Welcome to Silva FAQ
When it comes to specialty cacao and chocolate, there’s always something new to discover and learn every day. To make your journey a little smoother, we’ve put together some frequently asked questions that we hope will simplify things for you.
Wishing you a delightful journey of discovery!
Placing your order
Transport
We stack full bags of cocoa beans on wooden pallets and tie the cargo. When desired, we can also wrap your cargo in plastic. To reduce the pressure on our planet, we use plastic packaging on-demand only.
Thanks to the quality controls we perform, we rarely run into any problems. Do you identify a problem or do you notice your order is damaged nonetheless? Fill out the damage form on the CMR of your delivery. Document the problem with pictures and evidence and inform us as soon as possible. We will investigate the cause of the problem and follow up accordingly.
A pallet fits up to 8 full bags of cacao beans. Purchasing and shipping cacao in full-pallet loads will get you the lowest price per kilo in shipping and handling costs. For small orders, we can also use a mini-pallet to optimize transport costs. A mini-pallet will fit 4 bags.
Our beans are stored in a warehouse in Antwerp, Belgium from where we provide the European market. We can also support you to ship specialty cacao globally. REACH OUT for more information.
Quality & Shelf life
Check out our page about QUALITY PROCESS
Each cacao bean we select undergoes different and rigorous quality checks. We use all our senses to grade and evaluate the unique flavour profiles, based on the international protocol for fine cacao, established by the FCCI and ISCQF. In our laboratory we develop different cacao liquors and chocolates to experiment and test the flavour potential of the beans. Physical characteristics and humidity levels are controlled before shipment and upon arrival. Additionally, we control heavy metals, residues and microbial testing.
Under excellent storage conditions cacao beans can be stored up to 3 years. During the time they are stored, there is a chance the distinct aromas change over time, which might slightly change the flavour profile. To tackle this problem we deliver fresh harvests and monitor our stored beans every 6 months to assess quality and flavour. If you plan to store your beans for a longer time, we recommend ordering cacao beans packed in hermetic storage bags, prolonging shelf life.
Check our page about the SPECIALTY CACAO. Cacao beans are highly hygroscopic, meaning that they can absorb and desorb water depending on the temperature and humidity of the environment. Improperly fermented cacao beans even have a greater tendency to vaporize water. Specialty cacao requires specific temperature control, relative humidity levels and proper ventilation conditions. Proper control of transport, warehousing and handling throughout the supply chain is highly important to maintain the distinctive flavor profiles. Transport duration of the cacao beans should be limited, beans should be stored in a dry, cool and ventilated storage place, separated from products which might cause cross contamination. The water content of the beans should not be higher than 8% to avoid the risk of vapor and mold damage.
We recommend storing your cacao beans in a clean and dry room, with relative humidity close to 50% and temperatures lower than 20°C.
Certification
Silva cacao has an EU FAIR TRADE CERTIFICATION, with number FLO-ID 42896. All our products comply with the fair trade principles as established by the World Fair Trade Organization, but only a few cacaos are fair trade certified. For Specialty cacao, we pay premium prices for quality, which are higher than the fair trade minimum price.
Silva cacao has an EU ORGANIC CERTIFICATION, with number BE-BIO-02. Many of our cacao beans are organically produced. Several carry an organic certificate and some are organically produced but don’t come with a certificate. In our offerings, you will read which ones carry an organic certificate.
Cadmium levels in cacao
Cadmium is a naturally occurring heavy metal, but it can also be released into the environment through human activities such as mining. It can be taken up by plants, including cocoa trees, through the soil and can also be present in irrigation water. As a result, it may be present in various types of grown food at low levels.
Consuming small amounts of cadmium is not considered to be harmful to human health. However, long-term exposure to high levels of cadmium can be toxic and may lead to various health problems. The level of cadmium in cacao beans is generally considered to be low, and consuming chocolate made from cacao beans is not likely to result in harmful exposure to cadmium..
Studies have shown that cadmium levels in cacao can vary widely depending on the source of the cacao beans and growing conditions. Some cacao products have been found to contain high levels of cadmium, while others have been found to have very little. The European Union has set a maximum limit of:
- 0.1 mg/kg for cadmium in Milk chocolate with <30% total dry cacao solids
- 0.3 mg/kg for cadmium in chocolate with <50% total dry cacao solids
- 0.8 mg/kg for cadmium in chocolate with >50% total dry cacao solids
Unfortunately it’s not easy to know if a cacao product contains high levels of cadmium just by reading the label or packaging. The best way to ensure that you are not consuming excessive levels of cadmium is to choose products that have been third-party tested or known to be sourced from regions where cadmium levels are known to be low.
At Silva, we take great care in sourcing only the highest quality cacao beans. We carefully source our beans from non-risk zones and in the unlikely event that a zone becomes more risky, for example due to heavy rainfall, we test the beans to ensure they meet EU standards for cadmium levels.. This ensures that our clients receive only the best and safest cacao beans. If you have any questions or concerns about your beans, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to assist you.