The conference on 13th and 14th June in Hamburg was once again a complete success. The symposium, during which the latest findings in cocoa research were presented to 180 participants from the industry by researchers from leading institutions, was unrivalled. The high proportion of discussion opportunities once again proved to be an advantage of this event and made it a platform for research and industry.

By Dr. Jörg Häseler

ldo Cristiano (Chairman of the Foundation of the German Cocoa and Chocolate Industry) and Dr Daniel Kadow (Programme Director of the Round Table Cocoa Hamburg) welcomed the audience to the conference. Cristiano opened the presentations with his remarks on the conference motto "Empowering Knowledge Transfer".

The development of cocoa prices, which have seen a dramatic rise in recent months, was a key topic. The opening presentation by Felix Christiansen (H.C.C.O Hanseatic Cocoa & Commodity Office GmbH) focussed on the main reasons for this. An important reason is crop failure, which is partly due to disease, which is why resistant cocoa trees can be a solution. The climatic changes should be countered with precise forecasts. The market should normalise, as the cocoa harvest is traded at 40 times the price on the stock exchanges. He sees regulatory action as a last resort.

The presentation by Dr Wilma Hart (School of the Environment, University of Queensland, Australia) focused on mapping cocoa agroforestry systems from space. She also reported on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to measure shade tree density and carbon storage and the untapped potential of cocoa agroforestry for sustainable cocoa production in West Africa. Although this shading certainly leads to lower harvest volumes, the advantages, e.g. in the form of climatic improvements, outweigh these disadvantages.

Other speakers showed how cocoa research can help to prevent crop failures and the resulting supply bottlenecks in the medium to long term. This requires improved communication of research results – especially with cocoa farmers. In addition, against the background of the planned maximum levels for MOAH, the progress of the technical working group on MOH was reported on and a benchmark level for MOH in jute bags was proposed. Michiel Kokken (Glo-bal Head of Regulatory and Scientific Affairs Cocoa, Ofi, Netherlands) and Aleksandra Gorska (Chemistry for Sustainable Food and Environmental Systems, University of Liège, Belgium) commented on this in their summary, emphasising that more samples are essential. They also stated that the determination of the unsaponifiables is unsuitable for assessing compliance with MOH levels in jute bags, especially for MOAH.

Exciting insights were provided by Dr Andreanna Welch (Department of Biosciences, Durham University, UK) and Dr Sarah Arnold (National Institute of Agricultural Biology (NIAB), East Malling, UK). Based on their findings on insect pollination – mostly flies and midges – in cocoa, further research on ecology can be targeted. By exchanging ideas with cocoa farmers, sustainable management of cocoa pollinator populations can ensure higher yields.

Dr Martin Steinhaus (Food Metabolome Chemistry, Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich (LBS)) discussed the latest findings on the influence of fermentation, drying and storage on the formation of important off-flavour substances in cocoa. High geosmin concentrations were associated with moist hotspots, but not vice versa and not necessarily with mould. Furthermore, rapid drying leads to high levels of acetic acid.

Several presentations focussed on the quality of cocoa. Dr Christina Rohsius (Head of Department Cocoa and Research, Rausch Management GmbH) reported on this. Her company attaches great importance to differentiating between fine flavour and consumer cocoa, although consumer cocoa is also in high demand at current prices. Annex C of the relevant agreement lists a number of countries that produce fine flavour cocoa. During the discussion, it was pointed out that one solution could be origin chocolate. Analytical proof will be difficult when differentiating between the two types of cocoa, especially when it comes to adulteration and stretching.

Dr Darin Sukha (Cocoa Research Centre, The University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago) and Dr Andreas Dunkel (Integrative Food Systems Analysis, LBS) presented their research findings, which resulted in a Trinidad cocoa flavour map. A particular focus was placed on fruity notes and off-flavours.

Prof. Dr Erica Liberto (Food Chemistry, University of Turin, Italy) explored flavour analysis 4.0 in the industrial definition of cocoa quality. Using complex analytical methods and applying AI, she wants to advance the analysis of sensory properties. Her aim is to improve the quality of cocoa and thus support decision-making processes that contribute significantly to increasing efficiency, sustainability and competitiveness in the global cocoa market. It was noted that artefact formation should be excluded when using the techniques.

To summarise, it was another successful meeting of the industry. Now we have to wait two years, because the 12th Cocoa Round Table will take place again in Hamburg on 11th/12th June 2026 – maybe with 200 participants.