Defatted cocoa bean shells as an alternative flour for cookie production within a circular economy approach

The cocoa industry generates cocoa bean shells (CSs) on a large scale, which are often treated as waste. However, research indicates that CSs are rich in bioactive compounds, fibers, proteins, and lipids. This study evaluated defatted cocoa shell flour (DCSF), obtained after fat extraction, as a partial replacement for wheat flour in cookies. The fat extraction step employed alternative green solvents, ethanol (E) or isopropanol (I), enabling the recovery of cocoa fat, the effective reduction of ochratoxin A (OTA) content, and the production of DCSF.E and DCSF.I enriched in fibers and bioactive compounds and free from the presence of mycotoxins. Cookie formulations in which DCSF replaced 10, 20, 30, or 40 % of the wheat flour were tested and compared with the control (C0). Compared with the C0 cookies, the DCSF cookies contained 400 % more phenolic compounds, 250 % more flavanols, 130 % more soluble fibers, and > 1000 % more insoluble fibers. However, hardness increased (370-546 N). DCSF.I cookies had higher content of bioactive compounds and dietary fiber and lower hardness than those with DCSF.E. The results demonstrated that DCSF remained valuable even after fat extraction, showing its nutritional enrichment and technological feasibility for food formulations. The potential of the extraction step to recover cocoa fat and increase the value of the residual solid was highlighted, which contributes to the complete valorization of CSs in line with a circular economy concept.