Process diagram: Chocolate production

The diagram shows how chocolate is produced from cocoa beans, a process that consists of nine stages.

Overall, the production line begins with the harvest of the cocoa pods and ends with the moulding of the finished chocolate. The beans are first prepared by fermenting and drying, and they are then processed into liquid chocolate.

To begin with, ripe cocoa pods are cut from the trees. The pods are then opened by workers, who split them and remove the beans. Next, the beans are heaped under leaves for about a week so that they ferment, and afterwards they are spread out and dried in the sun.

Once the beans are dry, they are roasted at a high temperature. The shells are then removed in a process called winnowing, which leaves only the nibs. These nibs are ground into cocoa liquor.

In the final two stages, sugar and milk are added to the cocoa liquor, and the mixture is smoothed by conching. Finally, the liquid chocolate is poured into moulds and cooled, at which point it is ready for sale.