Intense Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Squares

Name: Intense Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Squares
Brand: Ghirardelli

8Avoid

Breakdown

Ultra-processed · 6 contaminants flagged · 1 ingredient to avoid

Includes lab results from its product family: Intense Dark 72% Cacao (plain squares/bars)

100

Lab-measured contaminants

Measured against published safety limits

−70

di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (dehp)−62

dimethylphthalate−7

dibutyl phthalate−1

Ingredients

−12

soy lecithin−12

Processing

−10

NOVA 4: ultra-processed−10

Final score8

Contaminants · 18

1 at/over limit

From lab tests of this product’s family

Intense Dark 72% Cacao (plain squares/bars)

This product wasn’t tested · results may differ

In the family’s tests: measured by an independent lab and compared against published safety limits.

Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate (DEHP)145 ppbof 6 ppb

Over the limit — 24×US EPA drinking-water MCL, 40 CFR 141.61(c) — 0.006 mg/L. Applied to all foods as the TIGHTEST published DEHP number; the EU food-contact limit is looser (Reg. (EU) 10/2011 as amended by 2023/1442: SML 0.6 mg/kg, plus the 0.6 mg/kg DEHP-equivalent group limit with DBP/BBP/DIBP).

Measured in: Premium Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Bar, 3.5 oz

Dimethylphthalate6.55 ppbof 10 ppb

66% of the limitDMP is not on the EU Union list of substances authorised in food-contact plastics (Reg. (EU) 10/2011 Annex I), so no migration is permitted. Set at 0.01 mg/kg, the detection limit 10/2011 uses for not-detectable (ND) restrictions.

Measured in: Premium Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Bar, 3.5 oz

Dibutyl Phthalate17 ppbof 120 ppb

14% of the limitEU food-contact plastics, Reg. (EU) 10/2011 as amended by 2023/1442 — DBP SML 0.12 mg/kg (cut from 0.3). Also inside the 0.6 mg/kg DEHP-equivalent group limit (DBP x5).

Measured in: GHIRARDELLI Intense Dark Chocolate Squares 72% Cacao Holiday Chocolate 12.7 oz Bag

Di (2-ethylhexyl) Terephthalate0.145 ppmof 60 ppm

<1% of the limitEU food-contact plastics, Reg. (EU) 10/2011 — DEHT (FCM 798) SML 60 mg/kg, group restriction with DINCH. No tighter published limit exists (EFSA TDI 1 mg/kg bw/day).

Measured in: Premium Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Bar, 3.5 oz

Diisononyl 1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylic Acid0.087 ppmof 60 ppm

<1% of the limitEU food-contact plastics, Reg. (EU) 10/2011 — DINCH (FCM 775) group restriction with DEHT, 60 mg/kg. No tighter published limit exists (EFSA TDI 1 mg/kg bw/day).

Measured in: Premium Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Bar, 3.5 oz

Diethylhexyl Adipate0.0135 ppmof 18 ppm

<1% of the limitEU food-contact plastics, Reg. (EU) 10/2011 — DEHA (FCM 207) SML 18 mg/kg.

Measured in: Premium Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Bar, 3.5 oz

Benzylbutyl PhthalateNDof 6 ppm

Not detectedEU food-contact plastics, Reg. (EU) 10/2011 as amended by 2023/1442 — BBP SML 6 mg/kg (cut from 30). Also inside the 0.6 mg/kg DEHP-equivalent group limit (BBP x0.1 = 6 mg/kg alone).

Measured in: GHIRARDELLI Intense Dark Chocolate Squares 72% Cacao Holiday Chocolate 12.7 oz Bag

Bisphenol a (BPA)NDof 1 ppb

Not detectedEU Reg. (EU) 2024/3190 — BPA banned in food-contact materials from 20 Jan 2025 (old 0.05 mg/kg SML repealed); the residual exemptions require NO detectable migration at a 1 ug/kg detection limit. 1 ppb is therefore the tightest published number.

Measured in: GHIRARDELLI Intense Dark Chocolate Squares 72% Cacao Holiday Chocolate 12.7 oz Bag

BpfNDof 10 ppb

Not detectedNot on the EU Union list of substances authorised in food-contact plastics (Reg. (EU) 10/2011 Annex I), and Reg. 2024/3190 restricts hazardous bisphenols; no migration is permitted. Set at 0.01 mg/kg, the detection limit 10/2011 uses for not-detectable (ND) restrictions.

Measured in: GHIRARDELLI Intense Dark Chocolate Squares 72% Cacao Holiday Chocolate 12.7 oz Bag

BPS (Bisphenol s)NDof 50 ppb

Not detectedEU food-contact plastics, Reg. (EU) 10/2011 — BPS (4,4'-sulphonyldiphenol) SML 0.05 mg/kg; BfR applies the same 0.05 mg/kg.

Measured in: GHIRARDELLI Intense Dark Chocolate Squares 72% Cacao Holiday Chocolate 12.7 oz Bag

Di-n-octyl PhthalateNDof 10 ppb

Not detectedDNOP is not on the EU Union list of substances authorised in food-contact plastics (Reg. (EU) 10/2011 Annex I), so no migration is permitted. Set at 0.01 mg/kg, the detection limit 10/2011 uses for not-detectable (ND) restrictions.

Measured in: GHIRARDELLI Intense Dark Chocolate Squares 72% Cacao Holiday Chocolate 12.7 oz Bag

Dicyclohexyl PhthalateNDof 10 ppb

Not detectedDCHP is not on the EU Union list of substances authorised in food-contact plastics (Reg. (EU) 10/2011 Annex I), so no migration is permitted. Set at 0.01 mg/kg, the detection limit 10/2011 uses for not-detectable (ND) restrictions.

Measured in: GHIRARDELLI Intense Dark Chocolate Squares 72% Cacao Holiday Chocolate 12.7 oz Bag

DiethylphthalateNDof 10 ppb

Not detectedDEP is not on the EU Union list of substances authorised in food-contact plastics (Reg. (EU) 10/2011 Annex I), so no migration is permitted. Set at 0.01 mg/kg, the detection limit 10/2011 uses for not-detectable (ND) restrictions.

Measured in: GHIRARDELLI Intense Dark Chocolate Squares 72% Cacao Holiday Chocolate 12.7 oz Bag

Dihexyl PhthalateNDof 10 ppb

Not detectedDNHP (di-n-hexyl phthalate, EU Repr. 1B) is not on the EU Union list of substances authorised in food-contact plastics (Reg. (EU) 10/2011 Annex I), so no migration is permitted. Set at 0.01 mg/kg, the detection limit 10/2011 uses for not-detectable (ND) restrictions.

Measured in: GHIRARDELLI Intense Dark Chocolate Squares 72% Cacao Holiday Chocolate 12.7 oz Bag

Diisobutyl PhthalateNDof 150 ppb

Not detectedEU food-contact plastics, Reg. (EU) 2023/1442 group restriction — DBP x5 + DIBP x4 + BBP x0.1 + DEHP <= 0.6 mg/kg DEHP-equivalents, so DIBP alone may not exceed 0.15 mg/kg. DIBP is not itself an authorised substance.

Measured in: GHIRARDELLI Intense Dark Chocolate Squares 72% Cacao Holiday Chocolate 12.7 oz Bag

Diisodecyl AdipateNDof 10 ppb

Not detectedDIDA (diisodecyl adipate) is not on the EU Union list of substances authorised in food-contact plastics (Reg. (EU) 10/2011 Annex I), so no migration is permitted. Set at 0.01 mg/kg, the detection limit 10/2011 uses for not-detectable (ND) restrictions.

Measured in: GHIRARDELLI Intense Dark Chocolate Squares 72% Cacao Holiday Chocolate 12.7 oz Bag

Diisodecyl PhthalateNDof 1.8 ppm

Not detectedEU food-contact plastics, Reg. (EU) 10/2011 as amended by 2023/1442 — DINP+DIDP group SML 1.8 mg/kg (sum). Applied to each alone.

Measured in: GHIRARDELLI Intense Dark Chocolate Squares 72% Cacao Holiday Chocolate 12.7 oz Bag

Diisononyl ortho PhthalateNDof 1.8 ppm

Not detectedEU food-contact plastics, Reg. (EU) 10/2011 as amended by 2023/1442 — DINP+DIDP group SML 1.8 mg/kg (sum). Applied to each alone.

Measured in: GHIRARDELLI Intense Dark Chocolate Squares 72% Cacao Holiday Chocolate 12.7 oz Bag

Ingredients · 5

GoodCautionAvoid

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Common questions

Is Ghirardelli Intense Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Squares healthy?

Ghirardelli Intense Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Squares scores 8/100 on Tallow — our avoid band. That number comes from what is on the label: the ingredients, how processed it is, and what it is packaged in, plus lab results from its product family, Intense Dark 72% Cacao (plain squares/bars). It is not a verdict on your diet — Tallow does not weigh calories, portion size or how often you eat it, so a high score means the ingredients are clean, not that the food is unlimited.

What is in Ghirardelli Intense Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Squares?

Ghirardelli Intense Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Squares lists 5 ingredients, starting with Unsweetened Chocolate, Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Vanilla Extract and Soy Lecithin. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, so the first few make up most of what you are eating.

Does Ghirardelli Intense Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Squares contain seed oils?

No. Nothing in Ghirardelli Intense Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Squares’s ingredient list matches a seed oil — canola, soybean, corn, cottonseed, grapeseed, sunflower, safflower, rice bran or peanut oil, or an unspecified "vegetable oil".

How processed is Ghirardelli Intense Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Squares?

Ghirardelli Intense Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Squares is NOVA group 4: ultra-processed. That is the top of the scale and the classification the score penalises most heavily.

How does Ghirardelli Intense Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Squares compare to other chocolate?

At 8/100 Ghirardelli Intense Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Squares scores worse than most chocolate we have scored. A higher-scoring option in chocolate is Hu Organic Hazelnut Butter + Hazelnut Crunch Milk Chocolate at 100/100.

Is Ghirardelli Intense Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Squares organic?

Ghirardelli Intense Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Squares is not certified organic in our data.

Has Ghirardelli Intense Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Squares been lab tested?

Not this product itself. It shares a base recipe (Unsweetened chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter, vanilla, soy lecithin; 72% cacao, no filling or inclusions) with the other products in its family, Intense Dark 72% Cacao (plain squares/bars), and 3 products in its family have been lab tested. This product is scored with the worst result for each contaminant across those tests. Those results are in the family's Contaminants section above; its own results may differ.

Does Ghirardelli Intense Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Squares contain phthalates?

Ghirardelli Intense Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Squares itself has not been tested for phthalates, but other products in its family, which share its base recipe, have: a lab detected DEHP at 145 ppb against a 6 ppb limit in Premium Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Bar, 3.5 oz, dibutyl phthalate at 17 ppb against a 120 ppb limit in GHIRARDELLI Intense Dark Chocolate Squares 72% Cacao Holiday Chocolate 12.7 oz Bag and dimethylphthalate at 6.55 ppb against a 10 ppb limit in Premium Dark 72% Cacao Dark Chocolate Bar, 3.5 oz. This product is scored with the worst result for each contaminant across those tests. Its own results may differ.

Full methodology: how we score products.