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Innovation in processing cocoa by CocoaTown LLC, USA
or years, farmers have sold cocoa as a commodity, with the price they earn for their crops set by distant powers. Cocoa farmers had no control over their profits and no means to substantially grow their income. But in 2007, a few chocolate makers in America changed this forever. They saw the potential of cocoa as a superfood – a quality barely recognisable in chocolate bars, full of sugar and with a negligible quantity of cocoa mass. These chocolate makers transformed the image of a chocolate bar into something austere but delicious – just cocoa beans and sugar (35% or less of the total weight compared to 80% in mass
58 | February 2018 - Milling and Grain
produced chocolate), with no additives or chemicals. They had the knowledge to make chocolate but had to “MacGyver” existing equipment to suit their needs (a reference to the 1980s TV show). More chocolate makers wanted to follow in their footsteps, but were not able to make the necessary modifications to off the shelf equipment. CocoaTown was founded in 2008 to provide chocolate makers with the resources and equipment needed for the different steps of chocolate production. Innovation and continuous research have helped CocoaTown to provide a complete, off-the-shelf solution to chocolate makers, with the equipment and education to go all the way from cocoa bean to chocolate bar (“bean-to-bar”, as it is commonly called). CocoaTown now has three different equipment lines – one for exploring and experimenting with new flavours or techniques, one for exhibiting and showcasing the chocolate making process, and one for expanding and growing their business to commercial capacity. The complete Explorer line costs only US$4,000 (F.O.B. Atlanta) and includes a Roaster, Cooling Tray, Cracker, Winnower, mini Pregrinder, and Melanger with all the accessories, so now farmers and small business owners in more than 100 countries can affordably make their own chocolate. There is a saying that coffee farmers in many parts of the world have never tasted their own