How to Read a Cocoa Powder Technical Data Sheet

A technical data sheet (TDS) is the single most useful document in a cocoa purchase. It tells you what the supplier promises for every lot, in the values your product actually depends on. Read line by line, it also tells you what to test and what to ask for.

This guide uses İmesta Food’s powder specification as a worked example.

TDS and COA: two different documents

• The technical data sheet describes a grade. It gives the range each value is held to.
• The certificate of analysis describes a lot. It gives the measured value for the batch you receive, inside that range.

Always compare the two when a delivery arrives.

The values that decide performance

Parameter	Typical value	What it tells you
pH	5.7 (natural) to 8.5 (alkalized), ±0.3	Colour, flavour, dispersion and reaction with baking soda
Fat	10–12 %	Flavour, mouthfeel, crumb softness; independent of colour
Fineness	99.5 ± 0.3 %	Share through the sieve; mouthfeel and settling in drinks
Moisture	5 % max	Above this, powder cakes and shelf life shortens
Shell content	1.75 % max	Husk left after winnowing; affects grittiness and flavour
Ash	9 % max	Mineral residue; rises with alkalization

pH is the value cocoa powder is ordered by. It sets colour and flavour, and it decides how the powder behaves in a recipe.

Fat is set by pressing and does not change with colour. A dark powder is not automatically a richer one.

Fineness is expressed as the percentage that passes through the test sieve. For drinks and dairy, it decides whether the cocoa stays in suspension or settles.

Moisture is a stability value. Powder above its limit tends to cake and ages faster.

Shell content measures the husk left after the beans are winnowed. Too much shell shows up as grittiness and off-notes.

Ash is the mineral residue after burning. The alkali used in alkalization adds minerals, so the darkest grades carry the most ash.

Safety values

Parameter	Typical limit
Total plate count	5000 cfu/g max
Mould	100 cfu/g max
Yeast	100 cfu/g max
E. coli	Negative
Salmonella	Negative in 25 g
Aflatoxin B1	Below 2 ppb
Total aflatoxins	Below 4 ppb

Microbiology matters most in products that are not heated after the cocoa is added, such as dairy drinks, ice cream and dry mixes. Aflatoxin limits come from the raw material and are part of most import requirements.

Shelf life, storage and packing

A complete data sheet also covers the logistics your warehouse needs:

• Shelf life: 24 months from the production date printed on the bag.
• Storage: 18–22 °C, relative humidity 50–60 %, clean, dry, well ventilated, away from strong odours and sunlight.
• Packing: 25 kg net, poly-lined kraft paper bags.

What to ask a supplier

1. The TDS for the exact grade, not a general brochure.
2. A recent COA from a real lot of that grade.
3. The certificates behind the safety claims, such as FSSC 22000, HACCP, HALAL and KOSHER.
4. A sample from a production lot, to test in your own recipe.

All of these documents are listed on the documents page. You can see the plant’s certificates on the quality page, compare grades on the alkalized cocoa powder page, or request a sample together with its data sheet.