Forum Activity for @Juan Pablo Buchert

what use it is given to the shell of the cocoa beans

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

Hello Peter, I found this information from the Codex Alimentarium, which supports Sebastian´s warning:  CODE OF PRACTICE FOR THE PREVENTION AND REDUCTION OF OCHRATOXIN A CONTAMINATION IN COCOA (CAC/RCP 72-2013)   www.codexalimentarius.org/input/download/standards/.../CXP_072e.pdf  

 Please note item 7:  "(...)  only the stage of shell removal can significantly reduce OTA levels."

 Therefore, no cocoa tea made from shells for my kid.  

 Regarding heavy metals, i.e. Cd & Pb, are relatively common in volcanic soils.  At the Fine Cacao Chamber of Costa Rica, we are developing a project to identify the correlation of Cd content in soil, beans and 70% couverture.  More information with Dr. Carlos Hernandez from Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica (cherna @ una.ac.cr) 

updated by @Juan Pablo Buchert: 07/12/16 11:59:26PM

what use it is given to the shell of the cocoa beans

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

@sebastian  Would you consider that after roasting at, let say, 120ºC/250ºF for 35-45 minutes the micotoxins are still present?

updated by @Juan Pablo Buchert: 07/12/16 06:53:42AM

what use it is given to the shell of the cocoa beans

Posted in: Tech Help, Tips, Tricks, & Techniques

The James Cooper PLC is turning the shells of cocoa beans into paper

http://www.cropper.com/news/post.php?s=2014-01-17-sweet-innovation-as-cocoa-waste-is-transformed 

updated by @Juan Pablo Buchert: 07/11/16 08:57:39PM

Working on a cocoa farm

Posted in: Travels & Adventures

Hello Sarah , this is Juan Pablo from Finca La Amistad in Bijagua de Upala, in the northern plains of Costa Rica.. You are welcome at the farm. We also produce chocolates www.chocolate-nahua.com Please send me an email with your questions and goals. Juan@chocolate-nahua.com

Where can fermentation be seen in Western Costa Rica?

Posted in: Travels & Adventures

Hello Frank, this is Juan, I work with Daniela at Nahua Cacao & Chocolate. Our farm is not located near the areas that you are going to visit. The farm is in "Bijagua de Upala", between the Tenorio and Miravalles Volcanoes. More or less 4 hours drive from San Jos or Dominical. Google Maps:10.74503,-85.000105

Heading to Guatemala next week

Posted in: News & New Product Press

You will not find any cocoa plantation in Antigua and Atitlan as those places are too high. You need to drive to Alta Verapaz. You can contact Ignacio Cac Sacul, President of the Cocoa Producers Association of Alta Verapaz (ony in spanish) aprocav@email.anacafe.org and Eraimy Ramirez, a consultant of Funcafe, based in Guatemala City he will provide good advice, as well. eraimy_ramirez@email.anacafe.org (same, only in spanish). In Antigua you will be able to buy home made cocoa, you can ask for "Don Juan" a former employee of Hotel Aurora in Antigua, he uses to bring artisanal chocolate from his home place (At the Hotel they will manage to find him) Good luck.

Fair Trade vs Direct Trade

Posted in: Opinion

Hello Tom, Ive just noticed you post about direct trade (DT). We are a cacao farm in Costa Rica and we have been direct trading with several bean to bar chocolate makers in the USA and Europe for some years now. For us, DT is not only about getting better prices, but also about building strong relationships, trust and certainly a way to improve our practices for better quality. We receive our clients at the farm and we enjoy their involvement and accept their comments, as friends do. As we want to be chocolate makers as well, we also receive important advice.

We were certified as an organic farm for six years, and during that time we were NEVER asked by the certification body about fair salaries, child labor force or about any other human rights. And those are the real questions to be placed to a cacao farm.

Best Regards

Source of Small Scale Cacao Processing Equipments

Posted in: Classifieds F/S or Wanted

Hi Langdon,This is Juan Pablo Bchert, we are a small Farm in Costa Rica (40.000 Kg of beans/year). I wonder if your system is already complete. We are interested in developing a small scale industrial process (liquor, butter and powder, for chocolate we shall see).Best Regards (juanbuchert@gmail.com)