How chocolate is produced

The diagram illustrates the various stages involved in the production of chocolate, from the cultivation of cacao to the finished product.

Overall, the process consists of ten distinct steps which can be divided into two broad phases: the harvesting and preparation of the raw cacao beans, and the industrial processing that turns them into chocolate. The entire sequence is linear and begins on cacao plantations.

To begin with, cacao is grown on trees in South America, Africa, and Indonesia, where the ripe red pods are harvested by hand. The pods are then split open so that the white cocoa beans inside can be removed. These beans are subsequently left to ferment before being spread out and dried under the sun.

Once dried, the beans are packed into large sacks and transported by train or lorry to a factory. There, they are roasted at a temperature of 350°C, after which the outer shells are removed by a crushing machine. The remaining inner parts are pressed to extract the cocoa liquid, which is finally processed and moulded to produce the chocolate.