Dark chocolate
Checked by us One serving: 40 g · 220 kcal
Some iron and magnesium.
A lot per serving: saturated and trans fat. Nothing else to watch for most people.
Worth knowing for some people: nickel for people who are sensitised; tyramine.
Good for
How we counted this
What one serving (40 g) gives you.
Your body needs enough of each of these. Past enough, more doesn’t help. Amounts are what the food databases list, not what your body absorbs, unless a row says it was measured.
The words: “A lot” means one serving gives 20% or more of Health Canada’s daily amount, “Some” 10% to 19%, “A little” 2% to 9%, “Almost none” under 2%. Strongest word first; within a word, protein and fibre lead, then the biggest share. ?
A milligram (mg) is a thousandth of a gram, and a microgram (µg) a thousandth of a milligram: 1,000 µg make 1 mg.
- Some
Iron
Carries oxygen in your blood.
Learn more
3.25 mg in one serving: 41% of the 8 mg a day men need, 18% of the 18 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, iron fact sheet for health professionals
- Some
Magnesium
Your muscles and nerves need it to work.
Learn more
60.8 mg in one serving: 15% of the 400 mg a day men need, 20% of the 310 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, magnesium fact sheet for health professionals
20 more nutrients at a little or less
- A little
Zinc
Your immune system and healing wounds depend on it.
Learn more
0.84 mg in one serving: 8% of the 11 mg a day men need, 11% of the 8 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, zinc fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Fibre
Keeps your gut moving.
Learn more
2.88 g in one serving: 8% of the 38 g a day men need, 12% of the 25 g women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. Institute of Medicine 2005, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids
- A little
Potassium
Your nerves, muscles and kidneys need it to work.
Learn more
227 mg in one serving: 7% of the 3,400 mg a day men need, 9% of the 2,600 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, potassium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents)
More than 400 of your enzymes need it to work.
Learn more
0.67 mg in one serving: 4% of the 16 mg a day men need, 5% of the 14 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, niacin fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Vitamin B12
Your body needs it to make red blood cells and keep nerves working.
Learn more
0.09 µg in one serving: 4% of the 2.4 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin B12 fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Protein
Your muscles, and every other tissue, are built and repaired from it.
Learn more
2.04 g in one serving: 4% of the 56 g a day men need, 4% of the 46 g women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. Institute of Medicine 2005, Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids
- A little
Vitamin K1
Your blood needs it to clot.
Learn more
3.2 µg in one serving: 3% of the 120 µg a day men need, 4% of the 90 µg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin K fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Selenium
Your thyroid uses it to make its hormones.
Learn more
1.4 µg in one serving: 3% of the 55 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, selenium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Calcium
Builds your bones and teeth.
Learn more
22.8 mg in one serving: 2% of the 1,000 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, calcium fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Omega-3: ALA
The one omega-3 your body can’t make: it must come from food. Your cells build it into their membranes and burn it for energy.
Learn more
33.2 mg in one serving: 2% of the 1,600 mg a day men need, 3% of the 1,100 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, omega-3 fatty acids fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Choline
Your cells need it for their membranes, and to make acetylcholine, a messenger for memory, mood and muscle control.
Learn more
11 mg in one serving: 2% of the 550 mg a day men need, 3% of the 425 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, choline fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Riboflavin (B2)
Your cells use it to make energy and handle fats. It also helps turn tryptophan into niacin and activate vitamin B6.
Learn more
0.02 mg in one serving: 2% of the 1.3 mg a day men need, 2% of the 1.1 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, riboflavin fact sheet for health professionals
- A little
Vitamin B6
Helps you use protein, and your brain needs it to make its chemical messengers.
Learn more
0.02 mg in one serving: 2% of the 1.3 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin B6 fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin E
Shields the fats in your cells from damage; your immune system uses it too.
Learn more
0.22 mg in one serving: 1% of the 15 mg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin E fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Thiamin (B1)
Your cells use it to get energy from food, and so to grow and work.
Learn more
0.01 mg in one serving: 1% of the 1.2 mg a day men need, 1% of the 1.1 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, thiamin fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Omega-3: EPA + DHA
Long-chain omega-3s, built into your cell membranes. DHA is concentrated in your brain and retinas.
Learn more
0.4 mg in one serving: under 1% of the 250 mg a day.
Health Canada sets no daily amount for these fats, so the daily figure here is the European Food Safety Authority’s.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, omega-3 fatty acids fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin A
Your eyes need it to see in dim light.
Learn more
Getting enough matters; more than enough doesn’t sharpen your sight.
0.8 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 900 µg a day men need, under 1% of the 700 µg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin A fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Folate
Your body needs it to make DNA and to divide new cells.
Learn more
0 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 400 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, folate fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin C
Your body makes collagen with it, which wounds need to heal. It also helps you absorb iron from plants.
Learn more
0 mg in one serving: under 1% of the 90 mg a day men need, under 1% of the 75 mg women need. The word follows the smaller share, which is the share of the higher amount. ?
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin C fact sheet for health professionals
- Almost none
Vitamin D
Your body needs it to absorb calcium and keep your bones hard.
Learn more
Your skin also makes it in sunlight, so food is only one of its sources.
0 µg in one serving: under 1% of the 15 µg a day.
Source: How much of it gets in hasn’t been measured for this food yet. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin D fact sheet for health professionals
Watch out
How we counted this
Nickel
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 6 servings in a day of this food alone to use up what the highest average adult intake we found leaves under the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 112 µg
How we got this
A serving a day adds 47–55% to what an average adult already takes in: a share of that intake, not of the limit. With that serving every day, an average adult would be at about 39–41% of the limit.
The highest average adult intake we found already takes up about 26% of the limit. One serving a day fits in the room left.
Counted from zero, with no allowance for what adults already take in from other food, 330 g a day would reach the limit.
Why this rating: Eating it daily comes to 40 g a day, which stays within the 240 g of room left before the limit.
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
No cap: nickel is rated against EFSA's tolerable daily intake of 13 µg/kg body weight/day (2020). The average adult already takes in 22-26% of it, under half, so a food would have to reach the limit on its own to matter. Eaten alone, about 325 g a day would reach it. A 40 g serving carries 112 µg, 12.3% of the tolerable intake, and adds 47-55% to the average adult intake, below doubling it.
BfR MEAL Study: mercury, cadmium, lead and nickel in 356 foods prepared as consumed in Germany. Food Chemistry: X 2022, doi:10.1016/j.fochx.2022.100326 · pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov · grade A
You’d need about 1.4 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to use up what an average adult’s intake leaves under the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 5.4 µg
How we got this
A serving a day adds 31% to what an average adult already takes in: a share of that intake, not of the limit. With that serving every day, an average adult would be at about 93% of the limit.
An average adult already takes in about 71% of the limit. One serving a day fits in the room left.
Counted from zero, with no allowance for what adults already take in from other food, 1,300 g a week would reach the limit.
Why this rating: Eating it daily comes to 280 g a week, which stays within the 380 g of room left before the limit.
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
A daily serving adds 31% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap.
EFSA (2012) Cadmium dietary exposure in the European population. EFSA Journal 10(1):2551 · grade A
2 other measurements of this food, same verdict
You’d need about 1.5 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to use up what an average adult’s intake leaves under the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 4.92 µg
How we got this
A serving a day adds 28% to what an average adult already takes in: a share of that intake, not of the limit. With that serving every day, an average adult would be at about 91% of the limit.
An average adult already takes in about 71% of the limit. One serving a day fits in the room left.
Counted from zero, with no allowance for what adults already take in from other food, 1,400 g a week would reach the limit.
Why this rating: Eating it daily comes to 280 g a week, which stays within the 420 g of room left before the limit.
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
A daily serving adds 28% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap.
EFSA (2012) Cadmium dietary exposure in the European population. EFSA Journal 10(1):2551 · grade A
You’d need about 3.2 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to use up what an average adult’s intake leaves under the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 2.28 µg
How we got this
A serving a day adds 13% to what an average adult already takes in: a share of that intake, not of the limit. With that serving every day, an average adult would be at about 80% of the limit.
An average adult already takes in about 71% of the limit. One serving a day fits in the room left.
Counted from zero, with no allowance for what adults already take in from other food, 3,100 g a week would reach the limit.
Why this rating: Eating it daily comes to 280 g a week, which stays within the 900 g of room left before the limit.
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
A daily serving adds 13% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap.
Caffeine
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 19 servings in a day of this food alone to reach the limit.
Learn more
One serving carries 21 mg
How we got this
A serving a day adds 6.6–57% to what an average adult already takes in: a share of that intake, not of the limit.
760 g a day reaches the limit
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: under the limit
No cap: EFSA (2015) gives levels of no safety concern for caffeine from human studies, not a tolerable intake: 400 mg a day for healthy adults, 200 mg in a single dose, and 200 mg a day in pregnancy (Health Canada: 300 mg a day if planning pregnancy, pregnant or breastfeeding). Eaten alone, about 762 g a day would reach 400 mg, 381 g reach 200 mg, and 571 g reach 300 mg. A 40 g serving carries 21.0 mg, 5.2% of 400 mg and 10.5% of 200 mg. Average adult intake from all sources is 37-319 mg/day across 16 Member States; a daily serving adds 56.8% at the low end and 6.6% at the high end.
Aflatoxins
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 3 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to double the aflatoxins an average adult already gets. No dose is known to be safe, so doubling is where we flag.
Learn more
A serving a day adds 3.3–49% to what an average adult already takes in. There is no limit to take a share of.
One serving carries 0.01 µg
How we got this
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
No cap: no safe threshold is set for aflatoxin B1 (EFSA 2020). A daily 40 g serving carries 7.6 ng, or 0.109 ng/kg body weight. Against the average adult intake (EFSA: 0.22-0.49 ng/kg body weight/day on the lower bound, 1.35-3.25 on the upper) that adds 3.3-49.4% (about 22-49% on the lower bound), below the doubling line. It is the largest share among the contaminants rated here.
Ochratoxin A
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 8 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to double the ochratoxin A an average adult already gets. No dose is known to be safe, so doubling is where we flag.
Learn more
A serving a day adds 3.7–13% to what an average adult already takes in. There is no limit to take a share of.
One serving carries 0.02 µg
How we got this
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
No cap: no safe threshold is set for ochratoxin A (EFSA 2020). A daily 40 g serving carries 15.6 ng, or 0.223 ng/kg body weight. Against the average adult intake (EFSA: 1.66-3.84 ng/kg body weight/day on the lower bound, 3.47-6.03 on the upper) that adds 3.7-13.4%, far from doubling it.
Acrylamide
Nothing to watchYou’d need about 9 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to double the acrylamide an average adult already gets. No dose is known to be safe, so doubling is where we flag.
Learn more
A serving a day adds 5.5–12% to what an average adult already takes in. There is no limit to take a share of.
One serving carries 3.45 µg
How we got this
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
No cap: no safe threshold is set for acrylamide (EFSA 2015). A daily 40 g serving carries 3.45 µg, or 0.049 µg/kg body weight/day. Against the average adult intake of 0.4-0.9 µg/kg body weight/day that adds 5.5-12.3%, far from doubling it. The survey does not say which kind of chocolate, so the same figure sits on both chocolate rows.
You’d need about 9 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to double the lead an average adult already gets. No dose is known to be safe, so doubling is where we flag.
Learn more
A serving a day adds 12% to what an average adult already takes in. There is no limit to take a share of.
One serving carries 4.24 µg
How we got this
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
No cap: a daily 40 g serving carries 4.24 µg of lead, 12.1% of the average adult's intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA 2012), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead.
EFSA (2012) Lead dietary exposure in the European population. EFSA Journal 10(7):2831 · grade A
1 other measurement of this food, same verdict
You’d need about 20 servings a day, every day, of this food alone to double the lead an average adult already gets. No dose is known to be safe, so doubling is where we flag.
Learn more
A serving a day adds 5.1% to what an average adult already takes in. There is no limit to take a share of.
One serving carries 1.8 µg
How we got this
The dataset’s rating: Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake
No cap: a daily 40 g serving carries 1.80 µg of lead, 5.1% of the average adult's intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA 2012), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead.
EFSA (2012) Lead dietary exposure in the European population. EFSA Journal 10(7):2831 · grade A
For some people
Flagged for people who are sensitised to nickel: EFSA's acute reference point is 4.3 µg nickel/kg body weight, and a margin of exposure of 30 or more is low concern. One 40 g serving of dark chocolate at 2.800 mg/kg gives 112 µg, or 1.6 µg/kg body weight, a margin of 2.7, well below 30 (a margin of 30 needs a dose of about 10 µg at 70 kg, about 3.6 g of this chocolate). EFSA says its basis, a dose taken fasting, likely overestimates the risk: with food, absorption is 0.7-2.5%, against 25-27% fasted.
Flagged for people taking Parnate, as its label puts it: the label lists chocolate among tyramine-rich foods to avoid. Measured tyramine is low: Spanish retail chocolate averaged 3.70 mg/kg (n = 15, maximum 5.81), about 0.15 mg per 40 g, and histamine was not detected; a study of cocoa-based products found 1.7-31.7 µg/g. The label and the measurements disagree in scale; the flag follows the label.
Worth knowing
No limit applies, so none is rated.
Sodium and saturated fat
One 40 g serving, as a share of the label’s daily value: sodium 9 mg (0%) · saturated and trans fat 7.6 g (38%)
Learn more
We name one of these whenever a serving gives 20% or more of its daily value on Health Canada’s Table of Daily Values (sodium 2,300 mg, saturated and trans fat together 20 g), the same 20% that reads “a lot” under Good for. The same rule applies to every food. Daily values are what labels count against, not limits.
Source: Health Canada, Table of Daily Values (nutrition labelling)
Sugar
18 g of sugar in a 40 g serving, natural and added together.
Learn more
Shown, not rated. The food tables we read give total sugar, and few give added sugar, so the site can’t yet tell sugar added in making a food from the sugar in fruit or milk.
Also measured in it
Figures from the dataset. None has a limit to be rated against, so none is a verdict.
Lactose: 0–1.7 g per 100 g, so about 0–0.66 g in a 40 g serving. · US food database (USDA SR Legacy) · grade B
Also checked (nothing to act on) · 3
Noted for context, or not measured in this food yet.
Context only (mixed cocoa products, selection bias). Grams to the limit would be 175 ÷ 0.396 = 442 g a week, but it is not used for the rating: the figure is not a dark-chocolate-bar concentration.
Shown as context, not rated: the data are mixed products with a selection bias, so they are not used to rate chocolate. No safe threshold is set for lead.
Context only, as for milk chocolate. EFSA itself notes that 'Bitter chocolate' and 'Cocoa powder' show higher means in the national data than in the association data.
Better options
How we counted this
“Better” here always means better at something the row names: more of one nutrient, more nutrients per serving, or the goal you pick. It never means better in every way.
Every amount below is for the same weight, 40 g, the size of one serving of this food, so a swap compares like with like. A serving of another food can be bigger or smaller.
A food is listed only if it gives clearly more: at least a fifth more than this food, and at least 10% of the daily amount more.
More of what it’s good for
More magnesium
Pumpkin seeds200 mg in 40 g (this food: 60.8 mg)
Amounts as listed, not adjusted for how much gets in.
For iron: no other snacks or sweets we’ve checked give clearly more, in the same 40 g.
More nutrients per serving, counted together
The other snacks or sweets we’ve checked with more nutrients per serving than this one, counting at most 100 kcal. One score ranks them all, so the same few often lead.
- Pumpkin seeds
- More magnesium (200 mg vs 60.8 mg)
- More niacin (5.83 mg vs 0.67 mg)
- More protein (12 g vs 2.04 g)
Walnuts, raw- More omega-3: ALA (3,632 mg vs 33.2 mg)
- More vitamin B6 (0.26 mg vs 0.02 mg)
- Less iron (0.89 mg vs 3.25 mg)
Cashews, raw- More thiamin (0.17 mg vs 0.01 mg)
- More selenium (8.27 µg vs 1.4 µg)
- More vitamin B6 (0.17 mg vs 0.02 mg)
Where the calcium card measured that less calcium gets in than from milk, calcium counts for less; everything else is as listed.
Your goal
Your goal changes only this list, not what the food gives you or what to watch.
Losing weight: fewer calories, and more nutrients, protein and fibre for each calorie.
Popcorn, air-popped- 155 kcal in 40 g (this food: 220)
- Less iron (1.28 mg vs 3.25 mg)
Maple syrup- 104 kcal in 40 g (this food: 220)
- More riboflavin (0.51 mg vs 0.02 mg)
- Less iron (0.04 mg vs 3.25 mg)
- Less magnesium (8.4 mg vs 60.8 mg)
Celery, raw- 6 kcal in 40 g (this food: 220)
- Less iron (0 mg vs 3.25 mg)
- Less magnesium (4.37 mg vs 60.8 mg)
Building muscle: more protein and more calories, per 100 g.
- Walnuts, raw14.6 g protein · 679 kcal per 100 g
1 food out of the 17 other snacks or sweets we’ve checked and could compare gives clearly more protein, and more calories, per 100 g.
Why some foods aren’t suggested
Left out: Edamame, cooked (not tested for contaminants yet).
Left out: Peanuts, dry-roasted (Aflatoxins: go easy).
Bring a tracker export or describe your usual week. The same rules check all of it.
The numbers
Open every value
Name in the database: Chocolate, dark
How the serving was set: 40 g (Health Canada TRA U.1: candies, confectionaries and chocolates, including chocolate bars)
Listed nutrients, per 100 g
For each nutrient, the value this page uses is marked “used”. A row marked “second database” is another database’s figure for a matching food, kept so you can see how far databases disagree (they can differ in the samples analysed, lab methods and rounding). Its own cells are worked out from it, but none of the page’s words or scores are.
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omega-3: ALA | 0.083 g | 0.03 g | 0.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Calcium | 57 mg | 22.8 mg | 10.36 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 33 mg | 13.2 mg | 6 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C | |
| 57 mg | 22.8 mg | 10.36 mg | copy of USDA · not used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6673 | C | |
| Carbohydrate | 59.97 g | 23.99 g | 10.9 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Choline | 27.6 mg | 11.04 mg | 5.02 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Energy | 550 kcal | 220 kcal | – | FDC Energy (kcal) used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) | – |
| Omega-3: EPA + DHA | 0.001 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Fat | 32.2 g | 12.88 g | 5.85 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 28 g | 11.2 g | 5.09 g | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C | |
| Cholesterol | 7 mg | 2.8 mg | 1.27 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Fatty acids, total saturated | 18.993 g | 7.6 g | 3.45 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Fibre | 7.2 g | 2.88 g | 1.31 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Folate | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 12 µg | 4.8 µg | 2.18 µg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C | |
| Iron | 8.13 mg | 3.25 mg | 1.48 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 2.3 mg | 0.92 mg | 0.42 mg | second database · not used · 3.5× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C | |
| Magnesium | 152 mg | 60.8 mg | 27.64 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 89 mg | 35.6 mg | 16.18 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C | |
| Niacin (B3, niacin equivalents) | 1.673 mg | 0.67 mg | 0.3 mg | listed used | Canadian Nutrient File 2026 #6673 | C |
| Phosphorus | 214 mg | 85.6 mg | 38.91 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 140 mg | 56 mg | 25.45 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C | |
| Potassium | 568 mg | 227.2 mg | 103.27 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 300 mg | 120 mg | 54.55 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C | |
| Protein | 5.09 g | 2.04 g | 0.93 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 5 g | 2 g | 0.91 g | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C | |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.051 mg | 0.02 mg | 0.01 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 0.06 mg | 0.02 mg | 0.01 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C | |
| Selenium | 3.5 µg | 1.4 µg | 0.64 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 4 µg | 1.6 µg | 0.73 µg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C | |
| Sodium | 23 mg | 9.2 mg | 4.18 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 6 mg | 2.4 mg | 1.09 mg | second database · not used · 3.8× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C | |
| Sugars | 46.14 g | 18.46 g | 8.39 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 62.6 g | 25.04 g | 11.38 g | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C | |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.026 mg | 0.01 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 0.04 mg | 0.02 mg | 0.01 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C | |
| Vitamin A | 2 µg | 0.8 µg | 0.36 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.23 µg | 0.09 µg | 0.04 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C | |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.041 mg | 0.02 mg | 0.01 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 0.03 mg | 0.01 mg | 0.01 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C | |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C | |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C | |
| Vitamin E | 0.55 mg | 0.22 mg | 0.1 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 1.44 mg | 0.58 mg | 0.26 mg | second database · not used · 2.6× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C | |
| Vitamin K1 | 8 µg | 3.2 µg | 1.45 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 2.3 µg | 0.92 µg | 0.42 µg | second database · not used · 3.5× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C | |
| Water | 1 g | 0.4 g | 0.18 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 0.6 g | 0.24 g | 0.11 g | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C | |
| Zinc | 2.11 mg | 0.84 mg | 0.38 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 1.3 mg | 0.52 mg | 0.24 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C |
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per serving | Per 100 calories | How | Source | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beta-carotene | 25 µg | 10 µg | 4.55 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Copper | 1.076 mg | 0.43 mg | 0.2 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 0.71 mg | 0.28 mg | 0.13 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C | |
| Ash | 1.74 g | 0.7 g | 0.32 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Sucrose | 44.65 g | 17.86 g | 8.12 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Glucose | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Fructose | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Maltose | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Alcohol, ethyl | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Caffeine | 47 mg | 18.8 mg | 8.55 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Theobromine | 515 mg | 206 mg | 93.64 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Energy | 2,301 kj | 920.4 kj | 418.36 kj | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Galactose | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Vitamin A, IU | 49 iu | 19.6 iu | 8.91 iu | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Carotene, alpha | 7 µg | 2.8 µg | 1.27 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3), International Units | 0 iu | 0 iu | 0 iu | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Cryptoxanthin, beta | 1 µg | 0.4 µg | 0.18 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Lycopene | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Tocopherol, beta | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Tocopherol, gamma | 6.62 mg | 2.65 mg | 1.2 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Tocopherol, delta | 0.34 mg | 0.14 mg | 0.06 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Tocotrienol, alpha | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Tocotrienol, beta | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Tocotrienol, gamma | 0.08 mg | 0.03 mg | 0.01 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Tocotrienol, delta | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Vitamin K (Menaquinone-4) | 0.1 µg | 0.04 µg | 0.02 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Vitamin K (Dihydrophylloquinone) | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Folic acid | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Folate, food | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Folate, DFE | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Vitamin E, added | 0 mg | 0 mg | 0 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Vitamin B-12, added | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Fatty acids, total trans | 0.106 g | 0.04 g | 0.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| SFA 4:0 | 0.054 g | 0.02 g | 0.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| SFA 6:0 | 0.042 g | 0.02 g | 0.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| SFA 8:0 | 0.027 g | 0.01 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| SFA 10:0 | 0.082 g | 0.03 g | 0.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| SFA 12:0 | 0.074 g | 0.03 g | 0.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| SFA 14:0 | 0.247 g | 0.1 g | 0.04 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| SFA 16:0 | 7.825 g | 3.13 g | 1.42 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| SFA 18:0 | 10.132 g | 4.05 g | 1.84 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| SFA 20:0 | 0.315 g | 0.13 g | 0.06 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| MUFA 18:1 | 9.653 g | 3.86 g | 1.76 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| PUFA 18:2 | 1.015 g | 0.41 g | 0.18 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| PUFA 18:3 | 0.083 g | 0.03 g | 0.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| PUFA 20:4 | 0.002 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| SFA 22:0 | 0.055 g | 0.02 g | 0.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| MUFA 14:1 | 0.018 g | 0.01 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| MUFA 16:1 | 0.113 g | 0.05 g | 0.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| PUFA 18:4 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| MUFA 20:1 | 0.018 g | 0.01 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) | 0.001 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| MUFA 22:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Stigmasterol | 26 mg | 10.4 mg | 4.73 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Campesterol | 11 mg | 4.4 mg | 2 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Beta-sitosterol | 67 mg | 26.8 mg | 12.18 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Fatty acids, total monounsaturated | 9.801 g | 3.92 g | 1.78 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated | 1.107 g | 0.44 g | 0.2 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| SFA 15:0 | 0.032 g | 0.01 g | 0.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| SFA 17:0 | 0.075 g | 0.03 g | 0.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| SFA 24:0 | 0.031 g | 0.01 g | 0.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| TFA 16:1 t | 0.01 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| TFA 18:1 t | 0.074 g | 0.03 g | 0.01 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| TFA 22:1 t | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| TFA 18:2 t not further defined | 0.023 g | 0.01 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| PUFA 18:2 CLAs | 0.025 g | 0.01 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| MUFA 24:1 c | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| PUFA 20:2 n-6 c,c | 0.001 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| MUFA 16:1 c | 0.103 g | 0.04 g | 0.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| MUFA 18:1 c | 9.579 g | 3.83 g | 1.74 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| PUFA 18:2 n-6 c,c | 0.967 g | 0.39 g | 0.18 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| MUFA 22:1 c | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| PUFA 18:3 n-6 c,c,c | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| MUFA 17:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| PUFA 20:3 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Fatty acids, total trans-monoenoic | 0.084 g | 0.03 g | 0.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Fatty acids, total trans-polyenoic | 0.023 g | 0.01 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| MUFA 15:1 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| PUFA 18:3 n-3 c,c,c (ALA) | 0.083 g | 0.03 g | 0.02 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| PUFA 20:3 n-3 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| PUFA 20:3 n-6 | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| PUFA 22:4 | 0.003 g | 0 g | 0 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Lactose | 1.5 g | 0.6 g | 0.27 g | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 0.2 g | 0.08 g | 0.04 g | second database · not used · 7.5× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C | |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 31 µg | 12.4 µg | 5.64 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| Manganese | 1.44 mg | 0.58 mg | 0.26 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 0.63 mg | 0.25 mg | 0.11 mg | second database · not used · 2.3× | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C | |
| Niacin (B3, preformed) | 0.747 mg | 0.3 mg | 0.14 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 0.4 mg | 0.16 mg | 0.07 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C | |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.304 mg | 0.12 mg | 0.06 mg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 0.3 mg | 0.12 mg | 0.05 mg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C | |
| Retinol | 0 µg | 0 µg | 0 µg | listed used | US food database (USDA SR Legacy) #170274 | C |
| 15 µg | 6 µg | 2.73 µg | second database · not used | UK food tables (CoFID 2021) #17-491 | C |
Change the amount to rescale the first column. Nutrients a database doesn't list are missing, not zero.
Hazard rows as the dataset rates them
- Acrylamide · Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake · No cap: no safe threshold is set for acrylamide (EFSA 2015). A daily 40 g serving carries 3.45 µg, or 0.049 µg/kg body weight/day. Against the average adult intake of 0.4-0.9 µg/kg body weight/day that adds 5.5-12.3%, far from doubling it. The survey does not say which kind of chocolate, so the same figure sits on both chocolate rows. · CFIA 2013–2015 · B
- Aflatoxins · Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake · No cap: no safe threshold is set for aflatoxin B1 (EFSA 2020). A daily 40 g serving carries 7.6 ng, or 0.109 ng/kg body weight. Against the average adult intake (EFSA: 0.22-0.49 ng/kg body weight/day on the lower bound, 1.35-3.25 on the upper) that adds 3.3-49.4% (about 22-49% on the lower bound), below the doubling line. It is the largest share among the contaminants rated here. · Health Canada 2013 · A
- Cadmium · Nothing to watch: under the limit · A daily serving adds 31% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap. · EFSA 2012 · A
- Cadmium · Nothing to watch: under the limit · A daily serving adds 28% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap. · EFSA 2012 · A
- Cadmium · Nothing to watch: under the limit · A daily serving adds 13% to an average adult's cadmium intake (EFSA 2012 adult median, 1.77 µg/kg body weight/week; Canadian adults in 2007: 1.2-1.75), far from doubling it, so no cap. · Serbia 2024 · B
- Cadmium · Context · Context only (mixed cocoa products, selection bias). Grams to the limit would be 175 ÷ 0.396 = 442 g a week, but it is not used for the rating: the figure is not a dark-chocolate-bar concentration. · Hands 2024 · B
- Caffeine · Nothing to watch: under the limit · No cap: EFSA (2015) gives levels of no safety concern for caffeine from human studies, not a tolerable intake: 400 mg a day for healthy adults, 200 mg in a single dose, and 200 mg a day in pregnancy (Health Canada: 300 mg a day if planning pregnancy, pregnant or breastfeeding). Eaten alone, about 762 g a day would reach 400 mg, 381 g reach 200 mg, and 571 g reach 300 mg. A 40 g serving carries 21.0 mg, 5.2% of 400 mg and 10.5% of 200 mg. Average adult intake from all sources is 37-319 mg/day across 16 Member States; a daily serving adds 56.8% at the low end and 6.6% at the high end. · EFSA 2015 · B
- Lead · Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake · No cap: a daily 40 g serving carries 4.24 µg of lead, 12.1% of the average adult's intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA 2012), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead. · EFSA 2012 · A
- Lead · Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake · No cap: a daily 40 g serving carries 1.80 µg of lead, 5.1% of the average adult's intake of 35 µg/day (EFSA 2012), far from doubling it. No safe threshold is set for lead. · EFSA 2012 · A
- Lead · Context · Shown as context, not rated: the data are mixed products with a selection bias, so they are not used to rate chocolate. No safe threshold is set for lead. · Hands 2024 · B
- Milk allergy · Worth knowing · Flag on the survey, not the label: dark chocolate is not made with milk, yet 39 of 289 dairy-free dark chocolates carried milk protein from cross-contact and the CFIA recalled 36 as a health risk to allergic people. The share counts samples with a result for both markers; the rate in the whole dark-chocolate market is not known (a targeted survey of dairy-free claims). · CFIA 2022 · A
- Mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) · Context · Context only, as for milk chocolate. EFSA itself notes that 'Bitter chocolate' and 'Cocoa powder' show higher means in the national data than in the association data. · EFSA 2023 · A
- Nickel · Nothing to watch: under the limit · No cap: nickel is rated against EFSA's tolerable daily intake of 13 µg/kg body weight/day (2020). The average adult already takes in 22-26% of it, under half, so a food would have to reach the limit on its own to matter. Eaten alone, about 325 g a day would reach it. A 40 g serving carries 112 µg, 12.3% of the tolerable intake, and adds 47-55% to the average adult intake, below doubling it. · BfR 2022 · A
- Nickel for people who are sensitised · Worth knowing · Flagged for people who are sensitised to nickel: EFSA's acute reference point is 4.3 µg nickel/kg body weight, and a margin of exposure of 30 or more is low concern. One 40 g serving of dark chocolate at 2.800 mg/kg gives 112 µg, or 1.6 µg/kg body weight, a margin of 2.7, well below 30 (a margin of 30 needs a dose of about 10 µg at 70 kg, about 3.6 g of this chocolate). EFSA says its basis, a dose taken fasting, likely overestimates the risk: with food, absorption is 0.7-2.5%, against 25-27% fasted. · BfR 2022 · A
- Ochratoxin A · Nothing to watch: doesn’t double average intake · No cap: no safe threshold is set for ochratoxin A (EFSA 2020). A daily 40 g serving carries 15.6 ng, or 0.223 ng/kg body weight. Against the average adult intake (EFSA: 1.66-3.84 ng/kg body weight/day on the lower bound, 3.47-6.03 on the upper) that adds 3.7-13.4%, far from doubling it. · Health Canada 2013 · A
- Tyramine · Worth knowing · Flagged for people taking Parnate, as its label puts it: the label lists chocolate among tyramine-rich foods to avoid. Measured tyramine is low: Spanish retail chocolate averaged 3.70 mg/kg (n = 15, maximum 5.81), about 0.15 mg per 40 g, and histamine was not detected; a study of cocoa-based products found 1.7-31.7 µg/g. The label and the measurements disagree in scale; the flag follows the label. · PARNATE · A
Oxalate, phytate and gut-tolerance measurements
- fodmap excess fructose: fructose 0, glucose 0 g/100 g (SR dark NFS, 13 data points): no excess fructose; sugar is sucrose 44.65 g/100 g g/100 g · as sold (per 100 g) · dark chocolate as listed (SR Legacy 170274) · grade B · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)
- histamine: not detected (n 15 chocolate samples, Spanish retail; milk or dark not stated) mg/kg · as sold · chocolate, Spanish market, n 15 · grade B · Sanchezperez 2021
- lactose: 0 to 1.65 g/100 g across the dark SR rows; the representative row (SR 170274, dark NFS) 1.5 g/100 g, 0.60 g per 40 g, below Varney 2017 lactose cut-off (< 1.00 g per serve) g/100 g · as sold (per 100 g) · dark chocolate as listed in USDA SR Legacy (data points: NFS 13, 45-59% 5, 60-69% 6, 70-85% 2); UK plain chocolate (CoFID 17-491, 6 bars) 0.2 g/100 g · grade B · US food database (USDA SR Legacy)
- tyramine: mean 3.70 (standard deviation 1.24), P95 5.69, range 2.27-5.81 mg/kg (n 15; type not stated) mg/kg · as sold · chocolate, Spanish market, n 15 · grade B · Sanchezperez 2021
Sources
- BfR MEAL Study: mercury, cadmium, lead and nickel in 356 foods prepared as consumed in Germany. Food Chemistry: X 2022, doi:10.1016/j.fochx.2022.100326 · PMID 35601214 · pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
bfr-meal-2022-hg-cd-pb-ni· full text read · open access (PMC) - CFIA, FSAP Targeted Survey – Acrylamide 2013–2015
cfia-acrylamide-2013-2015· dataset · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0 - CFIA, Undeclared Allergens and Gluten in Candies and Chocolate Products - 2022-2023 (open.canada.ca dataset 0714a84f-b5cf-4d28-b3d2-fd71919b6ecd; resource 54d39bfc-2d1b-4415-b333-537c5f891159)
cfia-undeclared-allergens-candy-chocolate-2022-23· dataset · Open Government Licence - Canada - Health Canada, Canadian Nutrient File 2026 (14th edition)
cnf-2026· dataset · Open Government Licence – Canada 2.0 - Public Health England, Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset (CoFID) 2021
cofid-2021· dataset · Open Government Licence v3.0 - PARNATE (tranylcypromine sulfate) tablet, film coated [Advanz Pharma (US) Corp.], DailyMed SPL set id b72d8187-dfcc-4ea0-b5e9-c0be95b69a27, version 11, published Jul 07, 2025, section 7.2 and Table 5
dailymed-parnate· full text read · Product label (manufacturer copyright) - EFSA (2012) Cadmium dietary exposure in the European population. EFSA Journal 10(1):2551 · doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2012.2551
efsa-2012-cadmium-exposure· full text read · EFSA Journal: CC BY-ND 4.0 - EFSA (2012) Lead dietary exposure in the European population. EFSA Journal 10(7):2831 · doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2012.2831
efsa-2012-lead-exposure· full text read · EFSA Journal: CC BY-ND 4.0 - EFSA NDA Panel (2015) Scientific Opinion on the safety of caffeine. EFSA Journal 13(5):4102 (adopted 23 April 2015) · doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4102
efsa-2015-caffeine· full text read · EFSA (publisher terms) - EFSA CONTAM Panel (2023) Update of the risk assessment of mineral oil hydrocarbons in food. EFSA Journal 21(9):8215 · doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2023.8215
efsa-2023-moh· full text read · EFSA (publisher terms) - USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, 2018-04
fdc-sr-legacy-2018-04· dataset · CC0 1.0 (public domain) - Hands JM, Anderson ML, Cooperman T, Balsky JE, Frame LA (2024) A multi-year heavy metal analysis of 72 dark chocolate and cocoa products in the USA. Front Nutr 11:1366231 · doi:10.3389/fnut.2024.1366231 · PMID 39144282
hands-2024-cocoa-metals· full text read · CC BY 4.0 - Turcotte AM, Scott PM, Tague B (2013) Analysis of cocoa products for ochratoxin A and aflatoxins. Mycotoxin Research (Aug 2013) · doi:10.1007/s12550-013-0167-x · PMID 23564311
hc-ota-chocolate-2013· abstract only · publisher; abstract quoted - Sánchez-Pérez S et al. 2021, Nutrients 13:1395, Table 1 (histamine)
sanchezperez2021· full text read · CC BY 4.0 - Nesic A, Lucic M, Veskovic J, Mandic L, Jankovic Momcilovic M, Miletic A, Onjia A (2024) Impact of Chocolate Cadmium on Vulnerable Populations in Serbia. Foods 14(1):18 · doi:10.3390/foods14010018 · PMID 39796308
serbia-2024-chocolate-cd· full text read · CC BY 4.0
Body map 2026-10-25.1: each nutrient’s job comes from an agency fact sheet, linked beside it under Good for.
The plain words: “a lot” means one serving (100 g when the food has no serving size) gives at least 20% of the daily amount (the reference intake), “some” at least 10%, “a little” at least 2% (the cut-offs are ours, one set for every page: 20% and 10% are borrowed from the US labelling terms “high” and “good source” and applied to Health Canada’s daily amount, whereas Health Canada’s own shopper rule says 15%; provisional: they may change in a later method version). The daily amount is Health Canada’s Dietary Reference Intake for adults 19–30; where men and women need different amounts we use the higher one (protein: 56 g for men, 46 g for women). The percentage printed under each nutrient is the printed amount as a share of that daily amount, rounded to the nearest whole number, and the word is read from that percentage, so the amount, the percentage and the word always agree. Calcium with a measured absorption is scaled by how well it gets in compared with milk.
The scale: “Nothing to watch” means a serving a day stays under the limit at ordinary amounts; “Go easy” means a serving a day can push past the limit for adults who already take in the most, or fewer than 2 servings reach it; “Limit it” means once a week or less. The dataset’s own rating is under “How we got this”. Provisional: the scale may change in a later method version.
Measured absorption under Good for: grade-A studies in adults that tested this preparation of this food, as a share of the listed amount (the share digested, for protein), quoted once each source has passed our evidence check; animal studies and other variants stay in the table above. Provisional: this screen may change in a later method version.