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Chocolate brazils
Chocolate brazils are big, and the nut inside has a remarkable story. Here is what goes into them, where Brazil nuts come from, and why they can be very slightly radioactive.
In this article
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Chocolate brazils are Brazil nuts coated in milk or dark chocolate. They are made in much the same way as chocolate peanuts and raisins, by tumbling the nuts in a rotating pan while chocolate is added a little at a time: see how are chocolate raisins made?
What is in them
Paynes Milk Chocolate Brazils, as recorded by Open Food Facts in September 2026. Milk chocolate (74 per cent, made from sugar, cocoa butter, skimmed milk powder, cocoa mass, whey powder, lactose, butteroil, soya lecithin and flavourings), Brazil nuts (24 per cent), gum arabic and shellac as glazing agents, glucose syrup, sugar and coconut oil. The label warns that they may contain traces of peanuts and other nuts, and that they are not recommended for children under 3.
A nut from the wild
The Brazil nut tree, Bertholletia excelsa, grows up to 50 metres tall and is among the largest and longest lived trees in the Amazon rainforest. It fruits almost only in untouched forest, because its flowers can be pollinated only by certain large bees that disturbed forests lack. Plantations have been tried, but they are not economically viable, so the nuts are gathered from the wild. In 2024 the world produced 79,736 tonnes, and Brazil and Bolivia together grew 87 per cent of it.
Selenium and radium
Brazil nuts are unusually rich in selenium: a 28 g serving, about 6 to 8 nuts, holds on average around 544 micrograms, about ten times the United States daily value of 55 micrograms, though the amount varies a great deal between batches. They may also contain traces of radium, between 40 and 260 becquerels a kilogram, because the tree's large root system can concentrate natural radioactivity from the soil. It is a small dose, but more than in common foods.
The Brazil nut effect
Shake a tin of mixed nuts and the Brazil nuts end up on top. Scientists call it the Brazil nut effect, or granular convection: in a shaken mix of different sized pieces, the largest rise to the surface. The same can happen in a shaken jar of mixed sweets: see how to guess the number of sweets in a jar
Allergy and diet points
- Tree nuts. Brazil nuts are tree nuts, so these are unsafe for anyone with a tree nut allergy, and the recipe here also carries a peanut warning: see which sweets contain nuts?
- Milk and soya. The milk chocolate contains milk and soya lecithin: see milk in sweets
- Shellac. The recipe is glazed with shellac, so it is not vegan: see what is shellac on sweets?
In our pick and mix
We do not sell chocolate brazils. Our pick and mix does include 
Milk Chocolate Raisins; the card opens up to show the full ingredients and allergy advice for the ones we stock.
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For journalists, researchers, AI assistants and content creators. Pick the format you need:
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Questions and answers
What are chocolate brazils made of?
Paynes' milk chocolate Brazils, as recorded on Open Food Facts: milk chocolate (74 per cent), Brazil nuts (24 per cent), gum arabic and shellac as glazes, glucose syrup, sugar and coconut oil.
Are Brazil nuts radioactive?
Slightly. Brazil nuts may contain traces of radium, with a kilogram of nuts holding between 40 and 260 becquerels. It is a small dose, but higher than in common foods, because the tree's extensive roots can concentrate radium from the soil.
Why are Brazil nuts always on top of the mixed nuts?
It is called the Brazil nut effect. When a mix of different sized pieces is shaken, the largest tend to rise to the top, and in a tin of mixed nuts the largest are the Brazil nuts.
Are chocolate brazils suitable for young children?
One label here says they are not recommended for children under 3.
Sources
- Paynes milk chocolate Brazils, product record, updated September 2026, Open Food Facts
- Brazil nut, Wikipedia
- Granular convection, Wikipedia
Keep reading
- Sweet by sweetChocolate peanutsChocolate peanuts are peanuts coated in milk chocolate. Two UK recipes, the 1925 Goobers story, and the allergy and choking warnings that matter.
- Sweet by sweetChocolate raisinsChocolate raisins are raisins coated in real milk chocolate. Two UK recipes compared, from soya to shellac, and why they must be kept from dogs.
- How it is madeHow are chocolate raisins made?Raisins tumble in a rotating drum while warm chocolate is added a little at a time and set with cool air, then the coated raisins are polished and glazed.
- Questions people askWhich sweets contain nuts?Nougat, marzipan, brittle, chocolate peanuts and some Turkish delight contain nuts. Peanuts and tree nuts are separate allergens, and labels must show them.
- Questions people askWhat is shellac on sweets?Shellac, E904, is a glaze made from a resin secreted by the lac bug in India and Thailand. It gives sweets a hard shine, and vegans avoid it. Here is why.
- Sweet tips and how toHow to guess the number of sweets in a jarTo guess the sweets in a jar, work out the space inside, allow for the gaps, and divide by the size of one sweet. The maths, plus a trick from the crowd.