IMPORTANCIA DEL SECADO DE SEMILLA DE CACAO (THEOBROMA CACAO L.) PARA LA INDUSTRIA.

Abstract

COCOA (THEOBROMA CACAO L.) FOR ECUADOR IS AN EXPORT BENCHMARK AND THE WAY TO GENERATE INTERNAL WEALTH AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE. ITS CORRECT CULTIVATION IS NECESSARY, AND SPECIFICALLY THE CORRECT DRYING OF THE BEANS TO OBTAIN A BETTER QUALITY. BASED ON THIS, THIS RESEARCH AIMS TO CARRY OUT A REVIEW OF THE COCOA DRYING PROCESS, DESCRIBE AND PUBLICIZE ITS IMPORTANCE FOR THE INDUSTRY IN ECUADOR. IT COULD BE DETERMINED THAT THE PROCESSES OF BOTH HARVESTING, COLLECTION, FERMENTATION AND DRYING ARE FUNDAMENTAL FOR AN OPTIMAL QUALITY OF COCOA, SPECIFICALLY IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT THE IMPORTANCE OF DRYING IS THAT THE HUMIDITY OF THE GRAIN IS GRADUALLY REDUCED TO 7% SO THAT THE COCOA EMBRYO DIES, AVOIDING THE FORMATION OF FUNGI THAT CAN AFFECT THE FLAVOR OF THE COCOA. ABOVE ALL IT IS NECESSARY TO HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF LOOKING FOR METHODS OF DRYING THE COCOA BEAN THAT ARE MORE EFFECTIVE IN TERMS OF PRICE AND QUALITY SINCE THE PROCESSES CURRENTLY USED ARE MORE RUSTIC AND TAKE FROM 6 TO 10 DAYS.