Dispersible cocoa products

A method of improving the dispersibility of a liquefied gaseous solvent-extracted cocoa powder in aqueous media comprising the steps of:

• reducing the fat content of cocoa mass with liquefied gaseous solvent to provide cocoa mass comprising solvent and cocoa butter, wherein reducing the fat content comprises solvent extraction of the cocoa mass with solvent to form a slurry followed by separation of cocoa mass comprising cocoa butter from the slurry,
• mixing the cocoa mass with a dispersing agent to yield cocoa mass comprising solvent, cocoa butter, and dispersing agent, and
• desolventizing the cocoa mass to provide cocoa powder comprising dispersing agent and cocoa butter, wherein the amount of cocoa butter in the cocoa powder is no more than about 20 wt. % and the amount of the dispersing agent in the cocoa powder is no more than about 10 wt. %.

A method for processing cocoa comprising the step of adding a solution or suspension of dispersing agent with cocoa powder, wherein the cocoa powder has a cocoa butter content of less than about 2 wt. %.

A low calorie dispersible cocoa powder composition comprising the following ingredients:

• cocoa powder,
• a dispersing agent for dispersing the cocoa powder in aqueous media, wherein the dispersing agent is mixed throughout the cocoa powder and the amount of dispersing agent is less than about 10 wt. %, and
• wherein the cocoa butter content is less than about 25 wt. %.

A cocoa powder comprising a dispersing agent, wherein the cocoa powder has a cocoa butter content of 13 wt. % or less, and wherein the cocoa powder when agglomerated with powdered sugar at a ratio of 80 wt. % powdered sugar and 20% cocoa powder has a wettability of about 20 seconds or less, measured by adding 15 g of cocoa powder to 200 mL milk at 7° C., wettability being the time needed for the agglomerated powder to sink through the milk surface without agitation.