THE PRESENT INVENTION IS DIRECTED TO A COCOA-DERIVED MATERIALCOMPRISING A SOLUBLE COCOA POWDER AND A COCOA EXTRACT, WHEREIN SAID EXTRACT COMPRISES MORE THAN 25WT% BASED ON THE EXTRACT OF POLYPHENOLS.THE COCOA-DERIVED MATERIAL CAN BE A SYRUP, A READY TO USE BEVERAGE OR A POWDER COMPOSITION.THE INVENTION ALSO RELATES TO USES OF THIS COCOA- DERIVED MATERIAL FOR PREPARING CARBONATED BEVERAGES CONTAINING COCOA.THE INVENTION FURTHER RELATES TO A CARBONATED BEVERAGE COMPRISING SAID COCOADERIVED MATERIAL AND TO METHODS FOR PREPARING SUCH COCOA-DERIVED MATERIALS AND BEVERAGES.