Cocoa neo-formed contaminants: forming mechanism, processing effects on nutritional and impacts on human neurological...

Cocoa beans are also known for their highly bioactive components, such as polyphenols and flavonoids, which contribute to their health benefits. The essential unit operation processes of fermentation, drying, and roasting develop the characteristic flavor, color, and aroma of cocoa. However, these steps facilitate biochemical transformation within beans, resulting in the formation of neo-formed contaminants (NFCs) such as acrylamide (ACR), furan, furfuryl alcohol (FA), and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). These compounds are mainly formed during heating through Maillard reactions, thermal degradation, and lipid oxidation, and are of great concern because of their genotoxic, neurotoxic, and carcinogenic potential. This review presents a critical review of the mechanism of NFC formation during cocoa processing and its adverse effects on nutritional quality and neurological health. Furthermore, it identifies innovative mitigation technologies, such as enzymatic processing, non-thermal processing (i.e., ultrasound, microwave, vacuum heating, pulsed electric fields, and precision fermentation using yeast). All these methods provide significant paths to reduce NFC formation or content while preserving the sensory and functional qualities of cocoa. Future studies should focus on the establishment of standardized NFC detection systems, the development of hurdle processing machines, and the optimization of novel technologies to ensure safe and high-quality cocoa products.