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The Whole Truth

Orange Dark Cocoa Bar

Name: Orange Dark Cocoa Bar
Brand: The Whole Truth

Clean On SafeShelf

NOVA 3no added sugarno artificial flavoursno preservativeshigh fiberminimal ingredientslow sodiumlactose-freepregnancy-safenut-freediabetic-safegluten-freeenjoy in moderation

Serving

10 g

Pack

80 g

Ingredients

Barcode

8906143890503

Buy on Amazon

01 — Ingredient mix

What’s in the box, ranked from most concerning.

Each ingredient gets a tier from our researched dossier. The list sorts worst-first; the donut summarises the distribution. Tap any ingredient for its full dossier.

Cleared · 3 ingredients shown

Cleared3 of 3 ingredients

cocoa (cocoa nibs 51%, cocoa butter 20%)Cleared

date powderCleared

orange oilCleared

Why it’s on SafeShelf

Reviewed and added to SafeShelf — every ingredient checked against our safety, regulatory and processing standards.

02 — Claims audit

Every label claim, fact-checked.

We treat each claim as a question — does what’s inside back it up? Tap a claim for the reasoning.

13/15

claims fully supported

“No refined sugar”true

Added sugars are declared as 0.0g per serving; the only sweetener is date powder (a whole-food ingredient). No refined cane sugar, glucose syrup, or similar is present.

“No sugar substitutes”true

No artificial sweeteners (stevia, sucralose, aspartame, etc.) appear anywhere in the ingredient list or nutrition panel.

“No artificial flavours”true

Orange oil is a cold-pressed natural essential oil (GRAS, FEMA 2825), not an artificial flavouring. No synthetic flavour compounds are declared.

“No hydrogenated fats”true

Trans fat is declared as 0.0g per serving and <0.5g per 100g. All fat comes from cocoa butter, a natural, non-hydrogenated vegetable fat.

“No half truths”true

A brand-level integrity claim. The ingredient list is complete (3 ingredients, percentages declared), added sugars are 0g, and no asterisks redirect to footnotes — the label is unusually transparent.

“No hidden * marks either!”true

Nutrition panel and ingredient list carry no asterisked exclusions or qualifying footnotes that undercut any headline claim.

“Sweetened with dates”true

Date powder at 28.7% is the sole sweetener; it provides all 21.5g of sugars per 100g and 0g of added sugar per FSSAI definition.

“71% Cocoa”true

Ingredient list confirms cocoa nibs 51% + cocoa butter 20% = 71% total cocoa fraction, consistent with the pack composition summary.

“29% Dates”true

Date powder is listed at 28.7%, which rounds to 29%. The marginal difference (0.3%) is within rounding and OCR tolerance.

“And a dash of orange oil”true

Orange oil is declared at 0.3% — a trace flavouring quantity, consistent with the colloquial 'dash' descriptor.

“That's it.”true

Only three ingredients are declared: cocoa (nibs + butter), date powder, orange oil. No undisclosed additives, emulsifiers, or processing aids are listed.

“Clean Label”true

Three whole-food-derived ingredients, no E-numbers, no additives, no artificial anything. By any reasonable clean-label definition this qualifies.

“#nothingtohide”true

Ingredient percentages, composition breakdown, and full nutritional panel are disclosed; added sugar is correctly reported as 0g distinct from total sugar.

“From bean. To bar. With love.”unverified

The brand uses cocoa nibs (crushed cacao beans) rather than couverture or pre-made chocolate mass, supporting a bean-to-bar production claim. 'With love' is not verifiable marketing language.

“100%”unverified

The referent of '100%' is not specified on the label data provided; it cannot be evaluated without knowing what attribute it modifies.

03 — The fuller picture

Read the whole thing if a one-line verdict isn’t enough.

What’s in favour, and what’s working against it

In favour

Only three core ingredients — exceptionally short, transparent list
Zero added sugar; sweetened entirely with whole-food date powder
No artificial flavours, colours, or preservatives
No hydrogenated or trans fats
Good dietary fibre content at 9.7g per 100g
Very low sodium at 18.8mg per 100g

Working against

Very high saturated fat: 31.4g per 100g (palmitic acid risk)
Calorie-dense at ~598 kcal per 100g — easy to over-consume
21.5g sugars per 100g (all from dates — natural but still significant)
Contains caffeine and theobromine from cocoa — not suitable for all groups
High oxalate content from cocoa nibs — concern for kidney-stone-prone individuals
Cross-contamination risk: may contain milk, soy, gluten, and nuts

Who should approach with care

Pregnancy — Cocoa nibs supply both caffeine and theobromine (methylxanthine stimulants); health authorities recommend total caffeine below 200mg/day during pregnancy, and regular consumption of this bar could contribute meaningfully to that limit.

Infants — Infants cannot efficiently metabolise theobromine and caffeine from cocoa nibs; cocoa butter and orange oil (concentrated terpenes) are also inappropriate for infants with immature hepatic metabolism.

Children — Children are more sensitive to caffeine and theobromine on a per-body-weight basis, and EU cadmium regulations apply stricter limits for cocoa products consumed by children due to higher accumulative exposure risk.

Diabetes — Date powder contributes over 70% natural sugars (fructose and glucose); despite its lower glycaemic index, the 21.5g total sugars per 100g warrants strict portion control for individuals managing blood glucose.

Hypertension — Cocoa butter is approximately 60% saturated fat including palmitic acid, which can raise LDL cholesterol; high habitual intake may be inadvisable for individuals with hypertension and elevated cardiovascular risk.

Heart Disease — Theobromine from cocoa nibs can affect heart rate and rhythm, and the high palmitic-acid saturated fat load from cocoa butter may worsen lipid profiles in individuals with established cardiovascular disease or arrhythmias.

Kidney Disease — Cocoa nibs are high in oxalate (kidney stone risk) and date powder is high in potassium; both are concerns for individuals with chronic kidney disease requiring oxalate or potassium restriction.

Ibs — The combination of cocoa stimulants and fat, high-FODMAP fructose from date powder, and d-limonene from orange oil can collectively exacerbate bloating, cramping, and bowel urgency in IBS sufferers.

Ibd — High cocoa-butter fat content may worsen fat malabsorption in active inflammatory bowel disease, and orange oil's terpene constituents may irritate inflamed intestinal mucosa.

Gout — Date powder's high fructose content can elevate serum uric acid levels, potentially precipitating gout flares in predisposed individuals.

Migraine — Cocoa is a recognised dietary migraine trigger due to tyramine, phenylethylamine, and caffeine content, which can promote vasodilation and neurological responses linked to migraine onset in susceptible individuals.

Other — Individuals with known citrus or limonene sensitivity may experience allergic or pseudo-allergic reactions to orange oil as a declared ingredient in this product.

The full analysis

This bar is aimed at health-conscious snackers seeking a clean-label chocolate treat with no additives, no refined sugar, and full ingredient transparency. With just three declared components — cocoa, dates, and orange oil — it is about as short an ingredient list as a chocolate product can have, and the brand's radical transparency positioning is largely borne out by the label. The most important thing a curious consumer should know is that while the product is genuinely clean and minimally processed, it is calorie-dense (≈598 kcal/100g), high in saturated fat (31.4g/100g), and carries 21.5g of sugar per 100g that is entirely natural (from dates) but real sugar nonetheless — making portion awareness essential for those managing weight, blood glucose, or cardiovascular risk.

FSSAI licence

11523998000637

Manufacturer

Fitshit Health Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Region

Source

MANUAL

Analysis

Independently researched