No Tricks, Just Treats: The Role of NIR in Chocolate Production

It is the night of Halloween, and a young boy shuffles down the street full of excitement for the treats that await. His empty pumpkin pail swings by his side. But each house he passes is dark, curtains drawn, windows blank and empty. He tries the doors anyway, knocking and waiting. Hoping. 

Silence.

A cold breeze sweeps past as his fingers tighten around the handle of his pail. He forces himself to keep going. His mind races with the promise of chocolate—sweet, rich, creamy chocolate, enough to fill his pail to the brim. Surely, he thought, someone has treats, just one house, just one piece of candy…

Finally, he reaches the last house at the end of the street. It looms dark and silent, but he is desperate now. He takes a deep breath and knocks. The door opens slowly, revealing a tall, shadowy figure. 
The figure bends down, hand reaching out. 
The boy holds up his pail, feeling his heart pound with anticipation. 
The figure’s hand hovers above the pail and drops something hard and smooth into it.
The boy looks down, trembling, 
and there it is,
a single, shiny apple gleaming back at him. 
Cold horror washes over him, 
deeper than anything he’s felt before. 
No chocolate. 
Just… 
Fruit!

The boy opens his mouth to scream—and he bolts upright in bed.

It’s Cornlumbo! Gasping, heart racing. His drenched hands clutch his blanket.

“Something has to be done; we can’t go on like this; there must be something we can do; think of the children; it’s unacceptable,” says Cornlumbo, ranting in a crazed manner as he barges into the detective’s office. “What’s the matter Cornlumbo?” asks Nancy Beef. “It’s the price of cocoa; it’s through the roof. I’ve been reading horror stories about the lack of chocolate being dispensed this Halloween,” says Cornlumbo. 

Shallot Holmes, always rational, explains that the high price is due to a multitude of factors, many of which are out of their control. Adverse weather in key cocoa-producing regions, particularly in West Africa, led to reduced yields. Demand has outpaced supply for three consecutive years, and increased operating costs for chocolate manufacturers have also influenced cocoa prices as producers have passed these costs onto consumers. 

“There’s not much we can do about the weather or Cornlumbo’s- I mean, people's- demand for chocolate. But, manufacturers… perhaps we could help them with their costs, with NIR,” says Holmes. 

“You’re right!” shouts Cornlumbo. “NIR can be used in-house by cocoa producers, saving them the high costs associated with external analysis; I’m going to produce a guide for cocoa producers about what’s possible and how they can save money with NIR!” 

“Good plan, Cornlumbo. Put your guide together, and I’ll check it and do my best to get it into the hands of cocoa producers worldwide,” says Holmes

Cocoa and NIR Spectroscopy

How Can Cocoa Producers Utilize NIR?

The quality of chocolate depends on the right mix of raw ingredients, along with key processes like conching and tempering. NIR can be used to ensure the quality of raw materials—such as cocoa butter, cocoa mass, and cocoa powder—and the final product.

The following parameters can be quickly and easily determined with NIR:

• Fat
• Moisture
• Sugar 
• Sucrose
• Theobromine
• Lactose
• Iodine value
• Free Fatty Acids (FFAs)

What are the Key Benefits of NIR Spectroscopy in Chocolate Production?

Cost-savings
By reducing the need for expensive wet chemistry, NIR minimizes production costs and accelerates quality control. Out-of-spec batches can be rejected quickly, saving costly reruns. Real-time, onsite analysis reduces waste and supports cost savings.

Quality
NIR spectroscopy can assess critical cocoa attributes, including categorization, authentication, chemical composition, and enhancing quality control throughout production.

Speed
NIR spectroscopy provides rapid in-house quality control, minimizing the need for traditional methods that are time-consuming and expensive.

Accuracy
NIR detects molecular vibrations over a broad spectral range, allowing immediate, accurate analysis. Once calibrated, NIR models predict constituent levels with low relative error rates.

Efficiency
With chemometric techniques like Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Partial Least Squares regression (PLS), NIR spectroscopy interprets complex spectra across multiple wavelengths simultaneously, enhancing efficiency.

What are the Challenges and Future Potential of NIR in Cocoa Production?

Expanding the use of NIR onsite in cocoa-producing regions remains challenging. Building extensive sample databases and refining models for diverse cocoa types, especially from regions like West Africa, will support broader implementation.

As computational techniques and model training advance, NIR spectroscopy has the potential to become a standard tool for cocoa production. This shift will benefit producers, processors, and consumers by reducing costs and ensuring high-quality cocoa products worldwide. 

And one more thing… Please endeavor to make this happen ASAP, as I truly love chocolate, and it breaks my heart to see the children suffer,

Yours,

Cornlumbo

“I’m not too sure about the ending, Cornlumbo! But, otherwise, good job. I’ll send it out straight away,” says Holmes.