> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://thechocolatelife.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Grading Cocoa | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 110 - URL: https://thechocolatelife.com/grading-cocoa-podsavechocolate-ep-110/ - Published: 2025-04-07T18:49:39.000Z - Updated: 2025-04-08T19:09:12.000Z - Description: Episode 110 explores how cocoa quality is evaluated and expressed. [ Updated ] - Author: Clay Gordon - Tags: PodSaveChocolate, Live Stream **When (and Where) to Watch** 🗓️ The stream airs LIVE at 11:00 ****PDT/MST** on Tuesday, April 8th, 2025\. Links below to watch LIVE and to view the archived episode. [Grading Cocoa | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 110Episode 110 OverviewThis episode features an exploration of how cocoa beans are graded (evaluated) and how the grading is expressed. The inspiration for this…![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/icon/favicon_144x144-16.png)YouTube![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/thumbnail/maxresdefault-14.jpg)](https://youtube.com/live/7z3jvfcPHR8?ref=thechocolatelife.com) Click on this (shareable) link to watch on YouTube. Please subscribe (free!) to the [@PodSaveChocolate YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@podsavechocolate/featured?ref=thechocolatelife.com), like this video, comment, and ****share** this episode to help grow the #PSC community. [#lavidacocoa #thechocolatelife #cacao #cocoa #cacau #chocolate… | Clay GordonEpisode 110 Overview This episode features an exploration of how cocoa beans are graded (evaluated) and how the grading is expressed. The inspiration for this topic was correspondence with a cocoa trader offering “Grade A” beans, which prompted me to ask if that was an official standard of the producing country or a marketing name. Along the way, I will discuss the importance of adopting a suitable conceptual framework and related language to make these conversations easier and more fruitful to have more impact. Finally, I will round things up with a proposal for an ideal method for evaluating organoleptic, chemical, and other aspects of cocoa beans. Visit the post on TheChocolateLife for more information and resource links: https://lnkd.in/g3WpY7ky 🍫🍫🍫🍫 🍫🍫🍫🍫 🍫🍫🍫🍫 Living #LaVidaCocoa #TheChocolateLife one story at a time. Join LIVE to comment and ask questions during the episode. Please like the video, subscribe to the YT PodSaveChocolate channel, comment, and share! #cacao #cocoa #cacau #chocolate #specialtychocolate #craftchocolate Bluesky.app, Twitter/X, Instagram/Threads, Tiktok: @discoverchoc 🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://lnkd.in/dChQXTjA![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/icon/al2o9zrvru7aqj8e1x2rzsrca-18)LinkedInClay Gordon![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/thumbnail/c45fy346jw096z9pbphyyhdz7-16)](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/claygordon%5Flavidacocoa-thechocolatelife-cacao-activity-7315081312640331777--pTf?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAAABaLUB44l0lzyoZ9nf9Lg8nfstgzLqxbg) This ****LINKEDIN** link is shareable. [Grading Cocoa | #PodSaveChocolate Ep 110Other event by TheChocolateLife on Tuesday, April 8 2025![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/icon/ay1hV6OlegS-6.ico)#PodSaveChocolate Ep 110![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/thumbnail/media-18)](https://fb.me/e/2igoDkUHg?ref=thechocolatelife.com) This ****FACEBOOK** link is also shareable. --- ## **Episode 110 Overview** This episode features an exploration of how cocoa beans are graded (evaluated) and how the grading is expressed. The inspiration for this topic was correspondence with a cocoa trader offering “Grade A” beans, which prompted me to ask if that was an official standard of the producing country or a marketing name. - Review: What is Quality? - What Are Grading Standards? - The Cut Test – why, how, what, drawbacks - Organoleptic Grading - Current Tech - My Proposed “Ideal” Method Along the way, I will discuss the importance of adopting a suitable conceptual framework and related language to make these conversations easier and more fruitful to have more impact. Finally, I will round things up with a proposal for an ideal method for evaluating organoleptic, chemical, and other aspects of cocoa beans. ![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/2025/04/Gallery03-ncaraguaCutTest1_ClayGordon-1-24a0776c49f6616a.jpg) ![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/2025/04/cut_test-composite-mexico-3d88272b94e6bc23.jpg) ![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/2025/04/cocoa_ph-2323864cc760e220.jpg) ![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/2025/04/exportacion-del-cacao-en-ecuador-9-638-3376406954-ccfcbace0df5f662.jpg) ![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/2025/04/SeedColors-b41b7583ac25f688.jpg) [Grading standards by country | United Nations iLibraryA compilation of grading standards for cocoa beans, both national and international, is presented in the table that follows.![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/icon/favicon-25.ico)UN iLibrary![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/thumbnail/unilibrary.png)](https://www.un-ilibrary.org/content/books/9789213615386s017-c003/read?ref=thechocolatelife.com) --- ### **Resources** [ISO 2451:2017Cocoa beans — Specification and quality requirements![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-152x152-precomposed.png)ISO![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/thumbnail/iso-logo-og.png)](https://www.iso.org/standard/68202.html?ref=thechocolatelife.com) [Cacao of Excellence![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/icon/mstile-310x310.png)Cacao of Excellence![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/thumbnail/logo-cacao.svg)](https://www.cacaoofexcellence.org/?ref=thechocolatelife.com) [HEIRLOOM CACAO PRESERVATION FUNDTo discover, identify and preserve fine flavor Heirloom cacao varieties for the conservation of biological diversity and the empowerment of farming communities.![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/icon/favicon-26.ico)HEIRLOOM CACAO PRESERVATION FUND![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/thumbnail/white-cacao-pod.png)](https://www.hcpcacao.org/?ref=thechocolatelife.com) [An image dataset of cut-test-classified cocoa beansClassifying cocoa beans, considering some specific standards, is required and regulated around the world, if commercialization is intended, or it can …![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/icon/favSD-1.ico)ScienceDirectAuthor links open overlay panelF.A. Santos, E.S. Palmeira, G.J. Jesus![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/thumbnail/1-s2.0-S2352340919X00037-cov150h.gif)](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352340919302677?ref=thechocolatelife.com) [Image Datasets of Cocoa Beans for Taxonomy Nuances EvaluationSix image datasets of cut-test-classified cocoa beans were created from the research presented in \[FelipeAntunes\_Dissertation\_PPGMC.pdf\]. Each dataset contains 14 classes (namely: Compartmentalized Brown, Compartmentalized White, Compartmentalized Partially Purple, Compartmentalized Purple, Compartmentalized Slatty, Plated Brown, Plated White, Plated Partially Purple, Plated Purple, Plated Slatty, Moldered, Flattened, Brittle and Agglutinated) with 100 images per class, totaling 1400 images per dataset. Those bases were created to evaluate nuances in classification methods. The source dataset from which those images were derived is present in \[An\_Image\_Dataset\_of\_Cut-Test-Classified\_Cocoa\_Beans.pdf\].![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/icon/favicon-24.ico)Mendeley DataFelipe Antunes](https://data.mendeley.com/datasets/pcx7mj68yn/4?ref=thechocolatelife.com) [TheChocolateLife LIVE - Deep Dive into Cut TestsEpisode 33 streams live starting at 12:00 EDT on Friday, April 15th.![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/icon/JR_Pods60x60FavIconCutoutButtons-76.png)The Chocolate LifeTheChocolateWire![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/thumbnail/venezuelaCutTest_ClayGordon-Featured1920x1080.jpg)](https://thechocolatelife.com/thechocolatelifelive-deep-dive-cut-tests/) [(Re)Defining Quality in CocoaI’ve spent a lot of the past dozen years or so evaluating chocolate and cocoa professionally. I’ve tasted an uncounted number and variety of chocolates and confections and beans for my own edification as well as as a judge in a variety of competitions, including the Good Food![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/icon/JR_Pods60x60FavIconCutoutButtons-77.png)The Chocolate LifeClay Gordon![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/thumbnail/Ug2oyabjEECEcByD09wO7g.jpg)](https://thechocolatelife.com/redefining-quality-in-cocoa/) [Image datasets of cocoa beans for taxonomy nuances evaluation - PMCThere are some classification methods that generate nuances in the final accuracy caused by objects positioning, framing and damage. These occurrences may result in a drop of accuracy in computer vision systems that were trained with structured…![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-7.png)NCBI home page∗Corresponding author. fante.antunesgmail.com![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/thumbnail/gr1.jpg)](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6838416/?ref=thechocolatelife.com) **Science Direct:** [Classification of fermented cocoa beans (cut test) using computer vision](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0889157520314769?ref=thechocolatelife.com) [HySpex![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-8.png)![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/thumbnail/cocoa1.png)](https://www.hyspex.com/use-cases-application-notes/cocoa-beans/?ref=thechocolatelife.com) Hyperspectral imaging for cocoa bean grading **ResearchGate:** [Neural network-based electronic nose for cocoa beans quality assessment](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266464877%5FNeural%5Fnetwork-based%5Felectronic%5Fnose%5Ffor%5Fcocoa%5Fbeans%5Fquality%5Fassessment?ref=thechocolatelife.com) --- ### **Questions?** If you have questions or want to comment, you can do so during the episode or, if you are a ChocolateLife member, you can add them in the Comments below at ***any*** time. --- ### **More Episode Hashtags (and Related Accounts to Follow)** #cocoa #cacao #cacau #chocolate #chocolat #craftchocolate #PodSaveChoc #PSC #LaVidaCocoa #TheChocolateLife --- ### **Future Episodes** None were scheduled at the time this post was published. --- ### **#PodSaveChocolate and #TheChocolateLifeLIVE Archives** **To read an archived post** and find the links to watch archived episodes, click on one of the bookmark cards, below. [#PodSaveChocolate Archive – Episodes 101+News, views, and conversations on topics in cocoa and chocolate streamed live to YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook. #PodSaveChocolate! \[ Updated March 2, 2025\. \]![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/icon/JR_Pods60x60FavIconCutoutButtons-55.png)The Chocolate LifeClay Gordon![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/thumbnail/TagImageBanner-PodSaveChocTagFinal_1920x1080-5-6.jpg)](https://thechocolatelife.com/pod-save-chocolate-calendar-and-archive/) [#PodSaveChocolate Archive Episodes 1-100News, views, and conversations on topics in cocoa and chocolate streamed live to YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook. #PodSaveChocolate!![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/icon/JR_Pods60x60FavIconCutoutButtons-56.png)The Chocolate LifeClay Gordon![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/thumbnail/TagImageBanner-PodSaveChocTagFinal_1920x1080-5-7.jpg)](https://thechocolatelife.com/podsavechocolate-archive-episodes-1-100/) [#TheChocolateLifeLIVE ArchiveNews, views, and conversations on topics in cocoa and chocolate streamed live to YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook.![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/size/w256h256/2020/12/JR_Pods60x60FavIconCutoutButtons.png)The Chocolate LifeClay Gordon![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/2023/03/solen-feyissa-WG7v_wYZW4Q-unsplash-CalendarFeatured1920x1080.jpg)](https://thechocolatelife.com/thechocolatelife-live-calendar/) [PodSaveChocolateHosted by Clay Gordon, the creator and moderator of TheChocolateLife.com, #PodSaveChocolate covers a wide variety of topics in the worlds of cocoa and chocolate. The video versions of this podcast are hosted and archived on YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Click on the PodSaveChocolate link in the top nav on TheChocolateLife for the links to the post accompanying each episode.![](https://pnc.st/static/img/256x256.png)Pinecast![](https://social.pinecast.net/preview_card/podcasts/covers/d3730dca-0711-4720-9ef3-3b18918c1f0d/TagImageBanner-PodSaveChocTagFinal_1920x1080.jpg?title=PodSaveChocolate)](https://pnc.st/s/podsavechocolate?ref=thechocolatelife.com) Audio-only podcasts --- ## Not a Member? Live The Chocolate Life – Live La Vida Cocoa! Sign up for Free to comment and receive members-only content. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. 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