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Spirulina contains all nine essential amino acids, so it is commonly called a complete protein. That label does not mean its protein is identical in quality to egg, dairy, or soy, or that a spoonful meets protein needs: amino-acid proportions, digestibility, and the amount eaten still matter.
Dried spirulina can contribute iron: the USDA reference contains 28.5 mg per 100 g, about 2 mg in 7 g. Its B12 story is very different. Chemical studies show inactive pseudovitamin B12 predominates, so spirulina is not a reliable source for preventing B12 deficiency.
Spirulina is a filamentous cyanobacterium; chlorella is a single-celled green microalga. Both can provide roughly 50–70% protein by dry weight, but chlorella has a tougher cell wall that often needs disruption for digestibility. B12 also differs: spirulina is dominated by inactive analogs, while some chlorella products contain active B12, with substantial variability.
A white or gray film on chocolate is usually bloom: cocoa butter recrystallizes at the surface, or moisture dissolves sugar that later recrystallizes. If the chocolate was stored appropriately and has no mold, off odor, damaged packaging, or other contamination signs, bloom is mainly a quality defect rather than a safety problem.
Cacao nibs are broken pieces of the cocoa kernel and retain essentially all of the bean's cocoa butter. Cocoa powder is made after cocoa mass is pressed to remove part of that fat. Nibs are therefore fattier and crunchy, while powder is more concentrated in nonfat cocoa solids and mixes more easily into recipes.
Carob is naturally much sweeter and almost fat-free; unsweetened cocoa has far more protein and fat and contains caffeine and theobromine. Both are fiber-rich by weight, but they do not taste or behave the same in recipes.
Cocoa butter is essentially 100% fat. The USDA reference contains about 59.7% saturated fat, 32.9% monounsaturated fat, and 3% polyunsaturated fat. Stearic, oleic, and palmitic acids make up most of it.
Cocoa powder does contain caffeine. The USDA unsweetened natural cocoa reference has 230 mg per 100 g, about 12 mg in a 5.4 g tablespoon. A USDA alkalized cocoa entry is much lower, illustrating how widely products can vary. Theobromine, not caffeine, is cocoa's dominant methylxanthine.
A normal cup of coffee generally provides several times more caffeine than a cocoa drink. EFSA estimates about 90 mg in 200 mL filter coffee; 5–10 g of the USDA natural cocoa reference would provide roughly 12–23 mg. Cocoa instead contains much more theobromine.
Higher cacao percentage usually cuts sugar sharply, but it does not guarantee fewer calories because the recipe contains more cocoa mass, cocoa powder, and/or cocoa butter. Current U.S. bars show 9 g sugar at 70%, 4 g at 85%, and 0 g at 100% for their labeled servings.
Cacao percentage is the total share of cacao-derived ingredients in the bar: chocolate liquor/cocoa mass, cocoa butter, and sometimes cocoa powder. A 70% bar is not 70% cocoa powder or 70% nonfat solids; the remaining 30% is sugar and any other non-cacao ingredients.
Unsweetened cocoa powder is highly concentrated: the USDA reference provides about 37 g fiber, 19.6 g protein, and 13.7 g fat per 100 g, plus substantial magnesium, iron, and copper. A tablespoon is only about 5–6 g, so real serving amounts are much smaller.