26 Apr 2021 --- Researchers have identified key odorants that chiefly contribute to off-flavors in fermented cocoa. They have now established maximum concentration levels to avoid the incorporation of cocoa that smells musty, moldy, smoky or like horse dung into food production. Off-flavors in cocoa can be a major challenge for the food industry, and until now, they could only be detected by a trained sensory panel, note the researchers from the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems Biology at the Technical University of Munich who identified the odorants.