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I've noticed that many 'chocolate' or 'cocoa' products, such as chocolate cake, chocolate milk and cocoa cereal contain fat-reduced cocoa powder rather than normal full-fat cocoa powder.

Often the products also contain added fat, so in these cases presumably fat-reduced cocoa powder isn't used in order to reduce the product's overall fat content.

Is fat reduced cocoa powder cheaper than full-fat cocoa powder? Or perhaps the fat in cocoa powder behaves differently from other fat, necessitating its replacement?

EmmaV
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    Cocoa butter is worth about 10x more than other sources of fat like palm oil. These companies are always trying to cut down the cost of their ingredients and will do anything they can get away with. –  Aug 08 '19 at 04:09
  • @aris - I too suspect that this is the only reason. – EmmaV Aug 16 '19 at 17:14

1 Answers1

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Without getting arrested for loitering in the baking aisle of my local supermarket comparing weights, ingredients and prices, to me it is all down to price and processing method. The low starch, natural fat product performs better according to Cooks Illustrated.

Higher natural fat = premium product = better taste.

References:

Alice Medrich: https://food52.com/blog/9521-how-to-identify-good-cocoa-powder-and-not-so-good

Cooks illustrated: https://www.cooksillustrated.com/articles/663-which-cocoa-powder-should-you-buy

Greybeard
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    I initially voted this answer down because I missed that you answered it in the first sentence: "[I]t is all down to price and processing method". – EmmaV Aug 16 '19 at 17:17