UNDERSTANDING FLAVOR IN FINE OR FLAVOR THEOBROMA CACAO: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY HUMAN SUBJECTS RESEARCH APPROACH

Open Access
- Author:
- Brown, Allison
- Graduate Program:
- Food Science
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- September 28, 2021
- Committee Members:
- Leif Jensen, Outside Unit & Field Member
Helene Hopfer, Chair & Dissertation Advisor
Joshua Lambert, Major Field Member
Greg Ziegler, Major Field Member
Robert Roberts, Program Head/Chair - Keywords:
- fine or flavor cocoa
craft chocolate
Theobroma cacao
consumer choice
descriptive analysis
international development
human subjects
agriculture
chocolate
Honduras
value chain
supply chain
sensory evaluation
focus group
interview
qualitative - Abstract:
- Craft chocolate is a relatively new and fast-growing segment of the American chocolate market that typically uses fine or flavor (FF) varieties of Theobroma cacao (cacao) that are grown in the Global South. There is limited literature on elements of the craft chocolate supply chain, such as consumer perception of craft chocolate, characteristic flavors of FF cacao varieties that are typically used in craft chocolate, and methods by which sensory evaluation can be used in origin countries to communicate flavor to other members of the value chain. This dissertation takes a holistic, multidisciplinary human subjects approach to study the entire craft chocolate supply chain. To understand American premium chocolate consumer perception of craft chocolate and desirable chocolate product attributes, a mixed-methods study was conducted using focus groups and projective mapping. Projective mapping revealed that participants segmented products in terms of quality based upon usage occasion, cost, and availability. In line with previous consumer market research, inductive coding of the qualitative data from the focus groups showed that American premium chocolate consumers mainly focus on search attributes as quality determinants; credence attributes that convey trust; and experience attributes such as utility and/or joy. Surprisingly, and in contrast to most of the discussion in the craft chocolate industry, “flavor” was not among the attributes that focus group participants found most important in chocolate products. To structure the hierarchy of desirable chocolate attributes, a concept map was created. In order to understand the potential contribution of cacao variety to flavor in FF cacao, eleven cacao varieties of both bulk and FF were sourced from the Fundación Hondureña de Investigación Agrícola (FHIA) research institute in Honduras over three harvests (2017 [light]; 2018 [light]; 2018 [main]). Mature cacao was harvested, and the seeds were fermented, dried, nib roasted, and ground into cocoa liquor under identical, controlled conditions. A trained generic descriptive analysis (DA) sensory panel determined attributes to rate and then evaluated the intensities of a total of 18 taste, flavor, and mouthfeel attributes in the 28 cocoa liquors. Broadly, the results show that variety had a significant effect on 10 taste, flavor, and mouthfeel attributes and harvest had a significant effect on 11 attributes. Therefore, it is not possible to conclude that variety is the most influential factor for determination of cocoa liquor sensory attributes. Future research should seek to understand the mechanisms (climatic, genetic, processing-related, etc.) responsible for this variance. To understand the use of sensory evaluation as an international development tool, I performed a focus group with members of the Honduran cocoa liquor sensory panel, followed by 32 semi-structured interviews with the panel and others in the Honduran cocoa value chain. Inductive coding revealed that the value chain was more complex than expected and actors within the chain appear to have previously unreported conflicts of interest. In addition, members of the chain each had their own definition of quality, which made communicating quality between stakeholders difficult. The panel was found to be under resourced and therefore unable to have a large role in the communication of quality throughout the value chain. While the panelists believed their work to be important and helpful, others outside of the panel disagreed. Ultimately, a sensory evaluation program could be a useful part of a value chain, however, it needs to be well-executed and independently funded. Future research should investigate the efficacy of less resource intensive rapid sensory methods in a development context. Taken as a whole, this dissertation reveals the complexity of the craft chocolate value chain. This work illuminates the discrepancy between the craft chocolate industry’s promotion of flavor and American chocolate consumer desires. Additionally, while some cacao varieties are lauded over others for their flavors, some flavors were not found to be reproducible from harvest to harvest. The Honduran development case study found that in its current format, the national cocoa liquor panel does not appear to directly benefit the cocoa value chain. However, it demonstrates high interest from value chain stakeholders, and therefore high potential. Ultimately, this body of work is a call for further research to understand the intricacies of the craft chocolate value chain.