Can chocolate be made from mango fruit?

By using mango fruit instead of cocoa, scientists hope to save the hundred billion dollar chocolate industry from the prospect of a shortage of raw materials.

The findings have just been published in Scientific Reports.

" Wild mango is one of the species named Princess Cinderella because of its untapped potential" - Ms. Sayma Akhter, one of the authors of the study, commented.

According to CNN, global cocoa production has decreased in recent years because of many factors, including climate change and crop failure, while demand for this type of material is increasing.

In addition, large cocoa producers are frequently criticized for exploiting labor, paying low wages and even using child labor.

An Indian farmer is examining mango fruit quality in Hyderabad in April 2016 - (Photo: AFP).

In fact, there are studies that show that a chocolate bar, if there is a price of 100 dong in a shop, cocoa farmers can only enjoy 3 dongs in it.

According to newly published research, wild mango fruit extract has the same chemical and physical properties as cocoa butter and can be used instead.

Researchers believe that if they exploit the commercial potential of this fruit, their conservation efforts will be more favorable.

"If not to mention the benefits to the chocolate industry, wild fruits like mangoes are an important source of food, medicine and income for farmers. They are gradually disappearing due to deforestation." Morag McDonald of Bangor University said.

Chocolate is considered the "food of the gods" , the favorite sweet dish of many people around the world. This is a booming industry with an estimated turnover of $ 110 billion per year.

Most of the world's cocoa production comes from West Africa, more than one third of which is produced by Ivory Coast. Demand for cocoa increased so quickly that some experts warned people could run out of cheap raw materials in the next 20 years.

Cocoa is grown mainly in small plantations by poor farmers. In contrast to this, most chocolate in the world is consumed in rich areas like Europe and North America.