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.