## 4 Discussion  
### Volatile Organic Compound Profile  
In the present study, the chemical classes found in the chocolate samples were acids, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, phenylpropanoids, esters, and pyrazines. When conducting a study on the volatile composition of seven chocolate samples, [PERSON] et al. [49] identified approximately 69 compounds, which also belonged predominantly to these chemical classes. In addition, the authors emphasized that most of these compounds were identified in chocolates whose cocoa composition was higher than 70%. These results support the compounds' presence in these samples, considering that the chocolates evaluated had 80% cocoa in their composition. Hexadecanoic acid (Table 1) was also identified by [PERSON] et al. [50] when evaluating the volatile composition of cocoa and the sensory perceptions of chocolate. As [PERSON] et al. [51] reported, the acids (fatty, organic, and others) are evaporated in the drying stages of cocoa beans due to their volatility because the peel surrounding the beans is permeable. However, it is essential to note that these acids confer a mild and pleasant flavor to chocolate. On the other hand, [PERSON] et al. [52] warn that the presence of large quantities of acids in cocoa beans may confer undesirable characteristics to the quality of the chocolate, such as susceptibility to oxidative rancidity, which affects the product's shelf life. In both Sample 1 and Sample 2, the compound butane-2,3-diol was identified. [PERSON] et al. [39], when evaluating samples of cocoa liquor and fine chocolate using the same method used here, found that alcohols corresponded to the second predominant chemical class in both samples evaluated, which corroborates the present results. In addition, these researchers also identified the presence of the compound 2,3-butanediol. [PERSON] et al. [53] also detected the same compound in cocoa beans during the fermentation and drying process. In their analysis of chocolates made with cocoa from different countries, [PERSON] et al. [54] reported that alcohols are of significant importance in the volatile chemical profile of chocolate since they have the potential to confer aroma to chocolate. All of the authors describe these compounds as being desirable to obtain a quality final product with specific sensory characteristics of chocolate. Only in Sample 2, where the toasted beans matured in a French oak barrel, were the following aldehydes identified: benzaldehyde, 5-methyl-2-phenyl-2-hexanal, and 3-methyl hexanal. Benzene acetaldehyde and nonanal were identified in both samples. According to [PERSON] et al. [50] and [PERSON] et al. [55], aldehydes result from oxidative reactions and fatty acid degradation during the fermentation process of cocoa beans. The beans' maturation under the absence of oxygen may have contributed to the non-production of these four aldehydes identified only in Sample 2. Aldehydes are desirable since they are responsible for giving fruity and floral notes to cocoa products, as explained by [PERSON] et al. [20]. In this study, two ketones were detected: ethanone and acetoin. [PERSON] et al. [50] warn that high ketone contents may be conducive to obtaining an excellent aromatic quality of cocoa after the fermentation stage. Esters are compounds that give a fruity aroma to cocoa genre [56]. In this study, it was possible to verify the presence of acetic acid-2-phenylethyl-ester in the two studied samples, but hexadecanoic acid methyl ester was only present in Sample 2. According to [PERSON] et al. [50], these compounds are higher in fresh cocoa beans. This result suggests that maturation in oak barrels maintains the beans' freshness since hexadecanoic acid methyl ester was identified in the final product. According to [PERSON] et al. [52], the fermentation stage of cocoa beans, as well as the later stages, are crucial for the sensory characteristics of the final product, which may influence the volatile composition of the final product, as reported by [PERSON] et al. [15].