Technical Feasibility, Quality and Environmental Impact of a Partial Replacement of Cocoa Nibs with Cocoa Bean Hulls in Chocolate Bars.

Ivana Salvatore, Claudio Beretta, Maria Rudel, Evelyn Kirchsteiger-Meier, Corinna Bolliger, Matthias Stucki, Nadina Müller

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Article in Foods (Basel, Switzerland), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in

0citing papers in PubMed

–field-weighted citation impact

1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

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0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Ivana SalvatoreDepartment of Life Sciences and Facility Management, Institute of Food and Beverage Innovation, Zurich University of Applied Science (ZHAW), Einsiedlerstrasse 35, 8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland.

Claudio BerettaDepartment of Life Sciences and Facility Management, Institute of Food and Beverage Innovation, Zurich University of Applied Science (ZHAW), Einsiedlerstrasse 35, 8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland.ORCID 0009-0008-2332-2535

Maria RudelDepartment of Life Sciences and Facility Management, Institute of Food and Beverage Innovation, Zurich University of Applied Science (ZHAW), Einsiedlerstrasse 35, 8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland.

Evelyn Kirchsteiger-MeierDepartment of Life Sciences and Facility Management, Institute of Food and Beverage Innovation, Zurich University of Applied Science (ZHAW), Einsiedlerstrasse 35, 8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland.

Corinna BolligerDepartment of Life Sciences and Facility Management, Institute of Food and Beverage Innovation, Zurich University of Applied Science (ZHAW), Einsiedlerstrasse 35, 8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland.

Matthias StuckiDepartment of Life Sciences and Facility Management, Institute of Food and Beverage Innovation, Zurich University of Applied Science (ZHAW), Einsiedlerstrasse 35, 8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0003-1149-5961

Nadina MüllerDepartment of Life Sciences and Facility Management, Institute of Food and Beverage Innovation, Zurich University of Applied Science (ZHAW), Einsiedlerstrasse 35, 8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0003-2068-3606

Funding

Avina foundation no number

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This study examines the feasibility of incorporating cocoa bean hulls (CBH) into chocolate in order to improve the resource efficiency of the cocoa value chain. The substitution of cocoa nibs with pre-milled cocoa bean hulls without adjustment of fat content was investigated in dark chocolate. The reference R100.0 (dark chocolate, 0% CBH) was compared with V75.25 (25% of cocoa nibs replaced; 16.25% CBH total) and V50.50 (50% replacement; 32% CBH total). Increasing CBH significantly elevated viscosity and yield stress, and firmness rose correspondingly. Both effects align with the literature attributing such increases to higher solids loading and reduced fat content. Colour analysis (ΔE) showed distinct differences between R100.0 and V50.50. Environmental impact was reduced by 16% for V75.25 and 32% for V50.50. According to the EU Novel-Food-Status-Catalogue, CBH is not classified as novel food. While CBH is typically regarded as an underutilized by-product, this study demonstrates its potential as a functional, cost-reducing ingredient in dark chocolate formulations when applied at optimized inclusion levels.

Indexed as

chocolatecocoa bean hullsenvironmental impactnovel food statusproduct quality

Identifiers

PMID41683145

DOI10.3390/foods15030558

PMCPMC12897199

What Socratic holds

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