Method For Producing Fat and/or Solids From Beans and Compositions Containing Cocoa Polyphenols

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method of processing a fat-containing bean, e.g., cocoa beans, for producing solids comprising active polyphenols and/or fat-containing products, comprising extracting the fat to produce solids and fat-containing products. Additionally, the inventive method also provides cocoa compositions comprising at least one active polyphenol, wherein the concentration of the polyphenol(s) with respect to the nonfat solids is conserved with respect to the concentration of the active polyphenol(s) in the bean from which the compositions are derived.

1 - 102 . (canceled) 
     
     
         103 . An edible composition which comprises, as part of the edible composition, partially defatted cocoa solids prepared by a process comprising the steps of:
 (a) heating slaty and/or purple cocoa beans, which beans consist essentially of cocoa shells surrounding cocoa nibs, to an internal bean temperature sufficient to loosen the cocoa shells without roasting the cocoa nibs;   (b) winnowing the cocoa nibs from the cocoa shells;   (c) pressing the cocoa nibs to produce cocoa butter and partially defatted cocoa solids having a total cocoa polyphenol concentration of greater than about 25,000 micrograms per gram of nonfat cocoa solids;   (d) recovering the cocoa butter and the partially defatted cocoa solids; and   (e) adding the recovered, partially defatted cocoa solids to the edible composition.   
     
     
         104 . The composition of  claim 103 , wherein the process further comprises the step of cold milling the recovered, partially defatted cocoa solids into a cocoa powder. 
     
     
         105 . The composition of  claim 103 , wherein the cocoa polyphenols are catechin, epicatechin, and procyanidin oligomers thereof. 
     
     
         106 . The composition of  claim 105 , wherein the procyanidin oligomers are dimers, trimers, tetramers, pentamers, hexamers, heptamers, octamers, and nonamers. 
     
     
         107 . The composition of  claim 103 , wherein the cocoa beans are Sulawesi cocoa beans. 
     
     
         108 . The composition of  claim 103 , wherein the cocoa beans are heated to an internal bean temperature of about 100° to 110° C. 
     
     
         109 . The composition of  claim 103 , wherein the cocoa beans are heated by infra red heating. 
     
     
         110 . An edible composition comprising partially defatted cocoa solids having a total cocoa polyphenol concentration of greater than about 25,000 micrograms per gram of nonfat cocoa solids. 
     
     
         111 . The edible composition of  claim 110 , wherein the edible composition is a dietary supplement or a therapeutic composition useful in the medical, nutritional, or veterinary arts. 
     
     
         112 . The edible composition of  claim 110 , wherein the edible composition is a food or a drink. 
     
     
         113 . The edible composition of  claim 112 , wherein the food is a chocolate-flavored food or drink or a chocolate-coated food. 
     
     
         114 . The edible composition of  claim 113 , wherein the chocolate-coated food is a frozen desert, a refrigerated desert, or an ice cream. 
     
     
         115 . The edible composition of  claim 112 , wherein the food is a confectionery. 
     
     
         116 . The edible composition of  claim 115 , wherein the confectionery is a chocolate-coated confectionery selected from the group consisting of a coated caramel, a coated nougat, a coated fruit piece, a coated nut, and a coated wafer. 
     
     
         117 . The edible composition of  claim 115 , wherein the confectionery is a chocolate. 
     
     
         118 . The edible composition of  claim 117 , wherein the chocolate is selected from the group consisting of a baking chocolate, a sweet chocolate, a semisweet chocolate, a milk chocolate, a buttermilk chocolate, a skim milk chocolate, a mixed dairy chocolate, and a low fat chocolate. 
     
     
         119 . The edible composition of  claim 110 , wherein the partially defatted cocoa solids are prepared from slaty and/or purple cocoa beans. 
     
     
         120 . The edible composition of  claim 110 , wherein the partially defatted cocoa solids have a total cocoa polyphenol concentration of greater than about 28,000 micrograms per gram of nonfat cocoa solids. 
     
     
         121 . The edible composition of  claim 110 , wherein the partially defatted cocoa solids have a total cocoa polyphenol concentration of greater than about 30,000 micrograms per gram of nonfat cocoa solids. 
     
     
         122 . A method of processing cocoa beans to cocoa butter and partially defatted cocoa solids, wherein said cocoa beans consist essentially of cocoa shell surrounding cocoa nibs which method comprises the steps of:
 (a) heating the cocoa beans for a time and at an internal bean temperature sufficient to loosen the cocoa shells without roasting the cocoa nibs;   (b) winnowing the cocoa nibs from said cocoa shells;   (c) pressing the cocoa nibs to produce cocoa butter and partially defatted cocoa solids; and   (d) recovering the cocoa butter and the partially defatted cocoa solids from the unroasted cocoa nibs, which cocoa solids contain cocoa polyphenols including catechin, epicatechin, and cocoa procyanidin oligomers thereof.