Infra red pre-treatment is an important and universally accepted development in cocoa processing. It is a unique, effective technology that gives maximum nib yields in dehulling cocoa beans, and is an essential step for optimum nib roasting.

As cocoa beans pass under the infra red burners, they are subjected to continuous vibration so all surfaces are treated equally. This causes extremely rapid heating, the resulting steam vapour pressure increase in each bean results in the shell loosening and expanding away from the cotyledon. Surface moisture evaporates allowing easy separation during winnowing. Surface temperatures of 105ºC are reached in 80 seconds.

The IR process gives a large reduction in enterobacteria, moulds, spores, insects, rodent hairs and other contaminants without loss of cocoa butter into the shell.

IR heat treatment removes very little moisture from the nib. Beans become soft and rubberlike and break along their natural contours during winnowing.

Cooling is not required before winnowing allowing beans to be broken whilst still warm. This gives a much higher proportion of large nibs and reduced percentage of fines. This yields an increase in productivity with no loss of cocoa butter.

• Fast, controllable process gives maximum nib yield.

• Improved roast parameters with no off flavours.

• Reduced microbiological count in the nib from shell contamination.

• Minimum loss of cellular moisture leading to superior flavour development in roasting (which requires less energy).

• Negligible loss of fat through migration and no impact on fat quality.

• High rates of separation (typically less than 0.3% loss of nib in shell).

• Large nibs with reduced fines (typically a 40% reduction in fines).

• Steel wire belt: (average life span 5-8 years, delivery time 4-6 weeks) thin patches in belt wire, edge condition becomes ragged.