Chocolate is commonly seen as an allergenic food but very few actual 'allergies' to chocolate have been documented. Yet, chocolate has been blamed for a range of 'allergic' reactions including abdominal cramps, angioedema, coughs, hypotension, itching, migraines, and urticaria.

A true intolerance or allergy to chocolate or cocoa would have to be to either the cocoa mass or the cocoa butter. Yet, when assessing problems with chocolate, these are rarely checked independently of other ingredients.

Eating a chocolate bar or drinking hot chocolate is NOT the way to test for a 'chocolate' intolerance. Intolerance problems with chocolate can be caused by any ingredient or naturally occurring chemical. The ingredients that can cause problems include flavorings, milk and emulsifiers. The chemicals include caffeine and theobromine, phenylethylamine, and tyramine. An ImmunoCAP, epicutaneous or skin prick test should be taken to determine the specific source of the allergies.