Light brown Cocoa Extract 20% Flavanols powder from Theobroma cacao seed

Cocoa Extract 10–40% Flavanols / Procyanidins

Cocoa extract is prepared from the fermented, dried seeds of Theobroma cacao, the cacao tree, and not from the pod husk, the pulp or the cocoa butter. Ethanol extraction takes up the flavanols and their oligomers, and the liquor is dried to a light brown powder.

The grade range is 10–40% flavanols and procyanidins by UV, and the primary grade is the 40% end. The powder is 80 mesh and slightly soluble in water. The 10% grade suits drink powders and sweet blends, while the 40% grade carries a higher polyphenol load for compact capsules and tablets.

SKU: BOT-STX-0030 Category: Standardized Extracts Tags: Bars & Bakery, Cocoa, Ethanol Extracted, Gummies & Chews, Seed & Grain, Standardized Extracts

Flavanol Standardization & Grades

Flavanols are polyphenols built on the flavan-3-ol skeleton, with catechin and epicatechin as the monomers. Procyanidins are chains of these units, from dimers upward. Cocoa seed is a rich source of both, and the grade reports their total as one figure. The seed is fermented and dried before extraction, and those steps lower the flavanol content and form more complex tannins, so an extract is a statement about the postharvest history as well as the plant. The botanical entity is Theobroma cacao L., and the part used is the seed.

Grade	Assay & Method	Where It Fits
10% Flavanols / Procyanidins	UV	Drink powders and sweet blends
40% Flavanols / Procyanidins	UV	Capsules and tablets with small fill

The two grades behave differently. The 40% grade is a polyphenol concentrate that reaches a target dose from a small fill. The 10% grade is closer to a cocoa concentrate: it carries more of the bitter alkaloid theobromine, the sugars and the browned material of the bean, and it has a chocolate-like note that suits drink powders and sweet blends. Cocoa is also supplied as a 10:1 ratio extract, the Cocoa Extract Powder, as a defatted food powder, the Cocoa Powder, and as the purified alkaloid Theobromine 99%. Cocoa butter, nibs and cocoa powder are different materials, and none of them is a flavanol extract. The cocoa flavor of the 10% grade comes from the bean solids that remain in the extract, not from added flavoring.

Flavanol Analysis & Purity Risks

Both grades are measured by UV, a colorimetric method. A reagent reacts with flavanol and procyanidin units to give a colored product, and the absorbance is read against a reference compound. The result is a total and counts every unit that gives the reaction. It is not an HPLC result, and it cannot be converted into figures for catechin or epicatechin alone.

The reference compound and the reagent define the number. A procedure that uses another reagent or another standard gives a different percentage for the same extract, so the figure is comparable only to one measured by the same procedure. HPLC is used beside the UV reading to show the monomers and the short oligomers, and the data for this product lists theobromine as a secondary marker, which appears as a separate peak.

Sample preparation also matters. Cocoa seed solids are fatty, and a low-fat extract must be dissolved fully before the reagent is added, because undissolved particles lower the reading. The reaction time and temperature are controlled, and a blank run corrects for the color of the extract itself.

Processing changes the profile. Fermentation lowers procyanidins several-fold and also lowers epicatechin, drying lowers epicatechin further, and roasting reduces polyphenols again. A cocoa extract from unfermented or lightly fermented beans therefore differs from one made from roasted beans.

Purity risks follow from naming and chemistry. Cocoa extract, cocoa powder, cocoa nibs and cocoa butter are different foods, and the pod husk and pulp are separate materials. Tannins bind proteins and iron, which interfere with colorimetric tests, so a high UV reading alone does not prove the source. A fixed part and the theobromine-to-flavanol ratio are practical identity checks.

Typical Specifications

Specification Item	Product Information
Latin Name	Theobroma cacao
Plant Part	Seed & Grain
Processing	Ethanol Extraction
Compound Class	Catechins, Flavonoids, Polyphenols
Common Name	Cocoa, Cacao Seed
Ingredient Type	Standardized Extract
Marker Compound(s)	Flavanols and procyanidins (catechin and epicatechin units)
Primary Grade	40% Flavanols / Procyanidins (UV)
Available Grades	10% · 40% Flavanols / Procyanidins (UV)
Appearance	Light Brown powder
Solubility / Dispersibility	Slightly Soluble in Water
Quality Parameters
Moisture (LOD)	≤5.0%
Total Ash	≤5.0%
Particle Size	80 mesh
Heavy Metals	Lead ≤2 ppm · Arsenic ≤1 ppm · Cadmium ≤1 ppm · Mercury ≤0.1 ppm
Microbiology	TPC ≤1,000 cfu/g · Yeast & Mold ≤100 cfu/g · E. coli Negative · Salmonella Negative/25 g
Shelf Life	24 months in unopened original packaging, cool and dry storage

Applications by Grade

40% Grade for Compact Capsules

The 40% grade reaches a polyphenol target from a small fill, which suits capsules and tablets. The light brown powder is fine and astringent, and a glidant helps hopper flow while a dry room limits caking at the filling station.

40% Grade in Tablet Blends

Tablets of the 40% grade need a dry binder and a lubricant, because the tannin-rich powder is slightly hygroscopic and sticks to punches. Keep the blend away from iron equipment, which darkens polyphenols on contact.

10% Grade in Drink Powders

The 10% grade has a mild cocoa flavor and gives a hazy brown drink, since the powder is only slightly soluble in water. It suits hot or cold chocolate-style drinks, and a thickener keeps the fine particles in suspension.

10% Grade in Bar Premixes

Bar premixes use the 10% grade as a cocoa-flavored polyphenol source. The powder blends with nut, oat and date bases, and it adds a little bitterness, so a sweetener or a fat-based binder is used to keep the bar palatable.

10% Grade in Gummy Premixes

Gummy premixes can carry the 10% grade where a chocolate note is wanted. Tannins stiffen or cloud pectin and gelatin gels, so add the powder late and at a low temperature, and check the set and clarity before scale-up.

40% Grade in Stick Packs

Stick packs carry the 40% grade with a flow agent and a sweet carrier. The astringency of concentrated flavanols is strong in a clear liquid, so flavor and sweetener choices have to be tested in the final dilution.

Technical & Quality Considerations

The extract is a light brown powder with a mild cocoa odor and a bitter, astringent taste. It is slightly soluble in water, and solutions are hazy and brown. Theobromine is slightly soluble in water, and its solubility rises in hot water, so a hot drink clears more than a cold one. Flavanols bind proteins, so milk and gelatin-based systems can turn cloudy or form a precipitate.

Low-fat extracts wet more slowly than cocoa powder, so add the powder under agitation or wet it with a small amount of liquid first. Avoid contact with iron and copper, which form dark complexes with polyphenols.

Keep the drum closed between uses, compare each lot with a retained sample for color, taste and the flavanol reading, and run a stability test in the real base for any formula that contains protein or metal-bearing minerals. Cocoa extract keeps its flavor best in a sealed liner away from heat, and a sample from each lot tested near the end of shelf life shows whether the packaging holds the flavanol reading.

Packaging & Commercial Supply

Essencefield supports product evaluation, formulation trials, commercial orders, and ongoing ingredient supply. Packaging, storage, and shipping arrangements are determined by product characteristics, order quantity, stability requirements, and destination-market needs.

Supply Item	General Information
Sample	Available upon request for formulation, testing, and supplier evaluation
Order Quantities	100 g · 1 kg · 5 kg · 25 kg · 100 kg · 500 kg · Bulk
Sample Lead Time	Typically 5–7 days after sample confirmation
Production Lead Time	Typically 15–30 days after order and specification confirmation
Packaging	Suitable protective inner packaging with bags, cartons, drums, or other appropriate outer packaging
Storage	Store in tightly sealed, suitable protective packaging in a cool, dry environment. Protect from moisture, heat, and direct sunlight. Specific storage conditions follow the approved product specification.
Documentation	COA · Product Specification · TDS · SDS · Applicable declarations (as applicable)

Final order quantities, lead times, packaging, documentation, and shipping arrangements are confirmed according to the selected product and commercial requirements.