The low contamination found in the liquor and cake was
expected due to thermal treatment/alkalization they were subjected
to. In this process nibs, liquor, cake or cocoa powder are
heated with alkali at temperatures of 85e115 C, which produces
a strong sterilizing effect due to the combined action ofwater, alkali
and temperature . According to this author, the cocoa
powder’s final microbiota is almost exclusively introduced during
the subsequent stages of processing. The few isolated species were
similar to those found in stored beans, suggesting a post-processing
contamination. The aw values of industrial and commercial samples
are not conducive to microbial growth. There have been reports
of development of xerophilic fungi such as Bettsia alvei (teleomorph