Food News

Most people start their day with a cup of coffee, enjoy a cup of tea in the afternoon and consume chocolate as part of their regular diet.

Additionally, food supplements designed to enhance physical performance or increase alertness have become increasingly popular. Although these products may appear very different from one another, they both contain naturally occurring compounds with stimulating effects: caffeine and theobromine. Caffeine and theobromine are methylxanthines, a group of naturally occurring compounds found in various plant species. These molecules primarily exert their effects through interaction with adenosine receptors in the nervous system. Adenosine is a molecule that naturally accumulates in the body, promoting feelings of tiredness and fatigue while reducing neuronal activity. Caffeine and theobromine act as competitive antagonists of these receptors, binding to them without activating them and thereby preventing adenosine from exerting its effects. Consequently, alertness increases, perception of fatigue decreases and neuronal activity is enhanced. Caffeine is responsible for the stimulating effect commonly associated with coffee and tea, helping to increase alertness and reduce fatigue. Theobromine, on the other hand, is one of the most distinctive compounds found in cocoa and chocolate, providing a milder yet longer-lasting stimulant effect. Furthermore, both methylxanthines may influence metabolism by promoting the mobilisation of fatty acids and slightly increasing energy expenditure — effects that explain their popularity in products intended to support physical performance and fatigue management. These compounds occur naturally in plants, but their concentrations can vary considerably depending on the origin of the raw material, cultivation conditions, processing methods or final product formulation.

For this reason, it is essential to accurately determine the caffeine and theobromine content of foods and food supplements in order to ensure proper labelling and provide consumers with reliable information. These analyses also enable the authenticity of raw materials to be verified, production quality to be monitored, and products to be developed that are tailored to market demands. In this context, our AGROLAB Ibérica laboratory in Burgos offers accredited analysis of caffeine and theobromine in beverages such as coffee, tea and cocoa, as well as in chocolate and food supplements. These tests are performed in accordance with the international standard ISO/IEC 17025:2017 — the worldwide benchmark for the technical competence of testing and calibration laboratories — to ensure the reliability and traceability of the results obtained. Determination is carried out using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (UHPLC-DAD), a highly sensitive, precise and robust analytical technique that enables the rapid and reliable identification and quantification of these compounds. In a market where the range of stimulant products is broadening and diversifying, AGROLAB provides manufacturers, distributors, and importers with a vital tool to help them ensure the quality, safety, and transparency of everyday products such as coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate, and food supplements, while assisting them in complying with market requirements and applicable regulations.

YOUR PLUS: Our laboratories offer accredited caffeine and theobromine analysis in accordance with ISO/IEC 17025.

Authors: Dr Vanessa del Río & Dr Isabel Gómez, AGROLAB Iberica