Cracking the molecular code to create a true atlas of cocoa

Composed of some 20,000 molecules, the cocoa bean is the most complex foodstuff on earth. Its complexity dwarfs that of any other plant. And when the bean is fermented, roasted, ground to become cocoa powder or conched to become chocolate, the complexity only increases.
An interdisciplinary team of scientists from Jacobs University, Bremen (Germany) and from Barry Callebaut embarked on a journey to crack the molecular code of cacao by 2020. For the first time since we started cultivating cacao, almost three thousand years ago, we will truly understand cacao - a prerequisite to redefine chocolate as we know it.