Despite the abovementioned differences, the fatty acids profile was very similar in all the cocoa beans studied samples. For both different geographical origins, palmitic acid (C16:0) and stearic acid (C18:0) were the maximum representatives of SFA. The predominant unsaturated fatty acid was oleic acid (C18:1) followed by linoleic acid (C18:2), which was present in a small amount if it is compared to stearic, palmitic or oleic acid contents.
When considering the total percentage of saturated (SFA), monounsaturated (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), no differences were found between unroasted cocoa beans (Table 4). For both cocoa bean origins, SFA content was the highest, up to 60%, followed by MUFA > 32% and, finally, a small quantity of PUFA < 3% were found. The ratio of saturated/unsaturated FA showed the relationship between the two major fatty acid groups in cocoa bean fat. Its ratio varied from 1.65 in Ecuadorian beans to 1.72 in Ghanaian beans, which clearly indicates a high proportion of SFA in the fatty acid profile for both origins. Nevertheless, no significant difference was observed when the ratio of saturated/unsaturated fatty acids for the two cocoa bean origins was considered.
Table 4.
Fatty acid content in unroasted cocoa beans and chocolate samples.