The paperwork,
before you have to ask for it.

A cocoa supplier is judged twice: once on the sample, and again on whether the file behind it holds up. This page lists every document that comes with an order, what is actually in each one, and at which point you get it — so you can see the answer before you spend a call asking for it.

1. 01Technical Data SheetThe grade you asked about, described in the values you order by: fineness, pH, fat, moisture, shell content, colour and packaging. It states the range each value is held to. With the quotation, and in the box with the sample.
2. 02Certificate of AnalysisThe same values, measured on the lot you are actually receiving. Where the data sheet gives the range, this gives your batch’s number inside it. Issued per production lot, travels with the shipment.
3. 03CertificatesCurrent copies of the eight certificates the plant holds — food safety, quality and environmental management, plus the dietary ones. On request, at any point.
4. 04Allergen & dietary statementWhat runs in the plant and what does not, written so your own label and your own audit file can cite it. On request, before the first order.
5. 05Origin declarationCountry of harvest and country of processing, in the form customs and your own compliance file need. With the shipping documents.
6. 06Packing & loading sheetBag or carton, net weight, tonnage per container, shelf life and storage conditions — what your warehouse and your forwarder need before the truck is booked. With the quotation.

• Fineness99.5 ± 0.3 %Through the sieve. Decides mouthfeel, and in drinks, sedimentation.
• Shell content1.75 % maxWhat is left of the husk after winnowing.
• Moisture5 % maxAbove this, powder cakes and shelf life shortens.
• Fat10 – 12 %Powders. Butter and liquor are on their own pages.
• Ash9 % maxThe mineral residue. Alkalization raises it, so the limit matters most in the darker grades.
• MicrobiologyTPC 5000Mould 100 max and yeast 100 max per gram. E. coli negative, Salmonella negative in 25 g.
• Shelf life24 monthsFrom the production date printed on the bag.
• Storage18 – 22 °CRelative humidity 50–60 %, in a clean, dry, well-ventilated place away from strong odour and sunlight.

See the six grades, from black to light brown — pH and colour per grade are there.

Tonnage per container is subject to liner and port regulations. Direct shipment by sea in containers and by road in full loads, to MENA, the Gulf, Africa and the CIS.