In a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers have demonstrated that consumption of cocoa flavanols can improve efficiency in blood oxygenation in the frontal cortex — a brain region that plays a key role in planning, regulating behavior and decision-making — of young healthy people and that it is likely to contribute to improvements in cognitive function, but only when cognitive… Read more »
Barry Callebaut has revealed a partnership with FlavaNaturals to produce chocolate containing high levels of cocoa flavanol in the US. The announcement follows three years of collaboration on the development of FlavaBars, a line of chocolate containing five times the cocoa flavanol content of a typical dark chocolate bar. FlavaBars are said to leverage over a decade of development by… Read more »
A small and preliminary study was hyped to claim that chocolate fights Alzheimer’s. Have you heard? Dark chocolate will do everything from boost your cognition to reduce your cardiovascular disease risk and even help you lose weight! Or so the chocolate science hype machine will tell you. Several months ago, we got to wondering how chocolate candy had earned such… Read more »
The Barry Callebaut Group, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, announced today that the European Commission approved the extension of the company’s existing health claim on cocoa flavanols to cocoa extracts (Regulation (EU) 2015/539). Following the positive Scientific Opinion issued by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in May 2014 on the health claim for cocoa… Read more »
EFSA issues positive Scientific Opinion on Barry Callebaut’s application for extending its health claim on cocoa flavanols: A new market beyond chocolate for cocoa flavanols and their healthy properties
The company has received the right to use the health claim: “cocoa flavanols help maintain the elasticity of blood vessels, which contributes to normal blood flow” — the first to do so in the cocoa and chocolate industry.
Barry Callebaut was able to provide evidence that the daily intake of 200 mg. of cocoa flavanols (provided by 2.5 g. ACTICOA cocoa powder or 10 g. ACTICOA dark chocolate) supports a healthy blood circulation by helping to maintain the elasticity of the blood vessels.
A method for the analysis of flavanols in cocoa has been developed by researchers from Mars. The method identifies and quantifies the distinct stereochemical forms of flavanols found in cocoa and chocolate products. Foods rich in flavanols are increasingly recognised for their ability to exert positive effects on the cardiovascular system, but investigations have shown that the distinct chemical structure (stereochemistry) of a flavanol influences its absorption, metabolism, and consequently its ability to exert beneficial effects. This validated method could therefore have important implications for future investigations.
