Raw Cacao Beans — Hand-Peeled, Single-Origin Uganda, 100g
Never heated🇺🇬 Uganda Fully Natural

Raw Cacao Beans

Whole cacao beans in their most natural form. Intense and complex, to crack, grind, or eat as a snack.
Hand-peeled and never heated, flavanols fully preserved
Independently lab-tested for purity and quality
UV-treated for safety. No heat, no chemicals.
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€9,95
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Product highlights
  • Flavanol content: not verified for this product, naturally high due to the absence of heat processing
  • Certification: not yet certified organic (organically grown)
  • Processing: Unheated · Hand-Peeled · UV sterilized
  • Additives: None
  • Download: Full lab report (PDF)
Origin and harvesting details
  • Origin: Bundibugyo, West Uganda
  • Cacao variety: Blend of Trinitario and Forastero types 
  • Harvest season: Fall 2025  
  • Cultivation: Naturally grown, not yet organically certified  
  • Fermentation: Short, carefully monitored fermentation
  • Drying: Sun-dried under monitored conditions
Nutritional values
Energy2422 kJ / 596 kcal
Fat52.0 g
of which saturates32.5 g
Carbohydrates7.0 g
of which sugars0.5 g
Fibre23.0 g
Protein13.5 g
Salt0.02 g
Per 100 g
Ingredients and specifications

Ingredients:

  • Cacao beans (hand-peeled)

Specifications:

  • Net weight: 100 g  
  • Cacao content: 100%  
  • Allergens: Processed in a facility exclusively dedicated to cacao
  • Storage: Store cool and dry, away from direct sunlight
MORE DETAILS

Most cacao beans are mechanically shelled and heat treatment. Ours are handled differently. Sourced from a single farm in Uganda, each bean is hand-peeled with no heat and no mechanical processing, and treated with UV light for safety without altering the bean's natural composition. The flavanols, natural fats, and mineral content remain as close to their original state as possible. Eat them whole as a snack, grind them fresh into cacao paste, or use them as the starting point for your own cacao preparations.

Roasting halves the flavanol content

Roasted
Unroasted — Flava'Choc
0 mg/100g

Illustrative — based on published research (Zyzelewicz et al. 2018 · Ioannone et al. 2015 · Hermund et al. 2025). No flavanol lab analysis available for this product.

ORIGIN

Bundibugyo, Uganda

Sourced from the Bundibugyo region in western Uganda, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo at the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains, this cacao grows in a mountainous landscape shaped by rich volcanic soils, high rainfall, and elevation — creating ideal conditions for cultivation. This origin expresses a distinctive profile with notes of nuts, berries, pineapple, and subtle spice, reflecting the region’s biodiversity and unique growing environment. After harvest, the beans undergo carefully monitored fermentation, with temperature and pH levels tracked to ensure optimal development. Controlled drying under indirect sunlight preserves flavour, allowing the cacao to retain its natural character.

Bundibugyo, Uganda
Bundibugyo, Uganda

Nutrition & Lab Analysis

Cacao contains a wide range of naturally occurring nutrients, from flavanols to essential minerals. Flava'Choc tests every batch of all its products to verify these nutrients and guarantee purity and safety.

View full lab report →
DP1–7 FLAVANOLS

Flavanol Profile

Validated measurement of DP1–7 cocoa flavanols — the fraction most extensively studied in clinical flavanol research.

Hover for measurements Tap for measurements

Not independently tested for this product — naturally high due to absence of heat processing.

THEOBROMINE & CAFFEINE

Natural Stimulants

Cacao naturally contains theobromine and small amounts of caffeine — two bioactive compounds studied for their effects on alertness and mild vasodilation.

Stable values — not retested per batch. These values vary little between batches of the same origin.

MINERAL PROFILE

Essential Minerals

Cacao naturally contains magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, and phosphorus — minerals for which the EU recognises authorised health claims.

Stable values — not retested per batch. These values vary little between batches of the same origin.

SAFETY TESTING

Heavy Metal Screening

Each batch is tested for microbiology and heavy metals in accordance with strict EU safety standards.

Hover for measurements Tap for measurements
HEAVY METALS
Cadmium
0.08 mg/kg
EU: —
Lead
0.01 mg/kg
EU: <0.10
Arsenic
0.01 mg/kg
no EU limit
Mercury
0.01 mg/kg
no EU limit
Nickel
6.6 mg/kg
no EU limit
Learn more in our blog post about heavy metals → Read our blog post →
SAFETY STATUS
✓
Microbiology
Conform
✓
Mycotoxins
Not detected
✓
Pesticides
No residue found

Frequently asked questions

Are these hand-peeled cacao beans truly raw?

Yes. These beans are completely unroasted and never heated at any stage of processing. By “heated,” we refer to conventional roasting or thermal treatments that expose cacao to high temperatures. Our hand-peeled beans are not subjected to any heat-based processing, preserving their natural structure and compounds as intact as possible.
If they are not heated, how do you ensure safety?

Instead of heat treatment, the beans are gently treated with UV light — a non-thermal method used to reduce microbial risk on the surface of foods. This allows us to enhance safety without roasting or altering the cacao’s natural composition.
Are these hand-peeled cacao beans organic?

The beans are grown without synthetic pesticides or chemical inputs. However, they are not currently certified organic. We are exploring formal organic certification in the future. To ensure transparency and purity, each batch is independently tested for pesticide residues. The laboratory results are available and can be consulted in our published lab reports.
How can I use hand-peeled cacao beans?

They can be enjoyed whole, chopped as an alternative to cacao nibs, blended into smoothies, or added to any recipe that calls for pure, unprocessed cacao.
What makes hand-peeling different from mechanical processing?

Each bean is peeled manually without heat and mechanical means. This helps maintain the bean’s natural structure and avoids friction or temperature increases that can occur during industrial shelling. The result is cacao in its most intact and minimally handled form.