Packaging and storage—
Preserve in well-closed containers.
Botanic characteristics—
It shows numerous broken parenchyma cells of the cotyledons containing a reddish brown or purplish brown to yellowish orange pigment; numerous starch grains; oil globules; aleurone grains; and occasionally acicular or prismatic crystals of fat. The starch grains are simple and two- to three-compound, the single grains up to 15 µm in diameter, and they stain slowly with iodine TS.
Microbial limits 
61
—
The total bacterial count does not exceed 5000 cfu per g, and it meets the requirements of the tests for absence of
Escherichia coli, a 10-g specimen being used.
Limit of ether-insoluble residue—
Separate portions of the ether-insoluble residue obtained in the
Assay, previously dried at 105
for 1 hour, meet the requirements of the following tests.
Microscopic examination:
few or no fragments of cocoa shells and no cereal starch grains are observed.
Assay—
Extract about 10 g of Chocolate, accurately weighed, with anhydrous ethyl ether in a continuous-extraction apparatus for 8 hours. Allow the ether solution to evaporate spontaneously in a suitable tared container, dry at 105
for 1 hour, and weigh the nonvolatile ether-soluble extractive.
[NOTE—Retain the ether-insoluble residue for the test for
Limit of ether-insoluble residue.
]
