Caracterización de los residuos de cacao generados con potencial valor, para su uso en la industria alimentaria, en el cantón Santo Domingo, provincia de Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas

Abstract

Cocoa is a natural resource with a high demand worldwide, which in turn has generated a high production of agroindustrial waste, only in the year 2022, more than 5,226 metric tons of cocoa were processed globally for consumption. The general objective of this research was to characterize the cocoa residues generated with potential value for use in the food industry through the use of biotechnological tools. The importance and timeliness of the study was based on the use of the residues generated when processing cocoa, as well as the results of the bromatological analysis and the common use that people give to these residues. The methodology was of a qualitative-quantitative approach and descriptive, using as data a survey applied to a stratified sample of 274 people in the industry, as well as a documentary review and the analysis of the bromatological composition of cocoa waste. Under the research line of agri-food production and environment. It was concluded that the husk is a potential antioxidant due to its high content of polyphenols, which, together with the husk, are an important source of fiber, and the mucilage of sugars; the residues are also used as fertilizers for the field and converted into flour for animal feed. Biotechnology also offers alternatives such as solid and surface fermentation where residues can be used as substrates for microorganisms in the production of biocomposites and edible fungi.