Germantown, MD — Scientists now have a more reliable way to measure and analyze flavanols and certain other nutrients in cocoa-based products, according to researchers at Mars, Inc.

The company explains the method provides a common approach, validated by multiple laboratories, to finding specific compositional information regarding flavanols and procyanidins.

Catherine Kwik-Uribe, study author and R&D director at Mars Botanical, says: “This multi-laboratory collaborative study represents a critical breakthrough in the field by demonstrating that a method to measure these complex phytonutrients in cocoa can be reliable, robust and easy to use. Excitingly, in the not-too-distant future, this could lead to more uniform numbers on product labels that will help consumers compare and contrast flavanol-containing products and help regulators evaluate claims.”