Lorillard
Cocoa
Fields
- Type
- SCRT, SCIENTIFIC REPORT
- BIBL, BIBLIOGRAPHY
- CHAR, CHART/GRAPH
- Alias
- 01324135/01324140
- Site
- G65
- Litigation
- Stmn/Produced
- Named Person
- Ames
- Document File
- 01324103/01324326/for Conference Call 821008 1100am Additives
- Date Loaded
- 12 Feb 1999
- Area
- SPEARS/OFFICE
- UCSF Legacy ID
- afz40e00
Document Images
TERMINOLOrY:
COCOA
. Cocoa is a very broad term used to describe the plant
theobroma cocao L, flavorants derived from that plant, and
the characteristic flavor itself.,' The flavorants can be
one of several materials, cocoa beans,.,cocoa bean shells
or cocoa powder. The terms raw cocoa or c-aYao are ~usually
applied to the unroasted bean.1 None of these terms has a
chemical meaning, as "cocoa," in whatever form,i!5a com-
bination of hundreds or thousands of chemical compounds.
Cocoa should not be confused with chocolate which is a
flavor synthesized by mixing cocoa with-other flavorants,
principally vanillin and sugar.2
In the United States three types of cocoa powder are 1
recognized and have-definitions and standards of identity.
These are (1) "breakfast cocoa" or high fat cocoa containing
not less-than 22% cocoa fat, (2) "cocoa" or mediU'm fat cocoa
containing between 10 and 22% cocoa fat, and (3) "low-fat cocoa"
containing less than 10% cocoa fat.
SOURCE:
Material from any of these steps can be used to give particular
types of cocoa flavor. The chemistry of cocoa is extremely com-
plex and beyond the scope of this report. A recent review of
this area is attached.3
0
The various forms of cocoa are derived from the theobroma
cocoa plant which is indigenous to South and Central America.
The bean is fermented, roasted and milled during processing.
Synthetic cocoas have been available for a number of years.
Exact compositions of the synthetics vary with the intended use
and are usually proprietary.
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since earliest times4 both as a sweetner and to-add its own charac-
teristic teristic flavor. In recent years it has commonly been added to
USAGE: .
Cocoa has gained wide appl;cation in the tobacco_industrv
the burley tobacco of cic~arette blends to enhance the cocoa-like O
aroma inherent in burley and, at the same time, suppress undesir-
able odors, thereby improving the smoking quality. ~5
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BIOLOGICAL DATA: C~
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Toxicity data on cocoa_is apparently limited to a 1941 study on
guinea pigs.5 An extract of cocoa shell was found to lower the toxi-
city of caffeine when injected intraperitoneally. This effect was
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fairly substantial as the maximum tolerated, dose of caffeine
was raised from 100 mg per kg to 150 mg per kg and the LD50
changed from 221 mg per kg to 250 mg per kg.
,
Studies of the biological effects of cocoa have centered
on calcium assimilation due to cocoa's high oxalic acid content
and the effects of theobromine and,caffeine. Several studies
have indicated that although cocoa'does reduce calcium assimi-
lation in laboratory animals 7,8,9, this effect is not great
enough to merit concern in humans. -.
Theobromine and caffeine are found in cocoa in the range of
approximately-20 mg/kg for the former and 200 mg/kg in the latter.
10,11 Both have effects on the central nervous.system and are
moderately toxic.12 The oral LD50 of caffeine-in female albino
rats was found to be .192 g/kg body weight.-13 Deaths occurred-
at 30.0 + 9.6 hrs. and were immediately due to respiratory fail-
ure following tetanic convulsions or to cardivascular-collapse.
The chronic toxicity of caffeine has also been studied14 in
female albino rats when the dose was applied daily by intra-
gastric cannula. Over 100 days the maximum daily dose producing
no deaths was 110 ± 2.5 mg/kg. Fifty percent mortality was
achieved using 150 ± 3.1 mg/kg. It is of interest that a high
correlation has been found between the lethal effects of caffeine
and the grouping of subject mice.15 The adverse effects are much
lower when the subject$ are isolated rather than caged in groups.
Caffeine has been found to be teratogenic in rats16 and mutagenic
by the Ames test.17 The LDLo in humans is 26 mg/kg (oral) for
theobromine and 7 mg/kg (iv) for caffeine.12 Possible carcino-
genic effects are still being evaluated. -Caffeine and theobro-
mine have been found in cigarette smoke.18
Attempts to study the large number of other compon~nts of
cocoa are necessarily complex. In the attached article.3 is a
list of 352 volatile compounds in cocoa compiled in 1975.19
This list could-doubtles_s be expanded today and, of course,
would not include non-volatiles such as sugars and amino acids.
Fifty-nine percent of the compQunds cited are generated by
tobacco itself during burning.i A recent study20 using the
Ames test to determine mutagenicity evaluated 39 of the compounds
cited-and none was mutagenic. These are listed in Table 1.
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One report has been published by the National Cancer -Institute
in which the effect of addition of cocoa to cigarettes was studied.
Smoke condensate from cigarettes treated with 1% by weight cocoa F,
was used in mouse skin painting experiments. A somewhat higher V :,
degree of tumorigenic activity was found for this condensate than `,4
for the control. - ci
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PYROLYTIC DATA:
During the course of the NCI study21 some analysis of delivery
of various chemicals was made. Cocoa addition gave increased phenol
yields by approximately 25%. However, other compounds of interest
such as acetal, acrolein, isoprene, hydrogen cyanide, formaldehyde,
nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxides were unaffected. No other
studies of the effect of cocoa on the chemical composition of main-

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Table
Non-Mutagenic Cocoa and S.moke Volatiles
Alcohols
Methanol
Ethanol
2-Propanol
alpha-Terpineol
Geraniol
Farnesol
Fufurylalcohol
Benzylalcohol
2-Phenylethanol
5-Hydroxymethylfurfural
Aldehydes
3-Methylbutanal
2-Methylbutanal
2-Methylpropenal
2-Butenal
Benzaldehyde
Vanillin
5-Methylfufural
Miscellaneous
3,5-Dirnethoxy 1:4-hydroxybenzoic
Benzyl acetate
Benzyl cyanide
Pyrazine
acid
Ketones
2-Propanone
2-Butanone
..2, 3-Butanedione
2,3-Pentanedione
3-Penten-2-one
6-Me"thyl-5-hepten-2-one
Acetophenone
Phenols
2,3-Dimethylphenol
Phenol
o-Cresol
p-Cresol
m-Cresol
4-Ethylphenol
2-Methoxyphenol
2-Methylpyrr,azine
2,6-Dimethylpyrazine
1-Amino-2-methylpropane
2-Aminopentane
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stream smoke have been undertaken.
Phenols were also found when cocoa was pyrolyzed alone. In
a report by Schlotzhauer22 a variety,of phenolic products plus
palmetic and stearic acid were identified in pyrolyses carried-
out between 350° and 750°C. The total phenolic yield was minor
(0.049-0.101%) and relatively stable.over the temperature range.
REGULATORY STATU9:
f
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Cocoa is regulated as a food rather than a food additive.
Therefore, a designation such as "generally regarded as safe"
is not applicable.
A variety of regulations.exist as to the acceptable con-
stituents in the various commercial
cocoa products (CFR 163.110).23

i. Kirk-Othmer Encylopedia of Chemical Technology, 2nd Edition,
J. Wiley & Sons, New York, 1964. '.'
2. T. E. Furia, N. Bellanca, ed.,-Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor
Ingredients, CRC Press, Cleyeland, 1975.
`
3. G. F. Harllee, J. C. Leffingwell, Int. Tob. Int., 181, Iss5,
(1979) 40; 181; Iss6 (1979) 18. jN- ;
4. G. C. Harlee, J. C. Leffingwell, "Composition-of Casing
Materials: Cocoa, its Constituents and their Organoleptic
Properties," 32nd Tobacco-Chemists Conference,, Montreal (1978).
5. Travais, R. C., Information on American Blended Cigarettes, 1959.
6. L. Millat, "Toxicity of Cacao Shells and the Influence of these
on the Toxicity of Caffeine," Compt. Rend., 213 (1941) 591-3.
7. M. L. Brucher, J. M. Smith, T. S. Hamilton, H..H. Mitchell, "The
Effect of Cocoa on Calcium Utilization...", J. Nutrion., 39
(1949) 445-61.
,
8. H. H. Mitchell, T. S. Hamilton, "The Effect of Different Grades
of Cocoa upon the Retention of Dietary Calcium by Growing Rats,"
J. Nutrion, 31 (1946) 377-86.
9. H. H. Mitchell, J. M. Smith, "The Effect of Cocoa on Utilization
of Dietary Calcium," J. Am. Med. Assoc., 129 (1945) 871-3.
10. A. Fincke, "The Occurrence of Caffeine and Theobromine in Cocoa
Fats," Fette, Seifen, Anstrichmittel, 65 (1963) 647-50.
11. A. Beinzail, "Xanthic Bases in Belgium Congo Cocoa Beans," Bull.
Agr. Belg. Congo, 50 (1959) 689-96.
12. Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances, DHHS/NIOSH-80-
111, 1980.
Pharmacol., 1 (1959) 750-7.
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14. E. M. Boyd, Mortimer Dolman, L. M. Knight,-E. P. Sheppard, "The
Chronic Oral Toxicity of Caffeine," Can. J. Physiol. Pharmacol.,
43 (1965) 995-1007.
13. E. M. Boyd, "The Acute Oral Toxicity of Caffeine," Toxicol. Appl.
15. E. N. Greenblatt, A. C. Osterberg, "Correlations of Activity and
Lethal Effects of Excitatory Drugs in Grouped and Isolated Mice,"
J. Pharmacol. Exptl. Therap., 131 (1961) 115-91.
16. E. Schwam, M. Bertrand, "Regular and Specific Teratogenic Effect
of Caffeine on Rodents," Compt. Rend. Soc. Biol., 159 (1965)
2199-202.
17. R. B. Kurzel. "The Effects of Environmental Pollutants on Human
Reproduction," Env. Sci. Tech., 15 (1981) 626.
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18. J. N. Schumacher, et al, J. Agric and Food Chem., 25 (1977).
310-320.
19. T. E. Furia, N. Bellanca, ed.,'.fFenarolli's Handbook of
Flavor Ingredients, 2nd Edition, CRC Press, Cleveland, 1975.
~
, 18 (1980), 219-232.
20. I. Florian, L. Rutberg, Toxicolo
21. Nat. Cancer. Inst., "Toward Less Hazardous Cigarettes,"
Report No. 3, NEW/NCI, 1976. .
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22. W. S. Schlotzhauer, "Fatty Acid and Phenols from Pyrolysis
of Cocoa Powder," Tob. Sci., XXII (1978) 1..
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23. Code of Federal Reguiations, 21, Food and Drugs, 1977, p. 319.
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