dissecting the genome of the cocoa bean

U.S. government scientists are launching a five-year project aimed at safeguarding the world's chocolate supply by dissecting the genome of the cocoa bean. The goal is to produce more and better-tasting chocolate.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture team will analyze the more than 400 million parts of the cocoa genome, a process that could help battle crippling crop diseases. The study is funded with more than $10 million from candy company Mars Inc.,
Ironically, cocoa is generally not produced in the U.S. The USDA has an interest in the crop because so many domestically produced items -- raisins and almonds, for example -- are important to chocolate.