Have you seen a piece of chocolate news that we've missed? If so, please let us know.
June 30, 2006
- "Chocolate Factory" theme park on tap for Amsterdam. The park, which will include a glass elevator, will most likely open in two or three years.
- Woman buys two chocolate bars that are older than she is. The expiration date on the bars was February 6, 1983. (There's no link because the article was so short is wasn't worth it).
- KitKat wins Asian marketing award. It beat 445 other entries for the prize.
- Some shopkeepers ignore Cadbury recall. Authorities recently learned that several small shops around the U.K. are still selling recalled Cadbury products.
June 29, 2006
- Have heartburn? You can still eat chocolate! A new study suggests that most bouts of heartburn are not linked to diet. related to what people are eating and
- How do you get rid of 1 million inedible chocolate bars? Cadbury tries to discover the answer to this dilemma.
June 28, 2006
- Can chocolate keep you out of prison? Maybe in England. In a test of the proposed "Conditional Cautioning" program for criminals, a young man who kicked in a woman's window avoided a trial by agreeing to bring her a box of a chocolate and a letter of apology.
- Cocoa prices rise amid fears that supply may not meet demand. However, increased production in Ghana brings hope.
Finally--a couple of items that are not Cadbury-related...
June 27, 2006
- More on the Cadbury situation. Cadbury denies any wrongdoing, stating that the level of salmonella detected wasn't enough to be problematic. The FSA says that any level is problematic, and the contamination should have been reported.
- An erroneous newspaper report causes confusion in the United Arab Emirates. The report indicated that Cadbury Bars were being withdrawn from shelves in the UAE by the government. However, this is not the case.
June 26, 2006
- Taiwanese youth campaigns to send chocolate to Africa. Li Hung-chun, who is in sixth grade, decided to send the sweets in response to learning about poverty in Africa.
- Scandal in Candyland? The FSA (Food Standards Agency) is investigating whether Cadbury was involved in a cover-up of its salmonella tainted products.
June 24, 2006
- Cadbury recalls bars in the U.K. There is some concern that over a million Cadbury bars may contain small amounts of salmonella.
This is all for today...
June 23, 2006
- Golden Tickets a Scam? The Advertising Investigations Authority is investigating claims that Big Brother's Golden Ticket selection was fixed.
- Australian officials search for importers of "shock-o-late" bars. The bars were included in a large shipment of novelty items, all of which deliver a shock that is mild, but strong enough to disrupt pacemakers, which is why they're illegal.
June 22, 2006
- New trans-fat free Oreos still have it--flavor, that is! Tasters recently ranked Oreos as the best chocolate sandwich cookie.
This is all I found today...
June 21, 2006
- Barry Callebaut enters the "healthy chocolate" market. The company's new production process, called "Acticoa," enables polyphenols to be preserved during processing
- Cocoa production increased in the Ashanti region of Ghana last year. The figures from the 2005/2006 season were 39.7 percent higher than they were in 2004/2005.
June 20, 2006
- China, India, and Iran want to purchase cacao from Ghana directly. The Ghanaian government says it must consider what is best for Ghanaian farmers and producers, and has not yet made a decision.
- Eight African nations meet to come to agreements on cocoa. The countries included Cote D'Ivoire (the world's largest producer of chocolate) , Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Uganda, and Gabon.
- How to make it big in the market today: sell the chocolate and the weight loss products. Nestle is now the proud owner of the Jenny Craig weight management company.
- What would you do? After four years, Klondike returns to its roots with a new set of "what would you do for a Klondike Bar?" commercials.
June 19, 2006
- Cadbury to increase to size of its Australian chocolate plant. When the expansion is complete, the Cadbury factory will be the largest in the Asia Pacific region.
- The U.K. may ban junk food ads in magazines. Candy bars may be included in the ban, which is meant to help reduce childhood obesity.
- Mars is not just about bars. Last year, Mars began selling a line of higher-end truffles through their new "Ethel" brand. Ethel also includes a chain of chocolate lounges.
June 17, 2006
- Scottish youth caught smuggling cocaine in a box of chocolates. The young man stated that he didn't know what the powder was, but that the box of candy was definitely his.
- Hershey wins wrapper lawsuit. Premier Nutrition Inc. of California can no longer sell their Twisted bars in packages that resemble those of Hershey's Take5 Bar.
- In Kodaikanal, India, there is room for every chocolate maker. A local chocolate merchant claims that he and his competitors follow an unwritten rule and don't try to undercut each other.
June 16, 2006
- Exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art showcases Mayan arifacts. Some of the items in the exhibit show the importance of cacao in Mayan culture.
Not much going on in chocolate-news-land...
June 15, 2006
- Survival experts find that you can indeed make a fire with a Coke can and a candy bar. This isn't strictly a news article, but it could save your life!
- Scottish chocolate company to open branch in Qatar. Plaisir du Chocolat plans to sell their truffles, cakes, and even hot chocolate in the scorching Middle Eastern country.
June 14, 2006
- The FDA has warned MasterFoods USA that CocoaVia bars, a nutraceutical product, are being marketed as drugs, not as food. The company has 15 days to respond with a plan for making changes in order to be in accordance with regulations.
- Artisanal chocolatiers thrive in the Bay Area. These small companies in and near San Francisco pride themselves on the exquisite chocolates that they manufacture by hand.
June 13, 2006
- Would-be directors have a chance to win $10,000 with a commercial. Hershey is sponsoring a contest to see who can make the best commercial for the Take 5 bar. The contest will be judged by director Peter Segal.
Not much chocolate news today...
June 12, 2006
- Consuming cocoa can help protect the skin from UV light. More information from the German study on cocoa consumption and skin health.
- MasterFoods is honored by Prince Sultan Bin Adulaziz. MasterFoods, part of Mars Inc., hosted a "Corporate Social Responsibility Forum" in Riyahd, Saudi Arabia.
- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez plans to revitalize the country's cacao industry. However, since he took office in 1999, cacao production has continued to decline.
June 10, 2006
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We've seen this before, but the article has lots of good, general information...
- Chocolate just one of many "nutraceuticals." The flavonoids in chocolate fight disease.
- Scientists have discovered some of the genetic markers that help cacao plants resist diseases. These findings could help decrease the annual loss of cacao, which is currently about a fifth of the entire world crop.
June 9, 2006
- Lickety Split Chocolate Studio, a business run by 35 Native American children, helps the youth save for college and buy computers. The company makes chocolates lollipops decorated with Indian corn, animal shapes and traditional Navajo designs.
- The Koo-Ki Sushi company in San Jose, CA makes truffles shaped like sushi. Every part of the chocolate is hand-made, and the owner pays great attention to detail. From a distance, it is very difficult to tell that these confections are actually chocolates.
- Baby Ruth now the official candy bar of Major League Baseball. The bar's three year term in the position will include promotions, tie-ins, and an undetermined role in the 7th inning stretch.
- Ghana's Food and Drugs Board (FDB) aim to promote cocoa consumption for good health. The recently introduced initiative called "Keeping Fit on the Cocoa Trail" promotes wellness through walking and the use of cocoa.
June 8, 2006
- Cadbury-Schweppes Plc. fears that 2006 growth won't meet targets. Although the companies profit margins are increasing, the company blames high oil prices for their projected failure to meet their fiscal goals.
- Fungi offer hope in the fight against cacao diseases. Scientists in Maryland have discovered that certain endophytes, fungi that live on host plants but do them no harm, can actually help safeguard their hosts from infections.
- Keep pets away from cacao bean mulch. Mulch made with cacao contains high levels of the chemical theobromine, which is toxic to dogs and many other animals. The amount of theobromine in the cacao shells is much higher than in chocolate itself, which makes the mulch particularly dangerous.
- Nigerian scientists develop fast-maturing cacao. In West-Africa, it generally takes three years for cacao to produce fruit, while the new variety produces fruit after only eighteen months.
June 7, 2006
- Hershey and Nestle promote smaller "sticks" of their popular bars. The "sticks," unsurprisingly, contain fewer calories than the larger versions. Nestle Stixx are available in Butterfinger, Crunch, and other flavors (at 90 calories) while Hershey's Sticks come in chocolate and chocolate mint (60 calories).
June 6, 2006
- The "All Candy Expo" begins today in Chicago. The show, for people in the industry only, had 450 exhibitors (all confectionary) and about 20,000 visitors in 2005.
- Masterfoods USA puts more dark chocolate treats on the market. Prior to the beginning of the "All Candy Expo," Masterfoods announced that dark chocolate M&Ms will be available permanently, Dove Almonds coated with either milk or dark chocolate will now be on-sale year round (not just during the holidays), and both Snickers Dark and Snickers Almond Dark will be available for a limited time.
- Indiana company introduces "The World's First Chocolate Delivery Service." The South Bend Chocolate Company will deliver its chocolate via a "Wonkamobile."
- Cacao will be an important topic during the joint meeting of the American Phytopathological Society, the Canadian Phytopathological Society, and the Mycological Society of America. During the meeting, held in Quebec City, the group will sponsor a symposium on cacao disease. The symposium will cover three of the most damaging diseases that currently affect the cacao plant--black pod, frosty pod, and witches' broom.
June 5, 2006
- Big Brother U.K. puts Golden Tickets in Kit-Kat bars. In a move taken directly from Roald Dahl, lucky winners who find golden tickets in their Kit-Kat bars will be entered into a raffle for a chance to be on Big Brother U.K.
- Cargill to build cacao processing plant in Tema, Ghana. Concerned about political instability in nearby Cote D'Ivoire (the world's largest producer of cacao), large firms are working on securing deals with chocolate producers in Ghana, and are also building processing plants in Ghana so the cacao crop can be turned into cocoa powder and cocoa butter near to where it is grown.
June 4, 2006
- Put down the Gatorade, pick up the chocolate milk. Some scientists are suggesting that the vitamins and minerals present in milk make it an excellent pick-me-up after exercise.
- Hershey plans to pay people to eat chocolate! Subjects will be paid to consume a certain amount of Hershey chocolate and cocoa per day for the duration of a six week study. Although Hershey is paying for the study, the scientists running the study claim that they remain independent, and will publish the results whether they are positive, negative, or null.
- Chaka Khan now has a line of gourmet chocolates. The Chakalates will help raise money for Khan's charitable foundation.
June 3, 2006
- Mars Bar gets a new name for the World Cup. Masterfoods has renamed the chocolate bar "Believe" to capitalize on the hope that England will beat Germany in the World Cup. However, folks in the U.K. countries whose teams didn't qualify are pretty unhappy with the marketing campaign.
- Despite skepticism, deep-fried Mars bars not a myth. A study in Scotland showed that 1/5th of all chip shops sell them.
Old Mars Bar news, but still interesting...
Not much news today...
June 2, 2006
- Young Indian boy who won trip to the World Cup in Germany would like to give chocolate to David Beckham. The boy said that if he were to meet Becks he would "first praise him and then I will gift him Dairy Milk and Eclairs Chocolate."
- Angry engineer at Scottish cookie company planned to put weed killer in the chocolate. The man also threatened to put broken glass in the sugar and a rat in an undisclosed part of the production line.
- Chocolate may be the answer to the energy crisis! Scientists in Britain found when fed the leavings from candy factories, Escherichia coli bacteria produced hydrogen as a by-product--enough to power a fan!
- What you gon' do with all those nuts? All those nuts inside that bar? The Black Eyed Peas will soon star in a series of Snickers ads in the form of digital movie episodes (digi-sodes). The movies are intended to reach a younger audience via the web.
June 1, 2006
- Hershey announces its new Center for Health and Nutrition. At the center, scientists will study the health benefits of chocolate and develop products to showcase those benefits.
- Pairing wine with chocolate--tips and tricks. A food writer explains how to determine which wines pair well with which types of chocolate. (Note--there is some clumsy writing in this article, but the information is useful).