Barry Callebaut: developing superior quality cocoa and chocolate from Malaysia

During a signing ceremony in Putrajaya, Malaysia, in the presence of The Honorable Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, Minister of Plantation Industries & Commodities, Barry Callebaut Malaysia, subsidiary of the Barry Callebaut AG, and the Malaysian Cocoa Board signed a Memorandum of Understanding on a collaborative research project that is expected to result in higher quality chocolate from superior quality Malaysian cocoa beans. Specifically, the collaboration aims to improve Malaysian cocoa bean quality, focusing on optimizing cocoa taste, enhancing the amount of functional components and altering color.

Additionally, the processability of cocoa beans will be enhanced. The collaborative research projects will apply and assess different microbial starter cultures developed by Barry Callebaut for a “controlled fermentation” process. Fermentation is a process that is necessary for cocoa to develop its characteristic taste and flavor. While bean fermentation normally happens spontaneously in the bush or the cocoa plantation, Barry Callebaut developed a way to “control” and optimize cocoa fermentation. Controlled fermentation with defined micro-organisms provides consistent, predictable and superior cocoa bean quality. This in turn leads to improved flavour characteristics, zero-default cocoa beans, enhanced levels of functional components (e.g. flavanols), and improved processability.

With the objective of protecting and developing the cocoa industry in Malaysia, the Malaysian Cocoa Board will engage its expert staff to carry out the research in its state-ofthe-art labs in its R&D centers in Malaysia to evaluate the impact of controlled fermentation. The Malaysian Cocoa Board will also assist Barry Callebaut in identifying more sites for field tests in Malaysia. Selbourne Estate, one of the leading estates in Malaysia, cultivating – among other crops – cocoa plantations in Pahang, will function as one of the test sites for controlled fermentation as well as for the implementation of pragmatic, improved agricultural practices which are expected to lead to improved cocoa tree yields.

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