Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa Powder

Name: Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa Powder
Brand: Ghirardelli

16Avoid

Breakdown

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

100

Lab-measured contaminants

Measured against published safety limits

−57

di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (dehp)−48

dimethylphthalate−5

dibutyl phthalate−3

diisobutyl phthalate−1

Ingredients

−16

soy lecithin−12

cocoa processed with alkali−4

Processing

−10

NOVA 4: ultra-processed−10

Adjustments

What it takes to land on the final number

−1

Rounding−1

Final score16

Contaminants · 18

1 at/over limit

Measured by an independent lab and compared against published safety limits.

Di(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate (DEHP)50.5 ppbof 6 ppb

Over the limit — 8.4×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).

Dimethylphthalate5.45 ppbof 10 ppb

55% 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.

Dibutyl Phthalate37.5 ppbof 120 ppb

31% 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).

Diisobutyl Phthalate11 ppbof 150 ppb

7% of the limitEU 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.

Di (2-ethylhexyl) Terephthalate0.12 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).

Diethylhexyl Adipate0.009 ppmof 18 ppm

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

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Diisononyl 1,2-cyclohexanedicarboxylic AcidNDof 60 ppm

Not detectedEU 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).

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.

Ingredients · 5

GoodCautionAvoid

,,,,

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Common questions

Is Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa Powder healthy?

Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa Powder scores 16/100 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. 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 Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa Powder?

Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa Powder lists 5 ingredients, starting with Sugar, Cocoa Processed With Alkali, Unsweetened Chocolate, Soy Lecithin and Vanilla. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, so the first few make up most of what you are eating.

Does Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa Powder contain seed oils?

No. Nothing in Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa Powder’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 Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa Powder?

Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa Powder is NOVA group 4: ultra-processed. That is the top of the scale and the classification the score penalises most heavily.

How does Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa Powder compare to other drink mixes & powders?

At 16/100 Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa Powder scores worse than most drink mixes & powders we have scored. A higher-scoring option in drink mixes & powders is Matcha & Co Organic Golden Milk at 100/100.

Is Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa Powder organic?

Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa Powder is not certified organic in our data.

Has Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa Powder been lab tested?

Yes. 18 substances in Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa Powder have a laboratory result on file — see the Contaminants section above for each reading and the limit it was measured against.

Does Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa Powder contain phthalates?

Yes. A lab detected DEHP at 50.5 ppb against a 6 ppb limit, dibutyl phthalate at 37.5 ppb against a 120 ppb limit, diisobutyl phthalate at 11 ppb against a 150 ppb limit and dimethylphthalate at 5.45 ppb against a 10 ppb limit in Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate & Cocoa Powder. It tested for 7 other phthalates and found none above its detection limit. Each reading is in the Contaminants section above.

Full methodology: how we score products.