Chocolate Storage and Transport

Cocoa beans and chocolate are very delicate products that require proper storage and care during transport. Hence, for obvious reasons, they should not be transported in non-insulated vehicles on summer days and on subfreezing winter temperatures.

When storing and transporting beans, one must ensure that the products are stored in such a way that they do not absorb water. This is because beans become mouldy when their moisture level goes beyond 8%. The traditional way of storing chocolate beans, which involves storing the fermented seeds in large jute sacks, works simply but effectively in preserving beans in good condition. This is because the jute sacks are strong and well-insulated enough to allow moisture to pass through. It must be noted that the beans must also be stored or transported separately from other goods like spices for they can alter the chocolate's taste and smell, resulting to an off flavour.

In addition, during transport, either by vehicle or by ship, the jute sacks containing the chocolate beans must be prevented from making a contact with the vessel's cold surfaces. This is for the reason that moisture can form on the vehicles' interior storage structure and may get into the jute sack containing the beans. The transport vessel's atmosphere must also be controlled because if the beans have low water content at the point of loading, they can easily pick up moisture when transported in a high-humidity structure. The vehicle or the ship must be properly ventilated to remove liquid particles or moisture in the air.