Effect of high-voltage electrical discharge treatment on multi-element content in cocoa shell and chocolates with cocoa shell

A new method based on extraction induced by emulsion breaking for determination of Co and Ni in chocolate bars by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry

This paper describes a new experimental configuration of extraction induced by emulsion breaking method to extract and determine Ni and Co in chocolate bars by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. At optimized conditions, the sample (0.08 g) was mixed with 4 mL of extractant solution (4% m/v Triton X-100 and 10% v/v HNO3) in a plastic syringe to form a solid-oil-water emulsion. Then, emulsion breaking was assisted by membrane filtration. The total extraction procedure took approximately 1 min, in opposition to 25 (centrifugation) and 50 min (heating). Extraction yields ranged from 94.8 to 114.3% for Co and from 85.9 to 108.4% for Ni. The limits of detection and quantification were, respectively, 24.73 and 82.45 μg Kg-1 for Co and 49.05 and 163.5 μg Kg-1 for Ni. Recoveries ranged from 92.1 (Ni) to 105.4% (Co).

Occurrence of heavy metals coupled with elevated levels of essential elements in chocolates: Health risk assessment

The presence of contaminants in cacao-derived products, especially in chocolates, has raised concerns regarding food safety and human health. The study assessed the concentration variation of 16 elements in 155 chocolate samples from the US market by cacao content and country of geographic origin. The study further examined the potential health risks posed by toxic metals and determined the contribution of essential elements to the Daily Recommended Intake (DRI), estimated based on an ounce (∼28.4 g) of daily chocolate consumption. Dark chocolates with ≥50 % cacao exhibited consecutively increasing mean levels from 1.2 to 391 µg/kg for U, Tl, Th, As, Pb, Se, Cd, and Co. Similarly, Ni, Sr, Cu, Mn, Zn, Fe, Ca, and Mg had mean concentrations from 4.0 to 1890 mg/kg. Dark chocolates sourced from Central and South America exhibited the highest mean levels of Cd, and South America samples also contained elevated Pb, whereas those from West Africa and Asia had low Cd and Pb, respectively. Cacao contents showed increasingly strong association with Cd, Co, Mn, Sr, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Mg (r = 0.60-0.84), and moderately with Se, Fe, As, and Tl (r = 0.35-0.49), indicating these elements are primarily derived from cacao beans. Weak association of cacao contents with Pb, Th, and U levels (r < 0.25), indicates post-harvest contaminations. Hazard Quotient (HQ) > 1 was found only for Cd in 4 dark chocolates, and Hazard Index (HI) > 1 for cumulative risk of Cd, Pb, Ni, As, and U was found in 33 dark chocolates, indicating potential non-carcinogenic risks for 15 kg children but none for 70 kg adults. Dark chocolate also substantially contributed to 47-95 % of the DRI of Cu for children and 50 % for adults. Dark chocolates also provided notable Fe, Mn, Mg, and Zn contributions to the DRI. These essential elements are recognized to reduce the bioavailability of toxic metals such as Cd, Pb, or Ni, thereby potentially lowering associated health risks. This study informs consumers, food industries, and regulatory agencies to target cacao origins or chocolate brands with lower toxic metal contents for food safety and minimizing adverse health effects.

Development of the dairy products incorporated with co-product bioactive compounds-rich as an alternative ingredient in the food industry

The objective was to optimize the phenolic compounds extraction from cocoa shells using the simplex-centroid design with a mixture of solvents (water, methanol, and acetone) as its components, to prove the presence of these compounds and antioxidant activity. Also, the development of dairy products, such as milk beverages and dairy desserts, with bioactive compounds, through the replacement of cocoa powder by cocoa shell was studied and evaluated sensorially. The extraction optimization indicated that a solvent with 56.44% water, 23.77% methanol, and 19.80% acetone are ideal for maximizing the phenolic compounds. In addition, the cocoa shell showed a high antioxidant activity by the methods β-carotene/linoleic acid, FRAP, and phosphomolybdenum complex. The Check-All-That-Apply, Cochran's Q test, contingency analysis, and hierarchical cluster analysis allowed description characteristics of the dairy products and showed sensory differences between formulations with 100% cocoa shell and others. Both dairy products had good sensory acceptance in all attributes evaluated (appearance, flavor, texture, and overall impression), and their scores did not differ statistically by Tukey's test (p > 0.05). Thus, the cocoa shell is shown as an alternative substitute ingredient to be used in the dairy industry.

Graphical abstract