slight gelling or thickening), a larger amount of pectin would be extracted, at the expense of reduced yield.

[0107] The soaked CPH mass was then collected in a wire or perforated basket (colander) and the soaking / incubation liquid (now darker and more viscous) was discarded. The wet CPH was then placed in a food processor with about 0.5 L ( / kg CPH) of deionized water and wet-ground into a fine paste in the processor. Optionally, the soaked CPH mass can be mechanically pressed (e.g., by a screw press or other dewatering press) to reduce the water content or homogenized by passing through a shear mill.

[0108] The pastes were then dried using either freeze drying (sample numbers Z3, Z11, B13, B17) or a vacuum oven (sample numbers B14, B16, B19) with the temperature set at 85° C. In one embodiment (sample number B18), the pastes were first dried briefly in a revolving (reel) oven with the temperature set at 190° C., and then further dried in a convection oven set at 95° C.

[0109] For freeze drying (sample nos. Z3, Z11, B13, B7), the pastes were transferred to freeze drying trays and dried for 8 days from frozen state. During freeze drying, the pastes lost approximately 93% water by weight to form a dry cake, which was then knife ground to a dry powder with Aw<0.25. For heated oven drying with or without vacuum (sample nos. B14, B16, B19, B18), the pastes were transferred to disposable aluminum foil baking trays, which were placed in a preheated oven. For vacuum oven drying (sample nos. B14, B16, B19), the vacuum oven was set at a temperature of 85°C and evacuated at <-20mmHg for 4-6 days. For sample no. B18, the pastes were first dried in a rotary oven at 190°C for 45 hours, then further dried in a convection oven set at 95°C for 14 hours, followed by 7 days at 65°C. Some embodiments may use different ovens, such as impingement ovens, infrared ovens, etc. Alternative industrial drying processes, such as fluidized bed drying, may be used and in some embodiments drying times may be reduced to a few hours.

[0110] In a preferred embodiment for chocolate making (see B19 in FIG. 1A), frozen CPH was washed with water for 1 hour (thawed) and then cut into chunks using a kitchen knife. The chunks (9.9 kg) were then soaked in deionized water (38 liters) for 3 hours at 60° C. in a jacketed multipurpose mixing vessel (Armfield FT140 CCT550). The deionized water was changed once during the soaking process. The soaked chunks were converted into a wet paste using a food processor. The paste was then dried in a vacuum oven at 85° C. and −760 mmHg vacuum for 9 days. The material was then ground in a hammer mill (Bauermeister, USA) and passed through a 40 mesh screen. The resulting powder was then separated into three particle size fractions. a) remaining on a 230 mesh screen (i.e. >64 micrometers), b) passing through a 230 mesh screen (i.e. <64 micrometers), and c) passing through a 325 mesh screen (i.e. <44 micrometers). In the most preferred embodiment (B18) which yields the desired chocolate functionality, the wet paste from the previous embodiment (B19) was first dried in a rotary oven at 190°C for 45 minutes, then further dried in a convection oven at 95°C for 14 hours, followed by 7 days at 65°C. It was then ground in a coffee grinder and passed through a 325 mesh (44 micrometer) screen.

[0111] The various parameters of the product of the invention obtained after the incubation and wet-grinding steps are shown in the table in FIG. 1A, while FIG. 1B shows the same parameters of the cocoa powder and cocoa pod shell products described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,206,245 and other prior art.

[0112] In other embodiments, sorbates (E200 and E202) and citric acid (E330), as well as other food grade preservatives (antioxidants, essential oils, etc.) may be added to the washing and soaking steps to minimize the possibility of unwanted mold growth. result

[0113] Pollutant Reduction

[0114] Heavy metal levels in all samples were consistently below acceptable thresholds.

[0115] For cocoa ingredients, the main heavy metal of concern is usually cadmium (Cd). However, the steeping treatment helped to reduce Cd levels from 0.4 ppm in control experiment R1 (not of the invention) to below 0.2 ppm in experiments performed according to the invention (and to less than 0.1 ppm in experiment Z3, steeped and then wet-milled according to the method of the invention). Thus, if field-derived CPH has Cd levels of >0.4 ppm, using the process of the invention the levels can be made much lower, to <0.3 ppm.

[0116] The results also showed that the CPH components produced using the process of the present invention had lower levels of lead and cadmium compared to prior art cocoa bean "shells" and "cocoa blanc" materials, and pesticide and mycotoxin levels were well below risk levels acceptable to the global cocoa industry and food regulations in most countries.

[0117] Composition of CPH after incubation and wet grinding

[0118] As shown in Figure 1, for all dry powder products of the various CPH starting materials, powdered CPH was obtained by the method of the present invention as a dry powder with a moisture content of up to 12% and Aw<0.4 (and in most cases 0.2 or less). Yields generally range from 11-16% wet weight of usable husk (note that the outer pericarp is a relatively minor constituent of the husk and therefore was not subjected to evaluation beyond contaminant determination, resulting in a CPH pericarp powder yield of approximately 3%). The CPH produced at the end of the incubation and grinding process is composed primarily of carbohydrates (>70% by weight), most of which is in the form of insoluble fiber, with typical levels of greater than 60% by weight with lignin at approximately 15-25% by weight.

[0119] As shown in FIG. 1, the components of the present invention can be identified by the following characteristic compositions: Insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) >55% by weight, preferably -Total dietary fiber >68% by weight (generally >70%), - protein < 10% by weight, -Fat <1.5% by weight

[0120] Another identifiable feature of the CPH component of the present invention is its low total sugar content, which is <8% by weight (typically <6% by weight).

[0121] A third identifiable feature of the CPH component of the present invention is its low ash content, which is <6% by weight. Properties of CPH after incubation, wet milling, drying, and milling

[0122] As shown in Figure 2, the thickening behavior of cocoa pod shells varied significantly depending on the processing conditions and the origin of the material. In general, the final viscosity values ​​were comparable to those observed for low and high methoxy pectins, as shown in Figure 2. Two samples were of particular interest: CPH(mix)StMl FD (experiment B13) and CPH(mix)StMl Vac85C (experiment B14). Both samples were soaked and wet-ground together, and they were only separated upon drying. CPH(mix)StMl FD was freeze-dried (hence labelled "FD") and CPH(mix)StMl Vac85C was dried in a vacuum oven at 85°C (hence labelled "Vac85C"). However, the final viscosity values, which represent their thickening capacity, were completely different. The freeze-dried material had a final viscosity comparable to that of the high methoxy pectin, but the vacuum oven-dried material had an even lower viscosity than gum arabic. The results suggest that the thickening ability of the CPH components can be altered by changing processing conditions such as drying temperature (heat treatment).

[0123] The table below shows that CPH-FD and CPH-Vac85C had relatively high amounts of total dietary fiber (TDF), 69% and 75%, respectively. However, the higher soluble fiber content (SDF) allowed the freeze-dried sample (B13) to build viscosity and function effectively as a gelling / thickening agent. Conversely, the higher insoluble fiber content (IDF) of the vacuum oven-dried sample (B14) allowed it to maintain a low viscosity that is favorable for applications such as chocolate confectionery. [Table 1] Effect of treatment (freezing or heat treatment) on the composition

[0124] Since heat treatment alters the functional behavior of CPH, the effect of such heat treatment on the component composition and molecular weight was investigated. Vacuum oven dried CPH (CPH-Vac85C) and freeze dried CPH (CPH-FD) were compared for total nutrient analysis (proximate analysis) and the results are shown in Figure 1. The fiber composition was investigated in more detail and the total, insoluble and soluble dietary fiber contents as well as the lignin and uronic acid contents were compared and the results are shown in the table above.

[0125] Compositional analysis showed slightly lower total dietary fiber (TDF) in CPH-FD. However, most of the fiber in CPH-FD was water-soluble (SDF was much higher in CPH-FD). Correspondingly, CPH-FD showed a lower lignin content than CPH-Vac85C.

[0126] Interestingly, both treatments showed almost the same uronic acid content, suggesting that the pectin in CPH-FD may have a higher methoxy content than CPH-Vac85C. Heat treatment of CPH-Vac85C may have caused some degree of demethoxylation.

[0127] To study the effect of heat treatment at the molecular level, 1% aqueous slurries of CPH-Vac85C and CPH-FD were stirred for 24 hours. The supernatant (water extract) was then passed through a Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC) column equipped with a Refractive Index (RI) detector. For comparison, commercial high and low methoxy pectin powders (containing sucrose as a dispersing agent) were used as reference materials.

[0128] SEC results revealed that the aqueous extract of CPH-FD had a particularly large high molecular weight fraction (approximately 1000 kDa) that was much larger than commercial pectin, which was absent in CPH-Vac-85C and was instead replaced by a very broad peak in the range of 22–800 kDa.

[0129] The presence of this high MW water-soluble fraction may explain the significantly higher viscosity and thickening capacity of CPH-FD compared to CPH-Vac85C. Example 2 - Cookie dough containing CPH powder from Example 1

[0130] CPH (CPH-StMl incubated, ground and dried according to the method of Example 1) was used to replace 25% by weight of flour in the cookie formulation. The cookie formulation (before replacing flour with CPH) contained 13.54% shortening (palm oil-based, SansTrans™ 39 cookie shortening from Loders Croklaan), 27.51% sugar (granulated, Dominos), 0.44% salt, 0.53% sodium bicarbonate, 0.39% dextrose monohydrate (Staleydex 333 from Tate & Lyle), 9.98% deionized water, 47.61% flour (soft wheat blend, refined flour). Moisture content is related to the moisture content of the flour and assumes a moisture basis of 14%. For other embodiments of cookies, for flours with different moisture content, the water can be adjusted according to the AACCI 10-50 methodology (http: / / methods.aaccnet.org / methods / 10-50.pdf). For flour substitution experiments, 25% of the wheat flour was replaced with CPH, so that the recipe contained 11.9% CPH and 35.71% wheat flour, and the moisture content in the formulation was adjusted to that of the dry flour blend containing CPH and wheat flour. All percentages are by weight (wt%). Two versions of CPH were used, one in which the CPH drying process was freeze-dried (CPH-FD) and the other in which the CPH drying process was vacuum-dried at 85°C (CPH-Vac 85 C), as described above.

[0131] The CPH was uniformly blended with the flour and the flour-CPH was mixed with the other cookie dough ingredients in the usual manner.

[0132] A control dough was also prepared in which no CPH was used (no flour substitution).

[0133] The resulting cookie dough was baked for 11 minutes in a rotating oven set at 400° F. The oven temperature ranged from 381 to 420° F. during baking. result

[0134] A photograph of the resulting cookies produced by the method of Example 2 is shown in Figure 3. It can be seen that the texture of the cookies prepared by using CPH-FD or CPH-Vac85C to replace 25% of the flour in the control cookies was pleasant to eat, but slightly darker in color.

[0135] A significant increase in dough viscosity was observed, increasing LFRA values ​​by approximately 9-fold over the CPH-FD control. Also, moisture loss during baking was significantly reduced, cookie diameter (spread) was greatly reduced, and cookie height (thickness / stack height) was significantly increased. All of these behaviors can be attributed to the high moisture retention function of pectin in the CPH. Furthermore, the CPH-containing variants produced superior "reddish brown" color and round table tasting results showed a much softer texture over the control cookies. Substitution of 25% of the flour with vacuum oven dried CPH (CPH-Vac85C) resulted in a product much closer to the control in behavior and geometry, but with a darker "reddish brown" color that can appear in chocolate cookies.

[0136] In this manner, CPH according to the present invention having significant fiber levels (and particularly significant pectin levels) can function as a functional ingredient in cookie baking and / or can be used as a partial flour replacement to increase cookie height, reduce spread, soften texture, darken color, etc. Example 3 - Cake mix containing CPH powder from Example 1

[0137] A comparison was made of soft cakes baked using egg in the batter with soft cakes prepared with CPH-FD as a partial (30%) or complete (100%) egg replacer.

[0138] Specifically, the water and fat from eggs were replaced (weight for weight) consisting of deionized water and canola oil, and the egg "solids" (the remaining part of the egg) were replaced with CPH-FD.

[0139] FIG. 4A shows photographs of soft cake products produced with eggs, replacing 30% of the egg solids with CPH-FD, and replacing 100% of the eggs with CPH-FD.

[0140] FIG. 4B shows a photograph of the cross-section of the three cake products shown in FIG. 4A.

[0141] As can be seen from Figures 4A and 4B, 30% egg replacement with CPH-FD did not significantly affect the cake volume, height, density, and texture, as shown in Figure 8A, for products prepared with CPH-FD replacement of egg solids. As can be seen from the photographs, the 30% CPH-FD cake products appear substantially similar in size and shape to the control products, and show similar overall dough density and texture. These cakes could not be distinguished from the control (100% egg) in a round table taste test by any of the evaluated sensory attributes, including color. On the other hand, full (100%) egg replacement with CPH-FD resulted in a denser cake with a lower height, firmer texture, and much darker color. None of the formulations were optimized to further match the control cake. Although the 100% egg replacement cake did not match the control, it still resulted in a palatable cake product with different sensory properties that may be desired depending on the characteristics of the cake being sold.

[0142] In this way, in combination with water and canola oil, CPH can be used to partially replace eggs in soft cake recipes with no detectable effect on the product. If necessary, CPH can also be used to formulate completely eggless cakes, although further work (e.g., including other ingredients in the formulation) would be required to match the characteristics of a 100% egg cake. Example 4 - Chocolate containing the CPH powder of Example 1

[0143] An evaluation was conducted of the impact of using CPH produced by the method of Example 1 as an ingredient in a chocolate formulation. Both freeze-dried cocoa pod shells (CPH-FD) and 85° C. vacuum oven dried cocoa pod shells (CPH-Vac85C) were incorporated into the experimental chocolates at a level of about 9.2% (by weight). The chocolates were made according to the recipes shown in the table below. [Table 2]

[0144] The mean particle sizes (d90 as measured by dry powder laser diffraction) of the dry CPH components were as follows: CPH-Vac85C=411μm, CPH-FD=400μm The control chocolate mass was made to a particle size (d90) of 26 micrometers (± 2 micrometers) and the process was not changed for the preparation of the chocolate variants containing CPH.

[0145] The recipe was modified to allow for a reduction in valuable ingredients (cocoa solids, milk solids and sugars) but maintain the same total fat as the control (by adjusting the cocoa butter and anhydrous milk fat (AMF)). The ratio between cocoa butter and AMF was kept constant.

[0146] Standard chocolate making procedures were followed to make all samples. Each recipe was made for a total mass of 1.5 kg. A photograph of the refiner paste before the first pass through the refiner for the experimental chocolate mass is provided in Figure 5A. The CPH variants tend to have replaced the "desiccant" paste, given their greater oil-binding capacity relative to the sucrose, skimmed milk powder, and conventional cocoa mass they are replacing. The particle size and viscosity of the chocolate mass are provided in Figure 5B. The results suggest that freeze-dried CPH increased the viscosity of the chocolate mass, while the CPH dried in a vacuum oven at 85°C had a lower viscosity than the control chocolate mass, which may be advantageous during chocolate processing. All recipes were mixed in a jacketed Hobart mixer (set at 40°C).

[0147] The finished mass was hand tempered (tempered to 27°C before the non-tempered mass reached 29°C) and formed into standard 40g bars.

[0148] The nutritional composition of the resulting chocolate bar is provided in the table below.

[0149] The inclusion of cocoa pod shells in chocolate bars allowed for a significant increase in fiber content and a reduction in sugar and added sugars. [Table 3]

[0150] A photograph of the experimental chocolate bars containing CPH is provided in Figure 5C. An informal sensory evaluation was performed to obtain an initial impression of the effect of adding different forms of CPH on the organoleptic properties of the resulting chocolates (Figure 5D).

[0151] Acceptable organoleptic properties were achieved with both the CPH-FD and CPH-Vac85C chocolates, although each was denser and more clay-like than the control chocolate (as would be expected when producing chocolate with non-conventional ingredients). The fact that acceptable organoleptic properties were achieved indicates that the CPH powder of the present invention may be used to increase the dietary fiber content of chocolate, which may result in improved health benefits due to higher fiber intake.

[0152] This preliminary evaluation of CPH indicated potential application opportunities as an inexpensive bulking agent in chocolate. It also demonstrated that the way CPH is processed influences its organoleptic properties. Example 5 - The CPH powder of Example 1, milled to various particle sizes, is incorporated into milk chocolate at 10% by weight

[0153] The CPH variant (experiment number B19 in Figure 1) and non-fat dry milk, NFDM (comparative example) were incorporated into a milk chocolate mass as bulking agents. A commercial milk chocolate product was used as a representative milk chocolate mass for these experiments. In a typical procedure, 20 g of CPH powder from example 1 was added to 180 g of molten milk chocolate mass according to the schematic diagram depicted in Figure 6A to obtain the experimental chocolate bars (5i, 5ii, 5iii, 5iv and 5v) shown in Figure 6B. The chocolates were prepared without fat adjustment.

[0154] Figure 6B shows the effect of incorporating 10 wt% heat treated CPH of different particle sizes (from samples #B18, B19) in a milk chocolate mass, in contrast to incorporating 10 wt% NFDM as a comparative example. Figure 6B shows that in contrast to NFDM (5i), coarse CPH powder above 230 mesh size (5ii) resulted in a denser and darker color. Fine CPH powder <325 mesh size (5iv) resulted in a dark brown color with greater luster (luster) and a lesser appearance of undesirable fat bloom. Among the CPH powders <325 mesh, comparison of vacuum oven dried CPH (5iv) with oven dried CPH (5v) revealed that oven dried CPH provided an even darker brown color, more closely resembling the appearance of dark chocolates of the art, which has increased commercial value. Example 6 - The CPH powder of Example 1 is incorporated into milk chocolate at 15% by weight

[0155] According to the schematic depicted in FIG. 6A, CPH variants (Run#B19) and lactose (comparative) were incorporated as bulking agents into milk chocolate mass with fat adjustment (0.25 g cocoa butter / g CPH). As shown in FIG. 7, CPH with fine particle size (<325 mesh) was incorporated into a commercial milk chocolate product at 15 wt. % (6i). As comparative example (6ii), lactose was incorporated at 10 wt. % (lactose is the main component of whey powder and is a bulking agent typically used in milk chocolate). Despite the increased usage level, CPH formed a smoother chocolate bar, which had a dark brown color (6i), while the comparative example showed heterogeneity in the form of fat pools on the surface (6ii). Informal round table taste test results suggested that 6i had a harder chew, a grainy mouthfeel, reduced sweetness, a darker color, and grassy off-notes compared to 6ii. Example 7 - Proposed process for producing CPH ingredient on a commercial scale

[0156] Any process for producing CPH ingredients on a commercial scale must convert, within a short time frame, fresh cocoa pod shells generated from pod opening into a stable intermediate (or end product) that is free of the risk of microbial spoilage, which would otherwise result in high risk of microbial spoilage and elevated levels of toxic contaminants (such as mycotoxins). To overcome the supply chain challenges posed by this time constraint after pod opening, the process of converting fresh shells into CPH is preferably initiated in close proximity to the source of the shells, i.e., the cocoa fermentation facility (or farm, etc.). To eliminate the logistical challenges posed by having sophisticated industrial processing equipment and skilled operators located in close proximity to the cocoa farms, the equipment used should preferably be "low tech" and require minimal capital investment and operator expertise. Preferably, such equipment is available locally at low cost in cocoa-growing regions around the world.

[0157] A farm worker opening the cocoa pods to obtain the beans can produce about 130 kg of fresh cocoa pod shells per hour. The shells can then be washed in a commercial fruit / vegetable washer to remove any exterior dirt, debris, pesticides, etc.

[0158] The washed shells can then be blanched in steam / hot water / dilute acid (in a commercial fruit and vegetable steam blanching / cooking machine) to sterilize the material and remove heavy metals, pesticides, and mycotoxins. This process also helps to soften the shells. The blanched shells can then be passed through a press to drain the water. Different types of presses can be used such as screw presses, expellers, etc., but most preferably low tech, locally available solutions such as commercial sugar cane crushers can be used. The purpose of this process is mainly to drain the water and bring the material to a solids content of about 50% or more. Furthermore, this process can help to remove any residual contaminants, as well as sugars, soluble fiber, etc., thus increasing the total insoluble fiber (IDF) content of the final product.

[0159] The next step involves drying the material to a water activity (aw) of at least 0.65, recognized as a critical threshold for achieving microbial stability. This can be accomplished using an impingement oven, such as the commercial grade pizza oven shown in FIG. 8, or a low-cost commercially available drum dryer, or other dryers and food dehydrators available at the production site (note that polyaromatic hydrocarbons, i.e., PAHs, and acrylamides generated from the drying process must be closely monitored to ensure food safety and local regulatory compliance). The resulting dried CPH intermediate has an aw<0.65 (preferably aw<0.6, most preferably aw<0.55) and is currently expected to be stable for transportation and storage. The drying step may also enhance the brittleness of the CPH intermediate, which is beneficial for the subsequent milling step.

[0160] If microbially stable, the dried CPH intermediate can be stored and shipped, as needed, to a grinding / grinding facility for grinding to the required particle size. The ability to convert fresh cocoa pod shells (with relatively low investment and simple equipment) into a stable intermediate that can be stored and shipped overcomes the significant issues of microbial spoilage and seasonality that present significant logistical challenges for supply chain considerations (which is one reason why cocoa pod shells remain underutilized as a waste stream).

[0161] Optionally, the CPH intermediate received after storage and shipping may be further dried to reduce the total moisture content to aw<0.2.

[0162] Size reduction can be achieved using commercially available hammer mills, jet mills, cell mills, and knife mills, but a planetary ball mill with ceramic grinding media and an air classifier mill are expected to be particularly efficient in achieving the fine particle size required for chocolate (d90<30 micrometers, preferably <20 micrometers).

[0163] In this manner, the most preferred CPH ingredients for chocolate applications can be commercially produced with relatively low capital investment and without significant supply chain and logistical constraints.

[0164] The above embodiment / embodiments have been described by way of example only - many modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A powder of cocoa pod shells having an amount of insoluble dietary fiber of at least 55% by weight of the total weight of the cocoa pod shells and / or an amount of total dietary fiber of at least 68% by weight of the total weight of the cocoa pod shells, and a total ash content of the powder is 6.0% by weight or less.

2. 2. The cocoa pod shell powder of claim 1, comprising less than 8% by weight of total sugars.

3. 3. The cocoa pod shell powder according to claim 1 or 2, having an ash content of 4.5% by weight or less.

4. 4. The cocoa pod shell powder according to claim 1, having an amount of insoluble dietary fiber of at least 60% by weight of the total weight of the cocoa pod shell powder and / or an amount of total dietary fiber of at least 70% by weight of the total weight of the cocoa pod shell powder.

5. The cocoa pod shell powder according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the powder contains moisture in an amount of 12.5% ​​or less by weight of the total weight of the powder.

6. The cocoa pod shell powder according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the water activity of the cocoa pod shell is Aw 0.4 or less.

7. 7. The cocoa pod shell powder according to claim 1, comprising fat in an amount of less than 2% by weight and protein in an amount of less than 10% by weight of the total weight of the cocoa pod shells.

8. The cocoa pod shell powder according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the cocoa pod shell comprises cocoa pod shell pulp and / or cocoa pod shell pericarp.

9. The cocoa pod shell powder of claim 8 , wherein the cocoa pod shell powder comprises whole cocoa pod shells.

10. The cocoa pod shell powder according to any one of claims 1 to 9, having an average particle size of 2 to 750 micrometers.

11. A food product comprising the powder of cocoa pod shells according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. 12. The food product of claim 11, comprising a product selected from confectioneries, baked products, fillings, spreads, and beverages.

13. Use of the cocoa pod shell powder according to any one of claims 1 to 10 as a gelling agent, thickening agent or bulking agent.

14. Use of the cocoa pod shell powder according to claim 13 in a food product according to claim 11 or 12.

15. Use of the cocoa pod shell powder according to any one of claims 1 to 10 as a substitute for egg solids in food products.

16. A method of producing a food product comprising homogenously mixing the powder of cocoa pod shells according to any one of claims 1 to 10 with one or more food product ingredients to form a food product.

17. A method for producing the cocoa pod shell powder described in any one of claims 1 to 10, comprising the steps of crushing cocoa pod shells to a paste by a wet grinding process and drying the paste at a temperature of at least 80°C or at least 85°C.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising the steps of: crushing cocoa pod shells into small pieces; incubating the cocoa pod shell pieces in water at a temperature of 35-85°C; crushing the cocoa pod shells into a paste by a wet-grinding process; and drying the paste at a temperature of at least 80°C or at least 85°C.

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