Objective:

To verify the cocoa content and chemical profile of artisanal chocolates using chromatographic techniques.

Key Findings:

• GC-MS identified 72 volatile compounds linked to sensory notes like roasted, nutty, floral, and fruity.
• Theobromine and caffeine levels correlated strongly with declared cocoa content.
• Higher-percentage chocolates contained up to twice as much theobromine and three times more caffeine.
• Multivariate analysis effectively separated low- and high-cocoa products, with theobromine as the key discriminating variable.

Interpretation:

The study demonstrates that mass spectrometry-based profiling can effectively complement conventional chromatography for authenticating chocolate products.

Limitations:

• The study focused solely on Brazilian artisanal chocolates, limiting generalizability.
• Potential variations in chocolate processing methods were not explored.

Conclusion:

The combined chromatographic workflow offers a practical approach for quality control labs to authenticate chocolates, ensuring product consistency and detecting fraud in the premium chocolate market.