Incubation tests mimicking fermentation reveal that phytate breakdown is key to lower the cadmium concentrations in cacao nibs

•Cacao bean incubation reveals that fermentation can reduce nib Cd content.•Reduction of nib Cd was most pronounced at high temperature and low pH.•Nib Cd mobilisation during fermentation is likely related to phytate breakdown. Earlier studies revealed that cadmium (Cd) concentrations in cacao nibs can decrease by a factor up to 1.3 during fermentation. Here, fermentation was mimicked by incubating beans at different temperatures, and acetic acid and ethanol concentrations in the incubation media. Nib Cd concentrations decreased during incubation by mobilisation in the nibs and subsequent outward migration to the testa and the incubation solution. This was most pronounced when high concentrations of acetic acid were combined with high temperature, while ethanol had no statistically significant effect. Incubation under typical fermentation conditions (45 °C and 20.0 g acetic acid L−1) reduced the nib Cd concentration by a factor 1.3. This factor increased to 1.6 under more extreme conditions, i.e. 65 °C and 40 g acetic acid L−1. The final nib Cd concentrations correlated well to nib phytate concentrations (R2 = 0.56), suggesting hydrolysis of phytate and mobilisation of the associated Cd2+.