Cocoa Knowledge Center · 4 guides
Rules that decide market access
The rules around cocoa and chocolate are changing quickly. The EU Deforestation Regulation requires full supply chain traceability, new EU packaging rules apply since August 2026, and heavy metals like cadmium and lead are under scrutiny in the US and Europe.
For importers, exporters, chocolate makers and ingredient buyers, compliance decides whether shipments clear or get rejected. These guides explain the key regulations with practical steps for staying compliant.
Guides in this hub
What this hub covers
- EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR)
- EU packaging rules (PPWR)
- Heavy metals: cadmium and lead
- Legal definitions of chocolate
Written from origin
These Guides and articles are our own experiences and research. Leila Carvajal Erker, founder of CocoaSupply, a chemical engineer (WPI '96). We work directly with smallholder farmers, and our family has been working with Ecuadorian cacao for four generations, from farming, to processing and distribution.
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