Nothing hidden

How we test

Every production batch of NUDE cacao is tested by an independent laboratory. This page shows what we test for, how it is measured, and the results for the current batch — with units, reporting limits and the source behind every comparison.

At a glance

  • Heavy metalsMeasured
  • Pesticide residuesScreened
  • MycotoxinsScreened
  • Microbiological qualityAssessed

What we test

Four areas, checked for every production batch.

  • Heavy metals Cadmium, lead, arsenic and mercury
  • Pesticide residues Multi-residue screening, including glyphosate and glufosinate
  • Mycotoxins Aflatoxins and ochratoxin A
  • Microbiological quality Standard food-hygiene panel

How it is measured

Heavy metals are measured by ICP-MS. Pesticide residues are screened by LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS panels. Mycotoxins are screened by LC-MS/MS. Microbiological quality is assessed using standard culture and PCR methods.

Methods, per category

Heavy metalsICP-MS
Pesticide residuesLC-MS/MS + GC-MS/MS panels
MycotoxinsLC-MS/MS
Microbiological qualityCulture + PCR methods

Where they come from

Why these metals can appear in cacao

Cacao is a plant, and plants take in their environment. Measurement is how a possibility is checked against the product itself.

Cadmium

From the soil.

Cadmium occurs naturally in soil, and cacao trees absorb it through their roots — so trace cadmium is expected in any true cacao product.8

Origin matters. Reviews find Latin American cacao generally carries more cadmium than Asian or African origins. That is one reason we source from Borneo—but we still test the finished cacao, every batch.10

Lead

Usually introduced after harvest.

Lead behaves differently. Research finds cacao beans are naturally low in lead and that most contamination happens later—during drying, shipping or processing.9

That is why we test the finished cacao, not only the beans at origin.

Mycotoxins and pesticide residues are screened for the same reason: cacao is an agricultural crop. Microbiological testing checks the fundamentals of food hygiene.

Concentration in context

How this batch compares

An independent study of 72 US cocoa products gives a category reference.1

Cadmium

Concentration, parts per billion (ppb)

40% below the study average.1
72-product study average396
NUDE cacao238

Lead

Concentration, parts per billion (ppb)

58% below the study average.1
72-product study average62
NUDE cacao26

A familiar scale

Now, compare common portions.

Each bar shows the estimated amount in the portion listed, using FDA food averages.24

Cadmium per portion24

Raw spinach · 85 g18.9 µg
Sunflower seeds · 28 g9.32 µg
Leaf lettuce · 85 g5.19 µg
NUDE cacao · 20 g4.76 µg
Potato chips · 28 g3.64 µg
Peanut butter · 32 g1.66 µg

Lead per portion24

Baked sweet potato · 110 g1.32 µg
Raw spinach · 85 g0.54 µg
Cooked quinoa · 140 g0.52 µg
NUDE cacao · 20 g0.52 µg
Raisins · 40 g0.39 µg
Apple juice · 240 mL0.34 µg

Cocoa bars compare concentration (ppb). Food bars show estimated micrograms per portion: FDA mean concentration × the portion shown. NUDE uses its labelled 20 g piece. These comparisons provide context—not safety thresholds. Foods and batches vary.

Current batch

Current batch results

Heavy metals

ICP-MS
Heavy metal results for the current production batch
AnalyteResultEquivalent amountMethod
Cadmium (Cd) 0.238 mg/kg 238 ppb · 4.76 µg per 20 g piece ICP-MS
Lead (Pb) 0.026 mg/kg 26 ppb · 0.52 µg per 20 g piece ICP-MS
Total arsenic (As) Not detected Below 0.02 mg/kg ICP-MS
Total mercury (Hg) Not detected Below 0.05 mg/kg ICP-MS

Additional screening

Pesticide residues

LC-MS/MS multi-residue panelNot detected
RL 0.01 mg/kg
GC-MS/MS multi-residue panelNot detected
RL 0.005 mg/kg
Glyphosate and glufosinateNot detected
<0.05 mg/kg
DithiocarbamatesNot detected
<0.1 mg/kg

Mycotoxins

Aflatoxins B1, B2, G1 and G2Not detected
<1 µg/kg each
Ochratoxin ANot detected
<2.5 µg/kg

Microbiological quality

SalmonellaNegative / 25 g
E. coli and total coliforms<1.0 x 10¹ cfu/g
Yeasts and moulds<1.0 x 10¹ cfu/g
Total plate count8.8 x 10³ cfu/g

Results apply to the sample tested. Per-piece amounts equal the measured concentration × 0.020 kg. “Not detected” means below the reporting limit shown—not absolute zero.

Sources and calculations
  1. Hands et al. (2024), study of 72 US cocoa-containing products.
  2. FDA Total Diet Study FY2018–2020 analytical results.
  3. FDA Elemental Analysis Manual, §4.7.8–4.7.9 (2025).
  4. FDA reference amounts customarily consumed and serving-size guidance.
  5. FDA guidance for lead in candy likely to be consumed frequently by small children.
  6. Codex cadmium limits by chocolate cocoa-solid category.
  7. California OEHHA, Proposition 65 in plain language.
  8. Cadmium uptake in cacao trees and the role of soil conditions (Agronomy, 2020).
  9. Lead contamination in cocoa and cocoa products: isotopic evidence (Environmental Health Perspectives, 2005).
  10. Review of cadmium transfer from soil to cacao and differences by origin (Science of the Total Environment, 2021).

The other side of the ledger

Measured composition

Per 20 g piece

  • 890mgTotal polyphenols*
  • ~156mgTheobromine
  • ~51mgCaffeine
  • 60mgMagnesium (15% DV)
  • 3gFibre
  • 100 kcalEnergy

*Measured by independent laboratory analysis as gallic acid equivalents (GAE). Naturally occurring levels vary by batch.

How to read the results

Detection, concentration and exposure

Detection asks whether an instrument can identify a substance. Concentration asks how much is present in a given amount of food. Exposure depends on concentration, serving size and frequency. These are different questions.

ppm / ppb
Parts per million / parts per billion. 1 ppm = 1 mg/kg; 1 ppb = 1 µg/kg.
Reporting limit
The smallest amount a laboratory will state as a number in a report.
Not detected
Nothing was found above the stated reporting limit. It does not mean absolute zero.
<
Less than the number that follows.
Why is there no single “pass or fail” line?
Different frameworks answer different questions. FDA’s 0.1 ppm lead guidance is specifically for candy likely to be consumed frequently by small children.5 Codex cadmium maximum levels vary with a chocolate product’s cocoa-solid category.6 California Proposition 65 is an exposure-warning framework rather than a concentration limit for cacao.7 That is why NUDE shows the measured batch value, the amount per 20 g piece and the source behind every comparison instead of reducing different standards to one badge.

Independent laboratory analytical report, April 2026. Internal record.

Pure. Tested. Real.

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