Prof. Dr. Stefan Weckx obtained a PhD in Sciences at the University of Antwerp (Antwerp, Belgium) in 2004. He is associate professor at the research group of Industrial Microbiology and Food Biotechnology (IMDO) of the Faculty of Sciences and Bioengineering Sciences of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). His research deals with the application of omics technologies, i.e. (meta)genomics and (meta)transcriptomics, and related bioinformatics analyses, on fermented food ecosystems and promising strains isolated thereof, to allow for an in-depth investigation of the microorganisms involved in view of the formulation of well-composed functional starter cultures.

About the lecture

Trends in cocoa fermentation
Tuesday 15 October, 13:00-13:40

The cocoa fermentation process is an indispensable post-harvest step during which the biochemical compound composition inside the beans is changed due to enzymatic and non-enzymatic conversions. Also the microorganisms involved in the fermentation process contribute to the overall biochemical compound composition of the fermented cocoa beans. Cocoa fermentation is still mainly a spontaneous process. To decrease the variability between fermentation processes, and to influence the final chocolate flavour, autochthonous starter cultures are being developed. In this lecture, we will discuss the cocoa fermentation process, how starter cultures can be monitored during the fermentation process, and what influence starter cultures can have on the final fermented cocoa beans.