What Does the Cocoa Percentage Really Include?

The cocoa percentage shown on a chocolate bar,ranging from 35% to 100%, actually refers to two very different components:

• Cocoa solids, also called non-fat cocoa mass or defatted nibs

• Cocoa butter, the natural fat contained in the cocoa bean

To understand this clearly, it’s important to remember that a cocoa bean typically contains about 55% cocoa butter and 45% cocoa solids. It is the non-fat portion that carries most of the flavor, antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals that make chocolate both interesting and nutritious.

Cocoa butter, on the other hand, provides smoothness, fluidity, and sheen. It is crucial for texture but much more neutral in taste. In the industrial sector, it is often deodorized to suit all recipes and can be extracted from lower-quality beans without significantly affecting flavor.

It is therefore entirely legal, and quite common, to produce chocolate by combining defatted cocoa solids and added cocoa butter, thereby reconstructing an artificial “cocoa mass”.

A Generous (But Misleading) Regulation

According to EU Directive 2000/36/EC, chocolate can be legally labeled “dark” if it contains:

• At least 35% total cocoa content (cocoa solids + cocoa butter)

• Of which at least 18% must be cocoa butter

• And at least 14% cocoa solids (defatted nibs)

Moreover, a chocolate can claim labels such as “extra fine” or “superior” with a minimum of 26% cocoa butter, without requiring a higher percentage of cocoa solids.

In short, a so-called “premium dark chocolate” may contain mostly cocoa butter and very little actual cocoa solids,without this being visible to the consumer.

The displayed percentage (70%, 80%, 90%) only sums cocoa butter + cocoa solids, without revealing the balance between them.

Why This Matters

This means a chocolate labeled “90%” could actually contain just 14% cocoa solids, with the remainder made up of added cocoa butter.

In other words: more fat than substance, more texture than taste. And critically, fewer nutrients, fewer aromas, less of what makes chocolate truly chocolate.

A bit of a letdown, isn’t it?

Orfève’s Approach

At Orfève, we believe great chocolate isn’t about the number on the wrapper. It’s about the natural richness of the beans, the quality of their post-harvest treatment, and the integrity of the recipe.

We don’t inflate our bars with deodorized cocoa butter or defatted powder. Each bar is an authentic expression of the bean it showcases, nothing more, nothing less.