Chocolate: Between Cacao and Packaging

Where Chocolate Begins: Cacao

Before there is a bar, a bonbon, or a coating, there is a fruit.

Chocolate begins with the cacao fruit, but its identity is built through a chain far more complex than the image of a simple cacao bean might suggest.

After harvest, the beans undergo stages such as fermentation and drying. Later, in industry or in the chocolate kitchen, they are roasted, transformed, and separated into different derivatives that may become part of the chocolate formulation.

This process gives rise to ingredients such as cocoa mass, cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, and cocoa powder.

Brazilian legislation defines cocoa mass, paste, or liquor as the product obtained from the transformation of clean and peeled cacao beans. Cocoa butter corresponds to the lipid fraction obtained from this mass, while cocoa powder is obtained from the solid portion resulting from pressing.

In other words, when we speak of cacao, we are talking about a raw material that can take different forms within the same recipe.

And that is where the story of chocolate begins.

Where Does the Cacao in Chocolate Come From?

Cacao also has origin, genetics, and identity.

For a long time, the most familiar classification divided Theobroma cacao into three major groups: Criollo, Forastero, and Trinitario.

This classification is still widely used to describe cacao, but we now know that it does not represent the full genetic diversity of the species. Later research identified a much broader genetic diversity, with different groups and populations within the species.

Criollo has historically been associated with materials displaying distinctive sensory characteristics and played an important role in the history of cacao cultivation. Today, few trees can be considered pure Criollo.

Forastero encompasses a very broad group of cultivated, semi-wild, and wild populations and represents a large share of the cacao used commercially around the world.

Trinitario emerged from crosses between Criollo and Forastero and encompasses different hybrid populations.

But there is an important distinction.

It is not correct to turn this classification into a simple scale of quality.

There is a historical association between certain Criollo and Trinitario materials and what is known as fine-flavor cacao, while much of Forastero is associated with bulk cacao. But important exceptions exist: genetic classification alone does not determine a cacao’s commercial category or sensory experience.

Beyond genetics, territory, climate, agricultural practices, and especially post-harvest processes contribute to cacao’s sensory characteristics.

Fermentation and drying, for example, trigger fundamental transformations involved in the development of flavor and aroma.

That is why, before cacao becomes chocolate, a story is already being written.

There is a tree, a genetic background, a territory, and a way of treating that raw material.

What Is Inside Chocolate?

Chocolate is a formulation.

There is not simply one ingredient called “cacao” inside it. Different cacao derivatives can perform different functions.

Cocoa mass carries the components derived from the transformed bean. Cocoa butter provides a fundamental part of the product’s fat and contributes to characteristics such as structure, texture, and melting behavior. Cocoa powder concentrates the solids from the bean after part of its fat has been removed.

These components may be combined with sugar, milk and dairy ingredients when applicable, as well as emulsifiers, flavorings, and other ingredients permitted according to the formulation.

The International Cocoa Organization identifies cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, and sugar as three major components used in the production of different types of chocolate, with milk powder, emulsifiers, and other components added according to the recipe.

It is precisely this combination that allows such different chocolates to be created.

Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, and coatings may share some components while presenting very different proportions, structures, and sensory experiences.

That is why looking only at the word cacao is not enough.

It is necessary to understand which derivative is present, in what proportion, and what else makes up the recipe.

What Does It Mean for Chocolate to Have 35%, 50%, or 70% Cacao?

Few pieces of information on a chocolate package are as familiar as the cacao percentage.

Few are also as easily misunderstood.

A chocolate identified as 70% cacao does not simply mean that 70% of the bar consists of cacao beans.

The concept used by Brazil’s new legislation is total cocoa solids.

Law No. 15,404/2026 defines these solids as the sum of cocoa butter and the defatted dry solids obtained exclusively from the transformation of clean, fermented, dried, and peeled cacao beans.

In simple terms, we can think of a 70% chocolate as a product in which 70% corresponds to the total cocoa solids considered for this information, while the remaining 30% corresponds to the other components of the formulation.

But those 30% do not necessarily represent a single ingredient — nor does that mean they are less important components.

They may include sugar, milk or dairy ingredients, cocoa butter, and other ingredients used according to the formulation.

Some appear in larger proportions. Others may be present in very small amounts and still perform important functions in the product.

That is why the cacao percentage and the ingredient list answer different questions.

The cacao percentage tells us one dimension of the composition.

The ingredient list reveals which components were used to build that chocolate.

What Do Those Names on the Ingredient List Mean?

For someone who does not work with chocolate, an ingredient list can almost look like another language.

Cocoa mass.

Cocoa butter.

Lecithin.

Polyglycerol polyricinoleate.

Flavoring.

Milk powder.

These are names that appear in different formulations but are not always understood by consumers.

Understanding them helps reveal that each component is there for a reason.

Cocoa Butter

Cocoa butter is one of the main derivatives of the cacao bean itself.

It is the fat fraction obtained from cocoa mass and plays a fundamental role in chocolate structure, contributing to characteristics such as texture, shine, and melting behavior.

It is also part of what makes it possible to transform a mass into chocolate that behaves so distinctly when it is broken, held, and tasted.

Sugar

In chocolate, sugar does more than provide sweetness.

It also contributes to the sensory construction of the formulation, helping balance the natural bitterness and acidity of cacao.

Its quantity directly influences how the product is perceived.

Milk and Dairy Ingredients

In milk chocolate, dairy ingredients contribute to characteristics such as flavor, body, texture, and creaminess.

Their presence also helps explain why milk chocolate provides a different sensory experience from chocolate with a higher concentration of cocoa solids and no dairy components.

Emulsifiers

Emulsifiers are substances used to assist interaction between different components of a formulation.

In chocolate, they can contribute to characteristics such as fluidity, texture, and processing, helping adjust how the mass behaves during manufacturing.

Lecithin is one of the best-known examples.

Its presence in a small amount does not mean that it is irrelevant. Certain ingredients can perform an important technological function even when they represent only a small portion of the formulation.

Flavorings

Flavorings are used to provide, modify, or reinforce particular aroma and flavor characteristics in a food, according to their intended purpose and applicable regulations.

Their presence should not automatically be interpreted as something negative.

What matters is understanding the function of that ingredient within the formulation.

Other Vegetable Fats

Certain vegetable fats may be used in specific product categories and under conditions established by regulation.

Their presence should therefore be understood within the context of the product category and formulation, rather than automatically associated with a positive or negative judgment.

The Ingredient List Tells a Second Story

That is precisely why looking only at the cacao percentage is not enough.

A chocolate may state 70% cacao and still have a very different composition from another chocolate with the same 70%.

The percentage gives us one objective dimension of the composition.

The ingredient list allows us to understand how the rest of that formulation was built.

There is another important point when reading the list: ingredients are generally presented in descending order by proportion. In other words, the position of each ingredient provides an indication of its relative participation in the formulation.

There is no need to turn a package into a chemistry lesson.

But understanding some of these names changes the way we look at chocolate.

We stop seeing only a sequence of unfamiliar words and begin to see a recipe.

Each ingredient tells part of the story.

Does More Cacao Mean Better Chocolate?

Not necessarily.

It is tempting to turn the cacao percentage into a scale of quality.

35%.

50%.

70%.

85%.

The higher the number, the better the chocolate would be.

But reality is much more interesting.

The cacao percentage tells us an objective characteristic of the composition. It does not, by itself, tell the story of the raw material, origin, genetics, fermentation, drying, roasting, or the decisions made during manufacturing.

Nor does it determine the sensory profile on its own.

Two chocolates can have similar percentages and deliver completely different experiences.

One may be more fruity. Another, more floral. A third may display more pronounced notes of roasting, nuts, or caramel.

The development of cacao aromas is influenced by post-harvest and processing stages.

The percentage matters.

But it is only part of the story.

Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, White Chocolate

The word chocolate may seem sufficient to define a product.

But different categories have different compositions.

Law No. 15,404/2026 establishes, for example, that chocolate must contain at least 35% total cocoa solids, of which at least 18% must be cocoa butter and 14% must be fat-free cocoa solids.

For milk chocolate, the minimum is 25% total cocoa solids, in addition to the requirements concerning total milk solids.

White chocolate has a different composition: the law establishes a minimum of 20% cocoa butter and 14% total milk solids.

These differences reveal something that often goes unnoticed:

cacao is not a single thing within the recipe.

Cocoa butter and dry cocoa solids are different components, with different functions.

It is the combination of these components and the others in the formulation that creates the texture, melting behavior, appearance, and flavor we recognize as chocolate.

Learning to Read a Chocolate Package

Perhaps understanding chocolate begins by looking at the package differently.

Not just the image.

Not just the name.

Not just the percentage displayed on the front.

The product name helps us understand what it is.

The cacao percentage tells us one dimension of its composition.

The ingredient list shows which components were used to build it.

And the nutrition facts panel adds another perspective on what we are consuming.

These are different but complementary pieces of information.

A photograph can create an expectation.

A word can suggest intensity.

A percentage can attract attention.

But it is when these pieces of information are read together that the product begins to reveal itself.

The Package Is Changing Too

It is precisely in this relationship between product and information that Brazil’s new legislation becomes important.

Law No. 15,404/2026 established new requirements for cocoa-derived products and chocolates marketed in Brazil, including the mandatory declaration of the cacao percentage on the main panel of covered products.

The declaration must use the expression “Contains X% cacao,” with the percentage corresponding to the total cocoa solids present in the product.

The information must occupy an area of at least 15% of the front panel, using legible characters and adequate contrast to facilitate visibility and understanding by the consumer.

For consumers, the change provides more visible information about the composition of the product.

For companies that manufacture, import, or market chocolate, the change may involve much more than graphic design.

It may involve analysis of the formulation, product classification, review of labeling information, and eventually adaptation of the packaging itself.

But the regulatory timing is important.

The law was published on May 11, 2026, and will enter into force 360 days after publication, on May 6, 2027.

Until then, Anvisa is still developing the technical regulation required for implementation, including criteria for calculating total cocoa solids, declaration methods, rounding, verification, and other composition and labeling requirements.

The alternatives discussed by Anvisa during the sector dialogue are preliminary and do not represent final decisions.

For those working with chocolate, therefore, this is not simply the moment to think about how to change the package.

It is the moment to understand what is inside the product that will be placed in that package.

The Number Does Not Tell the Whole Story

There is something almost paradoxical about chocolate.

The more we learn about it, the more we realize that a single number cannot define it.

The cacao percentage matters.

Origin matters.

Genetics matter.

Fermentation matters.

Roasting matters.

Formulation matters.

And the way all these elements come together is what ultimately transforms a raw material into an experience.

That is why two chocolates with the same percentage can be so different.

And perhaps it is precisely this complexity that makes chocolate so interesting.

The Chocolate That Reaches the Package

Every package is, in a way, a translation.

It tries to transform a complex product into a few pieces of information that can be quickly understood.

The name introduces the product.

The image creates an expectation.

The percentage reveals one dimension of its composition.

The ingredient list shows what was used to build it.

And behind all of this, there is a story that began much earlier.

It began with a tree.

With a variety or genetic group.

With a territory.

With the way the fruit was harvested, fermented, and dried.

Then it continued through roasting, grinding, formulation, and manufacturing.

Until it finally reached the package we see on the shelf.

Understanding the chocolate we consume does not mean simply looking for a higher number.

It means understanding what that number represents.

It means recognizing the ingredients, understanding the composition, and realizing that different choices can create different experiences.

Because between cacao and packaging, there is much more than chocolate.

There is a story.

References

Law No. 15,404 of May 8, 2026 — Brazilian Chamber of Deputies.

Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (Anvisa) — materials and updates on the regulation of Law No. 15,404/2026.

International Cocoa Organization — technical information on processing, cacao, and fine-flavor cocoa.

Anvisa — food, additive, and labeling regulations.