Testing for Salmonella in Ceremonial Cacao

Testing for Salmonella in Ceremonial Cacao

Words by Nick Meador

(Published on July 3, 2026)

Soul Lift Cacao has long been a leader in lab testing of ceremonial cacao. That continues today and in the future.

On my spring 2026 journey through South America, I visited cacao farms in the Ecuadorian Amazon. While there I learned about concerns over the presence of salmonella in cacao and chocolate.

Salmonella is a type of bacteria that can cause vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and other issues. Like many food-borne illnesses, it is most serious for the elderly, children, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems.

In Ecuador, contamination is thought to happen in collection centers for cacao seeds where farm animals like chickens are also sold. That was the first I had heard about this subject in my 10 years of traveling to Latin America to learn about cacao.

Many people talk about heavy metals, and I've also long tested for mold and mycotoxins... but salmonella? I wondered if it might only be an issue in places that are a bigger part of the international cacao/cocoa industry. For example, Ecuador is currently the 3rd biggest exporter of cacao in the world.

So I looked into it, and I saw a 2024 research study where 8.2% of a particular Belgian dark chocolate tested positive for salmonella. There are also reports of a salmonella outbreak being linked to contaminated Belgian chocolate products. The cacao in that case most likely came from West Africa, but it convinced me that this is a serious issue to consider.

I decided to have all our cacao varieties tested for salmonella at a third-party laboratory.

I'm pleased to report that all tests came back negative – meaning there was no salmonella present.

I'm not surprised, because I thoroughly investigate the supply chain of every cacao we carry, with extensive questionnaires and whenever possible, visiting the facilities and/or the farm itself. But it's still good to be certain!

To me this is another difference between small-batch, artisanal cacao and more industrial models. Even some products labeled "ceremonial cacao" actually pass through larger-scale cooperatives and are eventually processed in a factory with less human oversight.