Key findings
- 1Conching (invented in 1879 by Lindt) is the process that transforms gritty cocoa mass into smooth chocolate through hours of heating and stirring
- 2PGPR is a synthetic emulsifier used in cheaper chocolate to reduce the amount of expensive cocoa butter needed
- 3The difference between a simple bar and a heavily processed candy bar is entirely about what is added beyond cocoa, cocoa butter, and sugar
- 4In our analysis, chocolate products average a Processing Score of 7.7, which is Level 3
Why is Chocolate Level 3 on average?
Chocolate processing itself is a multi-step transformation: cacao beans are fermented (5-7 days), dried, roasted, cracked, winnowed (shells removed), and ground into chocolate liquor (cocoa mass). This mass is then pressed to separate cocoa butter from cocoa solids. To make chocolate, cocoa mass, cocoa butter, and sugar are combined and conched (which is a process where the mixture is heated, aerated, and stirred for hours to days, developing flavor and smooth texture. Rodolphe Lindt invented conching in 1879, transforming gritty, bitter chocolate into the smooth product we know today. Up to this point, the process is mechanical and thermal with no chemical additives required. Processing escalation begins with milk chocolate (adding milk powder, more sugar, additional cocoa butter) and accelerates dramatically with candy bars that add corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors, and PGPR (polyglycerol polyricinoleate, a synthetic emulsifier that reduces cocoa butter requirements).
How 9,621 chocolate products break down
Share of products at each processing level, in our analysis.
Chocolate brand comparison
From least to most processed in our database.
How to read a chocolate label
- 1
Quality dark chocolate lists 3-5 ingredients: cacao/chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, sugar, and optionally vanilla and lecithin
- 2
PGPR (polyglycerol polyricinoleate) is an emulsifier that replaces some cocoa butter
- 3
Higher cacao percentage generally means fewer added ingredients
- 4
"Chocolate-flavored" or "chocolatey" on a label means the product does not meet cocoa content standards for real chocolate
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Frequently asked questions
Is dark chocolate processed?
Dark chocolate is moderately processed through roasting, grinding, and conching. These are mechanical and thermal steps, not chemical ones. Quality dark chocolate with 3-5 ingredients (cacao, cocoa butter, sugar) is among the simplest confections.
Is milk chocolate ultra-processed?
Most milk chocolate adds milk powder, additional sugar, and often lecithin and artificial vanillin beyond the basic chocolate components. It is more processed than dark chocolate, and less processed than candy bars that add caramel, nougat, corn syrup or hydrogenated oils. Each product page shows its own score.
What does cacao percentage mean?
The cacao percentage indicates how much of the bar is cocoa mass and cocoa butter combined. A 70% dark chocolate bar is 70% cacao components and approximately 30% sugar. Higher percentages generally mean fewer non-cocoa ingredients and less processing.