How Products Were Selected:
Products were selected to represent those popular among readers of ConsumerLab.com and commonly sold and/or available in the U.S. ConsumerLab.com purchased products on the open market through retail stores, on-line retailers and direct sales companies. Products were not accepted directly from manufacturers.Testing Methods:
Cocoa products were tested in one or more independent laboratories for the following:
- Identification and quantification of the flavanol monomers catechin and epicatechin and their polymer procyanidins (PACs) as a predefined molecular degree of polymerization (DP) of 1-7 by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methodology (AOAC 2020.05). An older modified version of this method, AOAC 2012.24, which quantifies PACs with a DP of 1-10 was used for products added during or before 12/2020.
- Identification and quantification of the xanthine alkaloids theobromine and caffeine by HPLC for all products. In 2019, all bars and any product claiming an amount of theobromine or caffeine.
- Quantitative analyses for cadmium, lead, arsenic and mercury by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS).
ConsumerLab.com may modify or use other appropriate test methods if necessary to test special product formulations.
Identities of the products were not disclosed to laboratories performing the testing.
Passing Score:*
To be "Approved" by ConsumerLab.com, a product had to meet the following requirements:
- Contain 100% of claimed flavanols and procyanidins (PACs) as a predefined molecular degree of polymerization (DP) of 1-7 (method AOAC 2020.05) or, for products added on or before 12/2020, DP 1-10 (method AOAC 2012.24), by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methodology. For products not claiming an amount of flavanols, the amount found will be reported. Cacao fruit powders, cocoa powders, and extracts of these would be expected to contain a minimum of 2 mg of total flavanols (flavanols and PACs) per gram.
- Contain no less than 80% and no more than 125% of label claim for naturally occurring xanthine alkaloids (as caffeine and theobromine) or, for products claiming under 50 mg of caffeine per serving but not "caffeine free," within 10 mg of label claim. For products not claiming an amount, the amount found is reported.
- Heavy metals: Products must not exceed the following limits. As listed serving sizes can vary across similar products, to avoid bias, CL applied a standard daily serving size of 30 grams for dark chocolate and 5 grams for cocoa powder (about 1 teaspoon):
Cadmium:- If marketed for use by children under 12 years of age, may not exceed 3.0 micrograms of cadmium per recommended daily serving (based on (Canada's limit for a child weighing 75 lbs.) If not marketed for use by children under 12 years of age, may not exceed 4.1 micrograms of cadmium per recommended daily serving (above which California's Prop 65 law requires a "reproductive harm" warning due to developmental toxicity and male reproductive harm).
- Products marketed for use by children under 12 years of age or by pregnant or nursing women may not exceed the State of California's Prop 65 limits for lead in dietary supplements of 0.5 mcg per recommended daily serving with an additional allowance of 0.8 mcg if the product contains more than 1,000 mg/day of calcium. In addition, any type of chocolate bar likely to be consumed frequently by children under 12 years of age may not exceed 0.1 mcg per gram (FDA limit for lead in candy, including dark chocolate, likely to be consumed frequently by children under 12 years of age).
- Products with a single serving weights of less than 5 grams which are not marketed for use by children under 12 years of age, may not exceed the State of California's Prop 65 limits for lead in dietary supplements of 0.5 mcg per recommended daily serving (above which a warning regarding reproductive harm, birth defects, or cancer risks is required in California) with an additional allowance of 0.4 mcg if containing 250-999 mg/day of any combination of elemental calcium, magnesium and potassium or 0.8 mcg if containing more than 1,000 mg/day of any combination of these minerals. An additional allowance of 0.5 mcg is provided if containing 250-999 mg/day of whole herb (not extract) or 1.0 mcg if containing 1000 mg/day or more of whole herb (not extract). However, total lead allowance will not exceed 2 mcg per daily serving.
- Products with single serving weights of 5 grams or more which are not marketed for children under 12 years of age may not exceed 2.5 mcg per serving or 4.0 mcg per daily serving.
- Contain less than 10 micrograms of total arsenic per daily serving (based on Canada's limit per daily serving of a natural health product, and U.S. EPA and state of New Jersey limit in 1 liter of water). Products found to exceed this amount were tested for inorganic arsenic and must not contain and no more than 2.1 micrograms of inorganic arsenic per daily serving (Canada's limit in natural health products).
- May not exceed 2 micrograms of inorganic mercury per daily serving (based on EPA limit for mercury in 1 liter of water).
- Be in compliance with FDA labeling requirements.
* Passing scores allow for specific margins of technical error associated with each analysis. ConsumerLab.com reserves the right to disqualify a product at any time from passing if it considers such product to display unacceptable variation, present a safety risk or to provide misleading or inaccurate information in its labeling.
