Process for obtaining cocoa polyphenol concentrate includes: a) subjecting unfermented cocoa beans to a blanching step in water at a temperature ranging from 85-100.degree. C. for a period ranging from 3 to 15 minutes to give unfermented cocoa beans with reduced polyphenol oxidase activity; b) drying the unfermented cocoa beans at a temperature of less than 85.degree. C. to obtain dried unfermented cocoa beans with a moisture content of no more than 15%; c) subjecting the dried unfermented cocoa beans to a particle size reduction step to obtain dry unfermented cocoa bean intermediate whereby at least 99 wt % of the product has a particle size less than or equal to 300 pm; e) extracting polyphenols from the dry unfermented cocoa bean intermediate to give a cocoa polyphenol extract and extracted solids; d) concentrating the cocoa polyphenol extract to yield a cocoa polyphenol concentrate; and carrying out a defatting step prior to step d).