Our Cacao Sourcing & Processing
At Santa Barbara Chocolate, we believe in transparency and integrity at every stage of our cacao journey. Here’s what makes our products unique — and why our cacao is trusted by both health-conscious customers and professionals around the world:
Cacao Powders & Nibs – Wild-Harvested & Untamed by Industry
Our cacao powders, including CocoaDynamics™ High Flavanol Cocoa and Polyphenol Rich Cocoa, are made with wild-harvested cacao beans grown deep in remote rainforest regions of South America and form the base of our Santa Barbara cocoa powder products. These trees are not cultivated on conventional farms — they grow naturally, scattered throughout untouched terrain, often far from any agricultural development.
Because many of these regions are so remote, we cannot certify the growing conditions of every tree or plot of land. However, this also means the cacao is typically free from synthetic pesticides and fertilizers simply by nature of isolation. These beans are hand-harvested, naturally fermented, sun-dried, and either cold-ground or gently roasted to preserve the exceptional levels of flavanols and polyphenols found in Santa Barbara chocolate cacao.
Chocolates – Crafted with an Organic Recipe
Our chocolate products, such as the Criollo 100% Chocolate and Rainforest Dark 72%, are made using an organic recipe and carefully sourced Santa Barbara chocolate cacao. This means the cacao, sugar, and other ingredients are sourced from certified organic producers. While the final chocolates themselves are not certified organic due to supply chain logistics, we maintain strict ingredient standards and never use artificial flavors, soy lecithin, or additives.
Freshness and Production
From harvest to packaging, our cacao is processed in small batches to ensure freshness across every Santa Barbara cocoa powder and chocolate product. Most of our cacao is finished within a few weeks of fermentation and drying. We maintain fast turnover in our warehouse, so you're receiving cacao at its peak flavor and nutritional potency.
