Cocoa comes from the dried and fully fermented fatty seed of the Theobroma cacao. Cocoa solids and cocoa butter are extracted from the seed of the plant. Aside from chocolate, cocoa is also used in many Mesoamerican foods such as mole sauce and tejate.
Chocolate is one of the most popular food in the human diet today. A person on the average, consumes ten pounds of it in one year. Aside from the satisfaction one gets from eating chocolate, it also has health benefits. Chocolate contains a category of flavonoids called flavanols.
Flavonoids and Flavanols
Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds found naturally in plants. Polyphenolic compounds are alcohols that contain two or more benzene rings that each have at least one hydroxyl group (OH) attached.
Flavonoids occur naturally in fruits, vegetables and beverages (tea, coffee, dark chocolate, beer, wine and fruit drinks). The flavonoids are believed to possess beneficial effects on human health as they are said to have antiviral, anti-allergic, antiplatelet, anti-inflammatory, antitumor and antioxidant activities.
Flavanols (with an "A") are distinct from flavonols (with an "O") which are also a class of flavonoids. Flavanols include the catechins and the catechin gallates while flavonols are ketone-containing compounds.
First validated method for analyzing flavanols and procyanidins in cocoa products could help scientists and the industry in standardized reporting
Mars, Incorporated, working in partnership with AOAC International, has successfully completed a multi-laboratory, first-of-its-kind validation of a method for analyzing flavanols and procyanidins in cocoa-based products. The study, just published in the latest edition of the Journal of AOAC International, details the results of a comprehensive evaluation of this method by 12 international laboratories, which included academic, industrial and commercial institutions. As it has been proved to be reproducible, robust, and readily transferable, this method could have far-reaching implications for researchers and consumers.
"This multi-laboratory collaborative study represents a critical breakthrough in the field by demonstrating that a method to measure these complex phytonutrients in cocoa can be reliable, robust, and easy-to-use," said Dr. Catherine Kwik-Uribe, study author and R&D Director at Mars Botanical. "Excitingly, in the not too distant future, this could lead to more uniform numbers on product labels that will help consumers compare and contrast flavanol-containing products, and help regulators evaluate claims."
Flavanols are a group of natural compounds that are particularly abundant in cocoa. Over the past decade, there has been growing interest in the potential cardiovascular and cognitive health benefits of flavanol and procyanidin-containing foods. For example, in July this year, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) issued a positive Scientific Opinion on the health benefits of cocoa flavanols and procyanidins related to healthy blood flow. Though these phytonutrients are of great scientific and consumer interest, until now there has been no common, validated approach to the analysis of these compounds in foods. As a result, different laboratories and companies have used different methods to report content. This has resulted in considerable variability and confusion in reported values, and scientists, regulators, and consumers lack clear and relevant information.
