Paris.- The International Cacao Awards will be awarded to the world’s best growers, as part of the “Chocolate Salon,” the global chocolate industry’s top event being held in Paris.

To conduct the evaluation, 235 cacao samples from 31 producing countries were sent directly to the Salon where they were made into chocolate by the companies Barry Callebaut and Mars, Inc.

After an evaluation by chocolate connoisseurs and professionals, 50 samples considered top quality cacao were selected based on their unique flavor and conditions.

Among the 50 finalists figure a sample from the Dominican company Roig Agro-Cacao, S.A., the only finalist of the country’s three major cacao exporters.