What is the caffeine content of chocolate and cocoa powder?
Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine, between 0.2% (milk chocolate) and 0.7% (bittersweet chocolate), mainly in the form of caffeine. Caffeine, theobromine and theophylline (in tea) are chemical compounds with closely related structures and similar pharmacological properties. They are all members of the class of compounds known as methylxanthines. They occur in many common food plants, such as coffee, tea, cocoa, mate (a South American drink), and cola. The caffeine (theobromine) content of cocoa powder varies between 0.1 and 0.5%.
