“Cacao” typically refers to minimally processed, non-alkalized powder from the cacao bean, while “cocoa” is high heat processed, often alkalized, and may contain additional ingredients like sweeteners or dairy products. Due to its minimal processing, cacao powder retains more of the cacao bean’s inherent nutrients—particularly antioxidants—and is thus considered a superfood, whereas cocoa powder is not.

Technically no (and neither is most other “raw” cacao, but that’s a story for another day!). First, our cacao is naturally fermented to increase its nutritional potency, and then it’s briefly roasted to develop its delicious flavor and ensure food safety. All of our nutritional testing is done on our finished Cacao Powder, and we are confident that it’s one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet!

Yes, caffeine is naturally occurring in cacao (happily, so is calming magnesium and relaxing theobromine). You can expect 20mg of caffeine per tablespoon in our Cacao Powder.

Yes, all of our products are tested by third party, independent labs for heavy metals, microbials, and nutritional values. Trace amounts of cadmium and lead are inherent to virtually all minimally processed cacao and we are confident in the quality and safety of our product. Please visit our Help Center for more information.

Some of our superfoods fall under CA’s Prop 65 labeling requirements. This is due to trace amounts of heavy metals that are naturally occurring in the organic soils in which our superfoods grow. Please note that Prop 65 is a right-to-know law, and not a determination of a product’s safety. For more information, please see our Help Center articles about Prop 65 here.