Chocolate > Composition > Definitions > Standards of Identity Standards of Identity
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has established standards of identity for many chocolate and cocoa products in the United States. These standards of identity define the percentages of key ingredients that must be present in each type of chocolate.
Chocolate Liquor: Produced by the grinding of the cocoa bean nib (center) to a smooth liquid state. Chocolate liquor does not contain vegetable fat and may also be referred to as chocolate, unsweetened chocolate, baking chocolate, or bitter chocolate. Despite its name “liquor”, there is no alcohol in chocolate liquor.
Semisweet (Bittersweet) Chocolate: Chocolate liquor with added cocoa butter and sugar. The government standards require at least 35 percent chocolate liquor. Fat content may vary but averages between 30-35 percent. Semisweet chocolate is also referred to as dark chocolate.
Sweet Chocolate: Chocolate that contains more sweeteners and cocoa butter than semisweet chocolate. The level of chocolate liquor must be at least 15 percent to meet the standard. Sweet chocolate can also be referred to as dark chocolate by consumers.
Dark Chocolate: The FDA has not defined a dark chocolate standard of identity for regulatory purposes in the United States. This term is often used by consumers to describe both semisweet (bittersweet) and sweet chocolate due to the levels of chocolate liquor.
Milk Chocolate: The most common kind of chocolate. Milk chocolate contains nutritive carbohydrate sweeteners, chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, milk (or cream), and flavors. Milk chocolate must contain at least 10 percent chocolate liquor and 12 percent milk solids to meet the US standard of identity. The only fats allowed in milk chocolate are cocoa butter and milk fat.
White Chocolate: White chocolate contains the same ingredients as milk chocolate with the exception that white chocolate does not contain any of the nonfat portion of chocolate. White chocolate must contain at least 20 percent cocoa butter, 14 percent total milk solids, and less that 55 percent sweetener (sugar).
Natural Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder is made by removing much of the fat (cocoa butter) from the cocoa bean and grinding the remaining material, excluding the shell, to a powder. Natural cocoa is not chemically treated.
Alkalized (Dutched) Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder that is treated with an alkaline substance such as potassium carbonate to reduce acidity and darken the color. Alkalized cocoa powder must be identified as such in the nutrition label ingredient listing.