Cupuassu (theobroma grandiflorum) is a native fruit from the Brazilian Amazon region whose seeds suitably fermented, dried and roasted can be used to manufacture a product similar to chocolate. This work aimed at devising an alternative way of cracking the dried but not roasted kernels by using a roller crusher, followed by using a set of sieves for separating the fractions. The variables studied for determining the nibs (scrapped cotyledons) acquisition yield as well the purity of such material (expressed as percent of shell and embryo fragments) were the moisture of the whole kernel and the differential speed of the double rollers of the crusher. The results confirmed that the moisture of the whole kernel was the variable that most influenced the cracking of kernels. The greater yield obtainment of nibs was reached at the 5% moisture level of the whole kernels. The variation of the double rollers differential speed did not present any significant difference as regards the nibs acquisition yield. As to the percent values of shell and embryo fragments, no studied variables have shown any significant difference on such a response values, even so the results were very well satisfactory, presenting values below the 1.75%. The yield of this alternative process is 90% of the cotyledons acquisition from certain kernels mass. As a conclusion, the process proposed herewith set oneself up as a mechanized alternative, showing good nibs acquirement yield, and percent of shells and embryo below the tolerated value.
nibs; cotyledon; cracking; cupuassu
