Cocoa Powder | Cocoa Supplier

Cocoa Powder information is provided below. The Kissner Group is a bulk cocoa supplier.

General Cocoa Powder originates from tropical cacao trees, which is primarily found in West Africa where roughly 70% of the world's supply is grown. These trees can also be found in Southeast Asia, Hawaii, Brazil, and other South American countries. Branching off from the cacao trees are cacao pods, which contain approximately 30 to 50 large cacao beans in each pod. These cacao beans, also known as seeds, are typically purplish or pinkish in color depending on the origin and are extremely fatty. Once the seeds are dried, roasted, fermented, and cracked, they are ground, which allows them to extract a great portion of the cocoa butter and creating a dark chocolate colored paste often referred to as chocolate liquor. This chocolate liquor then dries out to create a hardened substance. By grinding this solid cocoa and removing the cocoa butter, a dry powdery substance is created, and commonly referred to as cocoa powder. The cocoa powder is used to produce chocolate and various chocolate beverage products, such as hot chocolate, protein shakes, thick chocolate milk drinks and much more.

Storage of Cocoa Powder In order to preserve cocoa powder and ensure it maintains it’s full flavor and shelf life, it is important to keep is stored in a cool, dry place with no exposure to extreme heat. Cocoa powder should always be kept in temperatures below 30 degrees Celsius to preserve the overall quality. It should also be out of any direct ultraviolet lighting or natural sunlight at all times as this can often cause the quality to diminish over time. Cocoa powder should also be properly packaged in tightly sealed bags or super sacks in order to prevent contamination through foreign odors or aromatic substances. If all proper storage and handling is maintained, cocoa powder can typically be stored for 2 years for it’s full shelf life.

World Cocoa Supplier Information The powder is produced globally, however it grows in a very limited geographical region, which is roughly 20 degrees North and 20 degrees South of the Equator.  This geographical boundary remains fairly consistent with temperature and weather and is perfect for the natural growth of cacoa trees. The climate requirements to grow the beans make cocoa suppliers very limited. The top 5 countries in the world that grow cacao trees, or produce cocoa, account for over 80 percent of the world’s total production capacity, which is roughly 3.6 million metric tons per year. These top 5 cocoa supplier countries in order are: Cote d’Ivoire – approximately 1.3 million metric tons per year Ghana – approximately 0.74 million metric tons per year Indonesia – approximately 0.43 million metric tons per year Nigeria – approximately 0.37 million metric tons per year Brazil – approximately 0.17 million metric tons per year     Cocoa beans on pod prior to cocoa supplier harvesting.   Opened up cocoa bean after harvesting. Cocoa seeds from the pod that are ready for processing by a cocoa supplier.

Health Benefits Studies have shown that there are several potential benefits to daily intake of cocoa as it can improve the human cardiovascular system by lowering cholesterol. The epicatechin, a primary flavonoid of cocoa, helps circulate nitric oxide throughout the body as well as other circulation benefits pertaining to the cardiovascular system. Studies have also shown that cocoa have high levels of antioxidants and can reduce high blood pressure levels.

Contact your bulk cocoa supplier, Kissner.