The effects of the phytochemistry of cocoa on the food chemistry of chocolate(s) and how disease resistance in cocoa can be improved using CRISPR/Cas9 technology

Peer-reviewed review/methods article (Food Chemistry: Molecular Sciences, Elsevier, 2021) linking the phytochemistry of cocoa beans (Theobroma cacao) to chocolate quality, taste and human health benefits, and proposing CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to improve disease resistance. It reviews cocoa varieties (Criollo, Forastero, Trinitario), global production and consumption statistics, bioactive compounds (flavonoids, theobromine, caffeine, fatty acids, minerals) and their pharmacological effects, and details a step-by-step protocol to delete the TcNPR3 gene—which suppresses defense response—to confer resistance to black pod disease (Phytophthora sp.), with a view to strengthening high-yielding African (Forastero) cocoa.