Date of Publication

2022

Document Type

Bachelor's Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Chemistry Minor in Business Studies

Subject Categories

Chemistry

College

College of Science

Department/Unit

Chemistry

Thesis Advisor

Emmanuel V. Garcia

Defense Panel Member

Joan Candice Ondevilla
Marissa G. Noel

Abstract/Summary

Local commodities like cacao that are grown in specific regions are known to have distinct sensory profiles attributed to their origin. Hence, establishing a means to authenticate it is important in order to protect its integrity and the interests of consumers and producers. Using initial results obtained from portable X-ray Fluorescence (pXRF) analysis on seventeen (17) mixed varieties of Criollo, Forastero and Trinitario from an open call entry and three (3) regional samples of cacao beans participating in the Food Authenticity and Traceability (FAT) Program, a collaboration between the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (DOST-PNRI), and the La Salle Food and Water Institute (LSFWI). The study investigated if geographic conditions such as temperature and humidity can influence the mineral composition of cacao, a determining factor in its flavor profile, using random forest algorithm (RF). RF was trained using a dataset of 5 selected elements (P, K, Ca, Mg, S) detected and their origin to group the mineral nutrient profiles into clusters. Evident differences were observed in the clustering of samples when factoring in temperature and humidity. This indicates that the two should be considered when verifying geographical origin given the mineral composition. Additional data on environmental parameters (e.g. pH, altitude, moisture level), soil chemistry, etc., could provide more insights on how other factors affect mineral composition, when coupled with additional statistical tools to account for the dissimilarities between samples and observe the effect of all environmental parameters and climatological data on mineral composition collectively. This can help with implementing more efficient regional farming practices and targeted interventions to improve cacao production and quality

Abstract Format

html

Language

English

Format

Electronic

Physical Description

59 leaves

Keywords

Cacao--Philippines

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Embargo Period

12-19-2023

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