The global cocoa bean market regularly faces serious challenges. The industry remains extremely sensitive to weather risks, plantation diseases, and fluctuations in consumer demand. After several years of shortages, the industry has reached a delicate balance, but even minor disruptions can change the situation again. Is it possible to run a consistently profitable business in this sector? Cocoa bean supplier, engineer, and inventor Alexander Gorbov answers affirmatively. He has developed a unique system for cleaning and transporting beans, significantly improving raw material quality and reducing risks.
Alexander, the cocoa bean market is arguably one of the most complex commodity industries. How have you managed to maintain a stable profit for so many years?
Indeed, this market is influenced by many factors: a long production cycle, weather risks, plantation diseases and aging, political decisions, and complex supply chains. And these are not even all the risks. One of the main challenges for a buyer is the quality of raw materials. Monitoring it directly in the countries of origin, primarily in West Africa and South America, is extremely difficult. Even hiring local certified surveyors cannot guarantee 100% that the raw materials will fully meet the end customer’s requirements.
Confectionery factories have very high quality standards. Therefore, suppliers must maintain multiple levels of control and continuously work to stabilize product quality.
What was unique about your approach?
Our company supplies cocoa beans and cocoa products from Africa and South America to confectionery companies in Europe and the CIS. Of course, logistics, supplier relations, and quality control are crucial. But over time, it became clear that this was not enough. About five years ago, I designed and implemented my own industrial cocoa bean cleaning line.
The main task was to remove various impurities: debris, metal dust, twigs, threads, burlap particles, shells (cocoa husks), small stones, and other foreign matter. After cleaning, the beans are packaged in new jute bags and prepared for storage and shipment. The implemented line has allowed us to offer customers raw materials of more consistent quality than direct shipments from countries of origin.
In the first year after the system was installed, under my management, the company’s turnover reached €8 million. In subsequent years, it has never fallen below €10 million, despite the economic crisis and fluctuations in the cocoa market over the past two years. The system has been operating successfully for five years. With its help, we have become one of the leading suppliers of cocoa beans and cocoa products, with a transshipment warehouse in Estonia.
Do you still use the same technologies in your production today?
Generally, yes. However, years of operation have revealed aspects that are impossible to identify at the design stage. For example, the original technical solutions were based on systems used in the grain industry for cleaning, storing, and packaging cocoa beans.
But in practice, cocoa beans turned out to be a more fragile product than many other grains. Even minor mechanical impacts during pouring and transport can damage the shell and the bean itself.
Currently, the transportation system uses bucket elevators with plastic buckets that lift cocoa beans to the required height. This is a reliable and widely used solution, but it still creates mechanical stress on the product. Some beans suffer micro-damage. This is not critical, but at large processing volumes, even small losses become significant.
Over time, I concluded that a modern cleaning line should not only remove impurities and store finished product in bins, but also handle the product as gently as possible. The existing equipment fully fulfills its purpose, but certain processes could be made more delicate and efficient.
Do you already have a project for upgrading the line, or are you just identifying the shortcomings of the existing system?
Yes, we already have a concept for upgrading. I now see that it would be more appropriate to use inclined ribbed belt conveyors with an inclination angle of 30–35 degrees. This system requires more warehouse space, but it transports the product much more gently and reduces impact on the cocoa beans.
Experience has shown that some intermediate storage bins are practically unused. This creates additional space for conveyors. The goal is to design a more direct product flow through the line to reduce spillage and preserve bean integrity.
What performance indicators do you expect after upgrading the warehouse line?
Further improvement in raw material consistency. The company’s development is systematic. First, we launched a cleaning line and created a laboratory with strict control of numerous parameters. The raw materials we supply are no longer unpredictable, they are consistently high quality, without unpleasant surprises.
This is important for confectioners who value their reputation and do not try to cut costs on the main ingredient, cocoa butter, by substituting cheaper alternatives.
Cocoa beans are evaluated by many parameters: moisture content, moldiness, insect damage, germination, slaty beans, bean count, and foreign matter. Our equipment improves bean count by screening out small or defective beans and improves foreign matter removal through high-level purification.
Compliance with parameters such as moisture content, moldiness, and insect damage is only possible under strict storage conditions. Our warehouse is therefore tightly controlled for temperature and humidity. The premises are regularly sanitized, including full fogging of the entire warehouse. Before shipment, each batch undergoes mandatory fumigation and inspection by phytosanitary authorities.
Cocoa beans are a high-value commodity. The market has now stabilized, with prices ranging from €2,700 to €3,600 per ton. Producers are willing to pay, but they are unwilling to compromise on quality at this level. If raw material fails even one parameter, the shipment is rejected.
Modernizing the cleaning line will further improve quality by reducing mechanical stress on the beans. Today, preserving product integrity determines the direction of future development of such systems. My experience is valuable not only for one company, but for the industry as a whole.
To what extent could such technologies be in demand outside of Europe?
Such solutions are relevant in any country with a developed chocolate industry and high standards for raw materials: where cocoa beans must be cleaned of impurities, quality consistency ensured, and losses minimized. This is especially important for premium chocolate producers and bean-to-bar companies, where batch quality is critical.
I am confident that such technologies can be successfully applied not only in Europe but also in the United States, where standards for raw material quality, food safety, and supply stability are equally high.
