Abstract:
Cocoa is a highly valuable
economic crop that generates income and
foreign exchange for Ghana. However, the
rejection of cocoa beans on the international
market due mainly to inappropriate
fermentation methods and postharvest
practices is a major problem confronting this
sector. The objective of this study was to
determine the effect of the pod size and
fermentation method on temperature changes
and chemical attributes of the beans. The
experiment was arranged in a 3 × 3 factorial
with a completely randomised design and
three replicates. Pod size (small, medium and
large) and fermentation method (heap, tray
and basket fermentation) were each evaluated
at three levels. There were changes in
temperature using all three fermentation
methods, such that temperature increased
from an average of 37.8 to 41.7°C in the first
24 h. The heap fermentation method had the
highest temperature (41.7°C) after 4 days.
The pod size and fermentation method did not
influence the fat content, total titratable
acidity, or free fatty acids in the sampled
beans. Small pods fermented using the heap
fermentation method had the highest pH. The
study concluded that the heap fermentation
method enhances temperature changes
without compromising the chemical quality
of cocoa beans, making it the preferred
technique for high-quality cocoa production.
