Application of enzyme-assisted aqueous fat extraction to cocoa fat

An enzyme-assisted aqueous fat extraction method was used to extract fat from dry cocoa beans. The beans were dehulled and finely ground. Samples were mixed with water in predetermined ratios. A protease and an enzyme with high activities of both cellulase and hemicellulase were added at 1% of the sample weight, mixed, and incubated for about 6 h at 37°C. The treated samples were then extracted by a water flotation technique. The preextraction treatment with enzymes effectively increased fat yield by about 26%. The observation suggests that the enzyme-assisted aqueous fat extraction method could improve the efficiency of rural fats and oils technologies currently in use in many developing countries.