Researchers analyzing the genomes of cultivated cacao trees have traced their origin to a "single domestication event" some 3,600 years ago. The discovery opens a new front in a long-running argument regarding when and where ...
Biotechnology
Oct 24, 2018
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Ivory Coast, the world's biggest cocoa producer, announced Monday it would rip up 100,000 hectares (250,000 acres) of cocoa trees in a bid to roll back a plant virus called swollen shoot.
Environment
Jun 11, 2018
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14
Use of the powerful gene-editing tool CRISPR-Cas9 could help to breed cacao trees that exhibit desirable traits such as enhanced resistance to diseases, according to Penn State plant scientists.
Biotechnology
May 10, 2018
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19
Picture this: It's Valentine's Day, and you head out to buy some pralines. Except you can't find any. No matter which store you visit, gummy bears and hard candy have taken the place on the shelves where the chocolate hearts ...
Ecology
Feb 15, 2018
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79
This month's column will continue the theme of "How Is It Processed?" The column will focus on dark chocolate. The botanical name for the cacao tree is Theobroma cacao, which literally means "food of the Gods." Dark chocolate ...
Other
Apr 28, 2016
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13
Humans have put yeast to work for thousands of years to make bread, beer, and wine. Wild strains of yeast are also found in the natural fermentations that are essential for chocolate and coffee production. But, as new genetic ...
Biotechnology
Mar 24, 2016
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20
Chocolate, produced from seeds of the cacao tree Theobroma cacao, is one of the most popular flavors in the world, with sales around 100$ billion dollars per year. Yet, as worldwide demand increases, there are fears the industry ...
Evolution
Nov 10, 2015
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77
Cocoa farmers this year will lose an estimated 30 to 40 percent of their crop to pests and disease, and with chocolate prices having risen globally by roughly two-thirds in the past decade, concern is growing about sustainability ...
Ecology
Jul 2, 2014
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(Phys.org)—With the help of information technology (IT), Penn State professor Mark Guiltinan makes the world a sweeter place.
Biotechnology
Nov 8, 2012
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2
New cacao types with unique flavors that are distinctly Peruvian have been identified by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists. These new flavors could one day be marketed like wine, by geographical provenance.
Ecology
Sep 26, 2011
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