Okra pectin trial targets lecithin imports in Ghana chocolate production

Description

A UK–Ghana research partnership is developing a locally sourced emulsifier for chocolate manufacturing that could reduce the sector’s reliance on imported soy lecithin.

The two-year African Agriculture Knowledge Transfer Partnership brings together the University of Huddersfield, Ghana’s Cocoa Processing Company, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and the University of Health and Allied Sciences. The programme focuses on converting okra by-products into pectin suitable for commercial chocolate production.

Subject

Professor Morris commented: “I really enjoyed the opportunity to meet the AAKPT Team in person and to see the chocolate production firsthand. The okra-substituted chocolate has been well received in consumer tests, and the prospects are exciting.”