Cocoa powder, often simply cocoa, is an aromatic powder derived from the seeds of the Theobroma cacao tree. It is produced by roasting and grinding the seeds, referred to as cocoa beans, and then removing most of the cocoa butter from the resulting paste. Usually sold as a fine powder, cocoa is widely used in baking and beverages, notably hot cocoa, because of its intense chocolate flavor without most of the fat found in cocoa beans. The two main types are natural cocoa powder and Dutch-processed cocoa powder, both of which are available in various fat percentages.
The (non-fat) cocoa solids that make up most of cocoa powder consist primarily of carbohydrates, dietary fiber and protein. They also contain significant amounts of minerals such as iron and magnesium. In addition, cocoa is rich in polyphenols, particularly flavonoids. High-fat cocoa powder is also naturally calorie-dense.
Production
Defatted cocoa, usually in the form of a press cake, is what remains after cocoa butter has been pressed from chocolate liquor. The press cake is then ground into a fine powder.
The liquor manufacturers often choose to press acidic beans they consider lower quality.[1]
Depending on its cocoa butter content, cocoa powder is usually classified into two groups: ordinary (or whole) cocoa powder, which is characterised by a comparatively high cocoa butter content (20–22%), and low-fat (or reduced-fat) cocoa powder, which contains only 10–12% fat.[2] Other cocoa powders may have between 0% and 24% fat, depending on pressure and pressing times. Low-fat cocoa powders are generally lighter in colour than ordinary cocoa powders.[3]
Natural cocoa
Natural cocoa powder is extracted with the Broma process where after the cocoa fats have been removed from the chocolate nibs the remaining dry cocoa beans are ground into cocoa powder, which is sold to consumers. Natural cocoa powder has a light-brown color and an extractable pH of 5.3 to 5.8.[4][5]
Because of its acidity, natural cocoa is often paired in recipes with baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). This neutralizes the acidity and creates carbon dioxide which in cakes helps them rise.
Dutch process cocoa or Dutched cocoa[6] is cocoa powder that has been treated with an alkalizing agent to modify its color, neutralize its pH and give it a milder taste compared to natural cocoa.[6] It forms the basis for much of modern chocolate, and is used in ice cream, hot chocolate, and baking.
The alkalization process reduces bitterness and improves solubility, which is important for beverage product applications.[5] Alkalizing agents employed vary, but include potassium carbonate and sodium carbonate.
†Percentages estimated using USrecommendations for adults,[7] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[8]
Cocoa powder is rich in flavonoids (especially flavan-3-ols),[10] a subset of polyphenols. The amount of flavonoids depends on the amount of processing and manufacturing the cocoa powder undergoes. Alkalization, also known as Dutch processing, causes its content of flavonoids to be substantially reduced.[4][11][12]
Safety
Cadmium content
Cocoa powders may contain cadmium, a toxicheavy metal,[13][14] found naturally in high levels in the soil of some regions of cocoa-producing countries. The European Union has imposed a limit (as of 1 January 2019) for cadmium in cocoa powder of 0.6μg per gram of cocoa powder and 0.8μg per gram for chocolate with ≥ 50% total dry cocoa solids (fat and non-fat cocoa solids combined).[15] In Canada, a daily serving of a natural health product must contain no more than 6μg of cadmium for an individual weighing 150 pounds (68kg) and 3μg for a 75lb (34kg) individual.[16] While the US government has not set a limit for cadmium in foods or health products, the state of California has established a maximum allowable daily level of oral cadmium exposure of 4.1μg and requires products containing more than this amount per daily serving to bear a warning on the label.[17]
