Study confirms link between natural cocoa and flavanol antioxidants

29/09/05 A new study sponsored by The Hershey Company in conjunction with Cornell University and Brunswick Laboratories confirms that all products containing natural cocoa have flavanol antioxidants. The study also found that the level of antioxidants in commonly available chocolate products is directly related to the amount of natural cocoa contained in that product.

Researchers have long known that natural cocoa is one of the best sources of flavanol antioxidants. The Hershey study, presented at Cornell's Functional Foods, Bioactive Compounds and Human Health Conference, provides useful information on flavanol antioxidants. Researchers measured the antioxidant activity of the three top-selling brands of cocoa, baking chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate and chocolate syrup.

Products were analyzed at Brunswick Laboratories, an independent research lab in Wareham, Mass., and at Cornell University labs. The results showed that the greater the natural cocoa content, the greater the flavanol antioxidant levels. The highest flavanol levels were found in natural cocoa powder, followed by unsweetened baking chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate and, finally, chocolate syrup.

The results of the research are supported by recently announced USDA results. "The data from the Hershey study are very similar to results from our own lab," said Dr. Xianli Wu, scientist at USDA Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center in Little Rock, Ark.

In September, Hershey will introduce a new cocoa label communicating that cocoa is a natural source of flavanol antioxidants. Hershey also will debut a new seal listing the total percentage of cacao solids, i.e., the percent of ingredients in the product that are derived from the cocoa bean, in select dark chocolate products such as Hershey's Special Dark and Hershey's Extra Dark chocolates. Both steps are designed to help consumers better identify which cocoa and chocolate products contain higher levels of flavanol antioxidants.