Various Cacao Products

The table compares U.S. government standards for commonly used cacao products. These standards represent the minimum legal requirements a product must meet in order to be allowed to go by the name given. Many of the permissible ingredients for products are not necessarily used in the manufacturing of the highest-quality products. For instance, butterfat is a permissible ingredient for making semisweet chocolate. It is added to inhibit bloom and to soften the chocolate slightly. The highest-quality dark chocolate, however, whether made in the United States or elsewhere, is made without adjunct fats, including butterfat. In all cases, a product’s ingredients must be indicated on its label.