Chemical analysis of cocoa butters and risk assessment of production processes in five localities in Cameroon

The quality of the cocoa product depends on the post-harvest treatment processes and the extraction method used; therefore, it is important to control the conditions applied to obtain a product of recommended quality. This study aimed to identify the critical stages in the post-harvest treatment and extraction of butter and to propose solutions for controlling them to obtain a product of good chemical quality. A survey of post-harvest treatments and extraction methods for cocoa butter (Theobroma cacao L.) was carried out, after which the critical control points of the process were determined. Samples of butter were collected from producers in various localities, and chemical analyses of fat were conducted. Three production methods were identified: artisanal, semi-industrial, and industrial. The producers of this semi-finished product were mainly women aged between 40 and 50 with no education. The cocoa butters marketed were generally of poor chemical quality. Oils from Yaoundé producers were overall the most chemically acceptable, while those from Douala were less so. These data suggest that producers should take these factors into account when post-harvesting cocoa beans and extracting the fat to guarantee a more stable, high-quality product.