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| Below are tidbits culled from articles available on the web. Just click on the highlighted area and you will be directed to the article. |
May 10, 2008 - In Bremerton, Washington we here at eChocolateNYC would be likely suspects for the local
police. The police got a call for some missing candy bars. An officer pulled over a 15 year old on a bike.
Smelling chocolate on his breath the officer bought the boy in for questioning where he then confessed to the
heist. The Somerset Historical Center in Somerset, Pennsylvania will be holding a chocolate workshop on
June 7th from 9am. The workshop will be conducted by Susan Plaisted McLelland. Attendees will learn about
the history of chocolate and how it is made.
May 8, 2008 - The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory announced record revenues and earnings for Fiscal
Year 2008.
May 6, 2008 - Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc. has announced that they will be holding an investor's
conference call on Thursday, May 8th at 4:15 EST. The call will release the company's results for both the
fiscal quarter and fiscal year that ended February 29, 2008.
May 3, 2008 - Pregnant women now have a reason to munch on chocolate besides satisfying food cravings.
A new study, from Yale University, published in the May issue of Epidemiology, tracked 2,000 pregnant
women and found that those who consumed chocolate during pregnancy were less likely to suffer from
preeclampsia. In the United Kingdom the Food Standards Agency has reported a recall of the Sainsbury
brand of Chocolate and Toffee Crisp Bites. There is a fear that they may be contaminated with glass. No
other Sainsbury products are affected by the recall. A survey in Great Britain has found that 27% of parents
felt that teachers were rewarding their childrens good work by giving them chocolate and other sweets. This
contradicts the work of The Schools Food Trust which has been encouraging healthier foods in schools and
pressuring headmasters into providing healthier alternatives on the school menus. The Trust would like to
have teachers reward good behavior by giving the kids fruit instead. The Phipps Conservatory and Botanical
Gardens in Pittsburgh is running a new exhibit, Chocolate! , through October 2008. The lead sponsor is
Trello Cioccolato. The exhibit traces chocolate from the beginning of its cultivation and has activities geared
towards both adults and children. In the ongoing saga of the New York Chocolate factory which continues to
sit unused in Fulton, New York the company has rehired four of the laid off Nestle workers to keep the plant
well maintained. Hopefully this is a sign that the investors in The Ivory Coast are getting ready to finally
reopen the plant and the 80 laid off workers can get back to making chocolate. Wauwatosa, Wisconsin is the
home of Chocolaterie Stam. The shop named after its founder Jacobus Stam originally opened in
Amsterdam in 1912. They carry 45 different homemade bon bons and the shop looks quite attractive judging
by the photo in the article. Confiserie Sprungli, the Swiss chocolate makers, have announced they are
expanding by opening an outlet in Dubai. Years back a certain member of the eChocolateNYC editorial board
had the opportunity to work his way through a box of Sprungli product while traveling through Switzerland and
throughly enjoyed the experience. The company has been making chocolate since 1836 when they started up
in Zurich. The firm is still in family hands with the sixth generation at the helm. Having a working agreement
with Swiss Air will allow the company to take advantage of Swiss Airs three daily flights, Zurich to Dubai, to
keep fresh inventory in their new shop.
May 2, 2008 - Jacques Torres has a cute boxed set for Mother's Day. The box includes champagne truffles
and an assortment of Jacques always high quality chocolates. Deborah Markus the chocolate editor of
Bellaonline has an interesting looking recipe for Chocolate Red Velvet Cake with an amusing tale of how the
recipe for red velvet cake may have come into the public domain. The Hershey folks keep adding more
important information to their website. Their newest section deals with S'mores. That wonderful mixture of
chocolate, marshmallow and graham crackers. We here at eChocolateNYC are old school and thought there
was only one way to make a S'more. To our delighted surprise Hershey provides 16 recipes from their
kitchens and then you can weigh in with your own recipe to. Cadbury Schweppes has almost completed its
demerger between the soft drink and confectionery sides of the business. Cadbury Plc started trading today
as the stand alone confectionery business. The demerger will be finished on May 7th when Dr Pepper
Snapple Group (DPSG) starts trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Barry Callebaut has completed its
acquisition of 60% of Malaysia's KLK Cocoa. The move will give Callebaut more leverage in the expanding
Asian market.
May 1, 2008 - De Brand Chocolates has a really nice tote filled with chocolate made up for Mother's Day. The
tote has everything from tasting bars to different truffle collections. Chocolat Moderne has a couple of nice
items for Mother's Day. They include a Mother's Day assortment in a pink faux lizard box and chocolate
covered cherries infused in a syrups that's been infused with vodka. Of course the folks at Vosges Haut -
Chocolat have something special on tap for the Mother's Day season. The Les Fleurs Du Chocolat Truffle
Collection. The Truffles come topped with an organic flower petal. Some of the flavors are Siam Citron:
jasmine tea + lemongrass + fresh coconut + white chocolate + organic marigold petal, Mirabelle Orange:
mirabelle plums + orange flower water + 65% dark chocolate + organic nasturtium petal, Rose Vert : tarragon
+ rose water + 65% dark chocolate + organic red rose petal, Platanos y Orchidus (3): orchid vanilla +
caramelized bananas + Jamaican rum + 41% deep milk chocolate + organic purple orchid flower.
April 30, 2008 - Mars, the makers of M&Ms and Snickers is planning to merge with chewing gum giant
Wrigley. Both companies have issued statements supporting the merger and when the smoke clears they
will have created the worlds largest confectionery firm. Halal products are growing in sales volume in the
United States. With immigration to the United States growing every year, it's estimated that the potential
market just among practicing Muslims could be 16 billion dollars a year. It's also believed that many non
Muslims prefer halal products believing that they are more natural and healthy. Companies like Lang
Chocolates are already making halal chocolate and it will be interesting to see how many companies attempt
to tap this growing market.
April 28, 2008 - The University of East Anglia in England needs 150 women to volunteer to consume
chocolate on a daily basis. They are hoping to establish a link between a new chocolate bar that is fortified
with extra flavanoids and soy and better medical health. Most doctors don't recommend chocolate as part of a
healthy regimen because unregulated it is loaded with extra sugars and fat. As healthier, darker, chocolates
are developed the extra sugars and fat become less of an issue. The women in the study will be provided
with chocolate and monitoring.
April 27, 2008 - The Pittsburgh Tribune - Review has a nice article about chocolate making and the state of
the industry in Italy. The article has a lot of useful information and a quick and useful read.
April 26, 2008 - The New York Observer has an interesting article about Alison Nelson and her shop
Chocolate Bar. With neighborhood rents spiraling out of control she's moving across town to the more
affordable East Village. The new address will be 127 East 7th Street and of course she still has her cafe at
Henri Bendel. Her Eighth Avenue location closes on April 27th so drop by the new shop and wish her luck.
In our nation's capitol in celebration of Earth Day Metro riders disembarking at the Capitol South and Union
Station stops were rewarded with riding public transit with a free chocolate bar. The Metro and the American
Public Transportation Association were trying to point out that a citizen of Washington can reduce their carbon
footprint 10% just by opting to ride public transportation instead of driving to work. On Sunday The Whole
Foods on Woodruff Road in Greenville, South Carolina will host what promises to be a neat event. The
Immaculate Baking Co. will attempt to bake a 500 pound chocolate chip cookie out of all organic materials.
That includes the eggs, flour everything. When the baking is done you'll be able to purchase a one pound
piece for $10. The proceeds will go to the Greenville Organic Foods Organization (GOFO) to help fund its
Grow Healthy Kids Program. Whereas we here at eChocolateNYC would be intimidated trying to bake a 500
pound cookie the folks at Immaculate are old hands at such matters and in 2002 baked a Guinness Book
record setting item when they whipped up a 40,000 pound item. In the United Kingdom Marks & Spencer are
going a little bit Green by using packaging in their Swiss Chocolate Assortment that is biodegradable,
compostable and made from renewable resources. The insert holding the chocolates is made from a
material called Plantic which is made from a plant based compostable material. It's official Maryland has
made the Smith Island Cake the official dessert of the state. The cake which is thin layers of yellow cake with
chocolate frosting has been a staple of the small Island's community for years. The Island has only 260 full
time residents and was originally settled by the English in the late 1600's. The Hershey Co. announced a
drop in profits for the sixth consecutive quarter even after factoring their second price increase in the last year.
The company is still very profitable it's just that the chocolate industry is getting slammed with increased
costs across the board. As cocoa and milk prices surge forward the companies also have to deal with
increasing energy costs at the same time. The winners have been announced for the Easter chocolate
bunny giveaway at McFarland Candies of Frostburg, Maryland. In the last few days the New York Times has
been running some great looking chocolate based recipes. This one looks good Dark Chocolate Flan With
New Mexican Chili, Cinnamon and Pepita Praline. Rabbi David Lipper of Temple Israel in Akron, Ohio had a
creative way to get the kids involved in the Passover Seder this year. Wherever possible chocolate was used
a substitute for the classical Seder ingredients. Wine was replaced with chocolate milk. Bitter herbs were
replaced with bitter sweet chocolate. Instead of dipping a vegetable in salt water a strawberry was dipped in
chocolate and salted to symbolize the coming of Spring and the rebirth of hope. In the world of Kosher
chocolate we recently came across Holyland Market, 122 St. Marks Place, 212 477 - 4440, a small shop that
is full of products imported from Israel. Of course we dropped in and were happy to see that they carry the
best selection of Elite chocolate bars we've come across in NYC. We're fond of Elite having discovered them
a while back at Economy Candy. Holyland has a larger selection of Elite bars but of course Economy has
more different candy. Nestle's, head of chocolate operations,Petraea Heynike, has announced that Nestle
will focus on dark chocolate as an aging consumer base seeks what they perceive to be a more healthy
chocolate eating experience. Nestle also plans on focusing on premium chocolate. The company is the
world's number two chocolate producer behind the Mars Company. English chocolate makers Thorntons
announced their sixth consecutive quarter of growth. Their progress had been slowed by the shorter Easter
season but all in all the company has rebounded nicely from their troubles of a few years ago. They currently
have 379 company owned stores as well as another 252 that are operating under franchise agreements.
We've seen them in Walgreens and we guess they'll be everywhere in the next few days. Why we're talking
about the Limited Edition Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull M&Ms and Snickers Bars. The
M&Ms will have a minty taste to them.
April 25, 2008 - The New York Times has what looks like a promising recipe for Chocolate-Chocolate Chunk
Ice Cream With Salted Cashews. The New York Times also has another promising recipe this one for Milk
Chocolate-Banana Pudding. This year the star of the ninth annual Long Grove Chocolate Festival wont be a
chef or famous chocolatier but will most likely be a 700 pound slab of fudge being put together by Long
Grove Confectionery Co. The Festival will be held on May 2nd, 3rd and 4th. It will be held in Long Grove,
Illinois which is a lovely town 35 miles North West of Chicago. The International Herald Tribune has a
fascinating article explaining the history of chocolate pudding and compares four different recipes the author
tried out.
April 24, 2008 - We've yet to sample the Haagen - Daz Reserve line but we can hardly wait to try the newest
addition to the line. Fleur de Sel caramel. Caramels covered in chocolate then blended into caramel ice
cream. Mixed into this is Fleur de Sel or 'Flower of the Salt' hand harvested salt from Brittany. Cloetta Fazer
the largest confectionery company in the Nordic region reported an increase in sales of 6% but a drop in
operating profit. Squeezed by increasing commodity prices the manufacturer of such brands as Karl Fazer,
Kexchoklad, Dumle, Geisha, Polly and Center will be forced to be raising prices and seeking greater
efficiency. The Food and Drink Federation of Great Britain is holding their Biscuit Cake Chocolate &
Confectionery Sector Group 55th Technology Conference in Dunchurch. Some of the leading companies in
the UK confectionery scene will be discussing everything from environmental issues to cocoa certification.
Tibor Liska is facing some heavy jail time after pleading guilty to moving some 12,000 units a month of a
Boom which was a mixture of sildenafil "Viagra", chocolate and herbs. He sold them as a natural plant based
supplement never mentioning they contained Viagra. Kraft Foods Inc. has agreed to sell its Artiach biscuits
business in Spain and its Balaton chocolate trademark in Hungary . Kraft was forced to sell off some
properties in Spain and Hungary. Nestle was the buyer of Balaton and the deal brought Kraft into compliance
with its agreement with the European Commission who had insisted that Kraft divest some properties in
these markets after they acquired Group Danone's global biscuits business last year.
April 23, 2008 - Cadbury has now raised the stakes in the removing of artificial colorings from their
confectionery products field by announcing they will discontinue the use of all such colorings by the end of
2008. With increasing concern over the effect of these colorings on children's behavior we here at
eChocolateNYC think it will be impossible for other confectionery concerns not to follow suit. It's only a matter
of time before individual regulatory bodies start banning those colorings that are found to alter behavior and
with Cadbury, Western Europes, largest confectionery firm taking the lead that day will be coming much more
quickly. KFC has recalled Double Chocolate Chip Cakes which contain a host of possible allergens and
aren't labeled appropriately. They contain eggs, milk, wheat, soy ingredients and possibly traces of tree nuts.
They will be rereleased once the labeling issues are resolved. Steve Wallace of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin
borrowed $9,000 from his life insurance policy and took it to start Omanhene. Omanhene makes chocolate
that is made from cocoa beans that are produced by adhering to exacting ethical standards. The company
started in 1991 and experienced 55% growth the last three years. His beans are from Ghana and his firm
processes them there which allows the manufacturing dollars to stay in the local economy. A new study in
the Journal of Nutrition has come to the conclusion that the consumption of two CocoaVia dark chocolate
bars a day can lead to the lowering of cholesterol levels. The research was carried out at The University of
Illinois. Some might question the results as part of the funding was provided by Mars which makes CocoaVia
bars. Still the Journal of Nutrition is a well regarded forum which adds a bit of validity to the findings. Cadbury
Adams a subsidiary of Cadbury Schweppes has announced they will cease advertising to consumers under
12. We're not quite sure how they will market Bubblicious gum as we can't see this being a product that will
appeal to adults. Vosges Haut - Chocolat has a new product that will be debuting on April 30th. It is a Red
Velvet Party Cake. The picture looks great. The Red Velvet is encased in white chocolate and sells for $60.
April 20, 2008 - A new study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry has found that the
Alkalisation of cocoa beans during the manufacturing process can lead to a decrease in flavanoid content by
two-thirds. This leads to a lowering of the antioxidant potential of chocolate. With some of the growth in the
dark chocolate, flavanol rich, attributed to consumers trying to eat healthy this is something that some
manufacturers will have to address. After purchasing 100% of the Tanzanian firm Biolands high end output
Barry Callebaut has gone ahead and taken a 49% stake in the company. By buying the cocoa that Biolands
has produced, organic and small farm, Biolands has been able to expand sustainable, ethical farming. With
Callebaut's recent investment they will be able to expand their programs into other countries. Researchers
published an article in the International Journal of Food Science & Technology suggesting the use of peanuts
and chocolate to both boost the protein content and enhance the taste of soy based drinks. With the market
for healthy drinks expanding and soy being a likely candidate for non dairy protein rich drinks we'd wager a lot
of research in this direction is going on world wide.
April 12, 2008 - Lewisburg, West Virginia is enjoying their Second Annual Lewisburg Chocolate Festival
today. Washington Street in the downtown will be closed and visitors will enjoy sampling different chocolate
items from a variety of providers. In Lancashire, England burglars made off with $40,000 worth of Cadbury
Flakes bars from a dairy business. The haul was eight pallets of the chocolate bars. The owners have
offered a reward of $20,000 for the capture of the bandits and return of the goods. If any of our readers are
going to be at Agfest, the big farm product fair in Tasmania, Australia, early May, as you're working your way
through the 600+ vendors take a look for Val Parish who will be selling some of the first batches of local
chocolate. We are curious to hear about her companies shiraz and pinot noir drops as well as the general
quality of Australian cocoa. If Australia can become a major producer of cocoa it could provide stability to
prices as the country is much more stable than cocoa powerhouses like Ghana and The Ivory Coast.
Cadbury reported a drop in chocolate Easter Egg sales this year. An early Easter combined with a price war
in The United Kingdom led to a drop in the companies Creme Egg profits for the year. D-Cape Vincent, the
Ivory Coast's ambassador to the United Nations has held a series of meetings with politicians and local
people connected with New York Chocolate. Apparently he was impressed and is going to urge his nations
President to get the factory back up and running. The plant employed hundreds in upstate New York and has
been shuttered for a while. Things went awry when investors from the Ivory Coast ran into a series of financial
pitfalls. Tomorrow, Sunday, The Fort Mason Conference Center in San Francisco, California will be home to
the Second Annual Chocolate Salon. Thirty or so local chocolate companies will be displaying their wares.
Some of the exhibitors are Poco Dolce, Coco-luxe' Charles Chocolates, Guittard, Scharffen Berger and XOX
Truffles . Sandra Freeman, co-owner of Divine Chocolate was recently interviewed about her shop with The
New York Weekly.
April 11, 2008 - Carob which has long been used as a chocolate substitute especially in vegan cooking is
now being seriously studied by scientists. They have isolated carobs protein and well-balanced amino acid
composition and are considering it as a source of protein in the protein replacement market. Soy currently
dominates that market but as more people turn to less animal protein diets this market can only grow. The
United Kingdom firm Waitrose is launching a product we've been waiting for. One Hundred Percent cacao
chocolate bars. Made from Venezuelan beans grown on the companies farm Hacienda El Tesoro. The new
product is named Venezuelan Black. In Australia Cadbury has suffered a defeat in its battle with local
confection firm Darrell Lea. Cadbury had claimed that Darrell Lea was using Cadbury's distinctive purple
coloring to confuse consumers into confusing consumers into believing that their product was actually
Cadburys. Darrell Lea felt the victory was deserved because they had used purple in their wrapping and
store displays for years. Cadbury has already announced they intend on appealing. Cracker Barrel is
recalling 5 oz bags of chocolate covered peanuts and almonds. A labeling snafu led to bags possibly having
the wrong nut in them. This could pose a health risk to the allergic. In the United Kingdom Marks & Spencer
have finally prevailed in a case that goes back 35 years. In 1973 when VAT was introduced M & S's chocolate
teacakes were mislabeled as chocolate biscuits. Cake is exempt from VAT whereas biscuits are not. Over
the years almost $7,000,000 was collected by the tax authorities. When the cakes were correctly classified in
1994 M & S moved to recoup this money. The Commissioners of Customs and Excise disputed the size of
the refund for a variety of reasons the most obvious being that the vast majority of the revenue collected was
from money that consumers had been charged by M & S and therefore to allow them to profit from the
governments mistake would lead to undue enrichment. The European Court of Justice ruled in M & S's favor
yesterday ending the case on a sweet note for the firms owners. It has been announced that Robert C.
Vowler will be retiring as The Hershey Trust Company chief executive. In his 12 year tenure Hershey
diversified and added such companies as Joseph Schmidt, Dagoba and Scharffen - Berger to its portfolio.
The trust still controls 78% of the firms stock.
April 09, 2008 - Vosges Haut - Chocolat has once again released their chocolate covered matzo. Pieces of
matzo covered in 64% chocolate and then sprinkled with Kosher sea salt. They are certified Kosher but are
not Kosher for Passover.
April 08, 2008 - Scientists for the Australian Army have developed a new "super chocolate". The chocolate
will be mixed with fats that have a high melting point so that the chocolate wont melt in hot environments
such as Iraq. It will also be fortified with vitamins and have added flavor so that it will maintain its taste for two
years. Also from Australia comes news that a Member of Parliament , Christopher Pyne, has a plan to end
the sale of non fairtrade chocolate from vending machines in the Parliament Building. He is concerned about
what type of message Parliamne is sending while consuming chocolate that may have been made from
chocolate that came from cocoa beans that may have been produced by child labor.
April 07, 2008 - The Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland, Maine hosted the 22nd Annual Chocolate Lover's
Fling, last weekend. You can see a nice local news clip here. Hershey is introducing a new line of chocolate
"Bliss". Over the weekend of April 25th Hershey hopes to help 10,000 people hold house parties where they
will introduce their friends to this new product. If you would like to be considered for holding one of these
parties click here. Containers of Private Selection Light Churned Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream were being
recalled from some Dillons stores in Kansas and 11 other states. The ice cream is being recalled because it
may contain wheat, soy or egg byproduct which can cause a reaction among those who are allergic. The
Supreme Court of China has handed Ferrero Rocher a victory in its court battle with local firm Montresor.
Montresor has been producing since the early 1980s a gold wrapped chocolate that looks just like Ferrero's
product but for a fraction of the price. The victory supports Ferrero's claim that not only their name but also
their packaging is distinctive and worthy of trademark protection. In Blacksburg, Virginia The Chocolate
Spike will be moving to new quarters. The shop will have a cafe. A study from Finland has found that
flavanoid consumption may cut the risk of pancreatic cancer among male smokers. This isn't the first study to
find flavanoids help fight cancer. Flavanoids found in cocoa beans has also been found to have the ability to
help the body fight heart disease. IPSOS conducted a recent survey in Belgium, Switzerland, France,
Germany, UK and The United States. The survey was financed by Barry Callebaut and tried to find out what
chocolate consumers wanted. Twenty - Five percent of chocolate lovers said they regularly try new and
different chocolates. The survey also found a growing sophistication among chocolate consumers. Forty -
Two percent knew about cocoa sourcing up from sixteen percent in 2006. Ghana, one of the worlds top
producers of cocoa has been suffering a yield decline the last few years. To combat this they have developed
four hybrid cocoa species. These new species are more pest resistant than previous strains. A team of
researchers has been studying the nutrients in these hybrids to see if they are as nutrient rich as the non
hybrid version of cocoa plants. They have to the conclusion that they have similar properties and may even be
better in some respects.
April 06, 2008 - Barry Callebaut has announced a deal where they will be purchasing a 60% stake in
Malaysia's KL Kepong Cocoa Products. The deal will allow Callebaut to have access to Kepong's customer
list as well as a better ability to source cocoa out of Indonesia to feed the companies plants in China and
Japan. With the Asian market expanding at a quicker pace than more developed markets Callebaut is trying
to make sure they have a piece of this developing market. Barry Callebaut has announced the half year
ending February 29th had a stable profit situation. While sales volume was up the increase in costs for raw
cocoa, milk and financing expansion costs have led to a flattening of profits. The company had particularly
disappointing results in the African consumer market. They have initiated some price restructuring in January
2008 and the new higher prices should lead to increased profitability. Vosges Haut - Chocolat has
introduced their first entry into the organic market. How good does this sound. A chocolate and peanut butter
bon bon composed of organic peanut butter and organic pink Himalayan salt and organic Fleur de Sel salt.
We cant wait to try this as it sounds great. Deborah Markus of Bellaonline has posted an interesting piece on
Brownie Baking using Kodiak Cakes Brownie Mix. She evaluates the use of whole wheat flour and white flour.
We here at eChocolateNYC always use white flour but this piece has made us reexamine how we approach
chocolate baking. Meiji Seika Japan's largest chocolate manufacturer has recalled sixteen products after it
was pointed out that the company was using an unapproved genetically altered sweetener in the products.
Greenpeace is calling upon the company to release a list of other firms that have bought the sweetener from
the company and may be using it in their products. Fuji Food has also recalled some products made with the
sweetener. The sweetener GF2 had been used to replace sugar. The company claims it is safe for
consumers but in Japan many consumers actively avoid GMO food.
April 01, 2008 - Cargill will be holding a conference to discuss the importance of texture in the manufacturing
of confectionery goods. The conference will be held during the Pennsylvania Manufacturing Confectioners
Association which will be held April 7 - 9. Texture is usually not given the attention that is given to taste and
appearance but it is very important in its own way.
March 20, 2008 - Lindt and Spruengli has announced record earnings for the year 2007. One share of Lindt
stock sells for close to $35,000. In 2007 Lindt saw their net profit rise 19.7%. Sales increased 13.9% in the
same period. They also announced they will spend $758,000,000 over the next three years in product
innovation. Sweet China returns to the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) today. A deal with Essential Box
Confectionery had fallen through which led to Sweet Chinas share trading to be cancelled in the AIM system.
Sweet China is now completing the deal which will lead to the reinstatement of their shares. Essential Box
Confectionery produces Lings Turkish Delight among other items. The Essential Box products will be sold in
China. The story of The New York Chocolate plant in Fulton, New York has been checkered the last year or
so. The former Nestle plant with over a million dollars worth of equipment was taken over by investors from
the Ivory Coast. Then financing fell through and as Civil War in the Ivory Coast distracted the government and
their investors the plant closed down. Their is still a skeleton crew of nine looking after the plant. This week
representatives of the Ivory Coast's Ministry of Justice and representatives of the nation's farmers were in
Fulton touring the plant. Hopefully the situation can be resolved and the plants 400 workers can finally get
back to manufacturing chocolate. With Easter and St. Patrick's Day falling so close together
March 16, 2008 - Thirty eight restaurants, stores and candy makers joined together to supply chocolate at
the annual Hospice Chocolate Festival for the benefit of the Hospice of South Kentucky in Bowling Green,
Kentucky last weekend. Wrigley plans a major revamp of their packaging and flavors to counter flat sales in
2007. Orbit gum will add sangria fresca, fabulous fruitini and fruit sorbet. Extra gum will add strawberry
banana, berry pearadise, island cooler and sweet watermelon. As well as being a major player in the
chewing gum market Wrigley is also the owners of Korkunov the Russian chocolate manufacturing firm.
Glisten the candy and snack manufacturer in the United Kingdom has announced they had a successful
2007 has the companies earnings took a jump much of what was attributed to the firms acquisitions. The
company acquired 50% of Skinny Candy as well as taking a stake in Dormen Foods and Big Thoughts two
snack food companies. The company increased operating profit 19%. The French supermarket chain
Leclerc has announced they will be removing certain candies from the checkout area and moving them to the
confectionery aisle. The company has taken the step even though it will cut into their profits in response to the
government's looking for ways to cut the child obesity rate.
March 11, 2008 - Cadbury has announced a date for its planned demerger of its soft drink division from its
confectionary arm. The date is May 7th and the beverage arm will include Dr. Pepper and Snapple among
other brands. Nestle has announced they will be opening a facility for research into dark and premium
chocolate. The company will be working with Pierre Marcolini among others and the facility is named The
Chocolate Centre of Excellence. If you haven't yet seen it this years clucking bunny from Cadbury/Hershey its
a cute item. The rabbit is soft, cute and makes an entertaining sound when squeezed. The rabbit comes with
a Cadbury chocolate egg. We saw these for sale at Walgreens for $6.99 yesterday and think they make a nice
Easter basket stuffer.
March 8, 2008 - DeBrands has mini chocolate bunnies this year. A package of 10 runs $7.50 and they look
really cute. You can get them in hazelnut or dark chocolate. Chocolat Moderne has created what looks like an
excellent Easter item this year. A box of six chocolate eggs. It's best we leave the description of the eggs to
the folks at Moderne and remind our readers that over the last few years Moderne has turned out fine product
after fine product.
March 6, 2008 - We received an email from Frederique of Trois Crepes Patisserie announcing this years
Easter selection. They're carrying praline Easter eggs that look great. They also have little sardine boxes with
12 chocolate fish. The fish are called Poisson d'Avril and are for celebrating April 1st. In France kids on April
1st play jokes on grownups by putting paper fishes on their backs. The grownups then go about their
business unaware that they have a paper fish stuck to their back. Swiss news sources are reporting that
Cadbury has created a new European headquarters in Switzerland. The company has been reorganizing
over the last year. They've demerged with their beverage side and have moved much of their manufacturing to
Eastern Europe. Cadbury is hoping by combining their operations they will have a more International
operation in place. The Spanish confectionary firm Natra saw an increase of 31% in sales in 2007 over
2006. Much of the increase can be attributed to the firms acquisition of the Belgium based firm All Crump.
They also acquired the Italian brand Nutkao the second largest chocolate spread brand in Europe behind
Ferraro's Nutella. The Finnish firm Cloetta Fazer Confectionery is changing their packaging in response to
criticism that their labeling's character Laku-Pekka is a caricature of a black person that perpetuates a
negative racial stereotype. Starting in April the new wrappers will make their appearance. They will use the
previous wrappers color scheme, black, white and red. The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility an
organization that represents 300 faith-based investors with over $100bn in invested capital has called upon
companies in the food industry to not use genetically modified (GM) sugar beet. The group has posed their
objections on their website. The group fears that allowing GM sugar into the nation's food chain would affect
thousands of commercially available products. Many companies have already announced plans to keep GM
products out of their some of their products. Mc Donalds has announced they will not use GM potatoes and
General Mills wont use GM wheat. Opposition to GM products is much more developed in Europe than here
in the States. John & Kiras has once again created a very nice looking holiday item. These are 64% Valrhona
chocolate eggs that come in a nice wooden box and sell for $36 a dozen. Cocoa prices keep rising and The
International Cocoa Organisation has announced that the daily price of cocoa increased 4.6% in January
from December. Hopefully this wont push chocolate prices up to much. Hershey has put up a site for Easter.
The site has ideas for Easter basket making, craft projects and recipes. Vosges Hot - Chocolat has added a
new bunny this year to their lineup. Amalfi , White chocolate bunny infused with lemon zest and pink
peppercorn , will be joining Barcelona, Milk chocolate bunny with smoked almonds and grey sea salt ,
Gianduja, Milk chocolate with almonds and hazelnut praline and Red Fire Bunny, Dark Chocolate with
Mexican chillies and Ceylon cinnamon.
March 3, 2008 - Sometimes you see corporate partnerships and you wonder why bother and sometimes you
wonder what took so long. The later sums up today's announcement that Starbucks and Hershey will be
releasing a line of chocolates under the Starbucks name. We had the opportunity to sample this line a few
weeks back and we are very enthusiastic about the quality of what was offered. Wow the pairing of Anthony
Carroll, Starbucks Coffee Quality Expert, and Ann Brinkerhoff, The Hershey Company's Master Chocolatier,
has led to a dynamite selection of chocolate that can be enjoyed both with coffee or by itself. We are
particularly partial to the Citron Dark Chocolate Tasting Squares. They have a deep chocolate taste with a
fragrant hint of citrus. The Chai Milk Chocolate Squares are also a first rate product. They literally melt on the
tongue with a subtle clean taste of Chai. The Chai Truffles are also first rate and if they are coming packaged
in bags of 10 for $5.00 this could be one of the truly great bargains in the business. We also enjoyed the Milk
Chocolate covered Coffee Beans and only wish they would also come in Dark Chocolate. Of the fourteen
items that we sampled the only one that we found wanting was the Dark Chocolate Vanilla Bean Truffles. We
found them a little to sweet with an aftertaste that was a bit hard to shake. On an editorial note it's great to see
how Hershey has been able to incorporate the concept of artisan chocolate into their business plan without
compromising quality. We are the first to admit we were a trifle leery when Hershey acquired Joseph
Schmidt, Dagoba and Scharffen Berger. These were three companies that had their own unique visions and
we had the natural fear that in a larger corporate culture they would lose these identities. In our opinion
Hershey has done a masterful job with all three companies and their partnership with Starbucks shows they
are flexible and capable of developing new concepts in chocolate and bringing them successfully to the
marketplace. The Starbucks line will be sold in grocery stores and other mass market retailers. The price
points are great and we heartily recommend you take the time to sample the line.
March 1, 2008 - Safeway and Wegmans will now be carrying Chuao Chocolatier's chocolate bars. Chuao
product has turned up here in New York City at the Food Emporium and Whole Foods. We have found there
bars to be of excellent quality. Considering Chuao is a relative newcomer to the field, they opened their doors
in 2002, they have done a tremendous job of producing a quality line and getting it out into the marketplace.
The AC Nielsen Company has issued a report for the year 2006. They found while chocolate consumption
increased 3.9% that premium chocolate consumption increased 24%. We'll be interested to see if the market
grew at a double digit rate in 2007 as it seems even with all of the good press that chocolate has gotten over
the last few years these kind of growth rates are hard to sustain. Good news for the Rocky Mountain
Chocolate Factory store in the Orland Square Mall which is a suburb of Chicago. On February 21st two teen
age bandits made off with the store's mascot a 30 pound stuffed bear by the name of Truffles. The story
made the local news at the time, see the store's surveillance camera footage of the heist, and caused quite
a stir locally. Two teenage girls came into the store and provided information which should lead to the
recovery of the bear.
police. The police got a call for some missing candy bars. An officer pulled over a 15 year old on a bike.
Smelling chocolate on his breath the officer bought the boy in for questioning where he then confessed to the
heist. The Somerset Historical Center in Somerset, Pennsylvania will be holding a chocolate workshop on
June 7th from 9am. The workshop will be conducted by Susan Plaisted McLelland. Attendees will learn about
the history of chocolate and how it is made.
May 8, 2008 - The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory announced record revenues and earnings for Fiscal
Year 2008.
May 6, 2008 - Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc. has announced that they will be holding an investor's
conference call on Thursday, May 8th at 4:15 EST. The call will release the company's results for both the
fiscal quarter and fiscal year that ended February 29, 2008.
May 3, 2008 - Pregnant women now have a reason to munch on chocolate besides satisfying food cravings.
A new study, from Yale University, published in the May issue of Epidemiology, tracked 2,000 pregnant
women and found that those who consumed chocolate during pregnancy were less likely to suffer from
preeclampsia. In the United Kingdom the Food Standards Agency has reported a recall of the Sainsbury
brand of Chocolate and Toffee Crisp Bites. There is a fear that they may be contaminated with glass. No
other Sainsbury products are affected by the recall. A survey in Great Britain has found that 27% of parents
felt that teachers were rewarding their childrens good work by giving them chocolate and other sweets. This
contradicts the work of The Schools Food Trust which has been encouraging healthier foods in schools and
pressuring headmasters into providing healthier alternatives on the school menus. The Trust would like to
have teachers reward good behavior by giving the kids fruit instead. The Phipps Conservatory and Botanical
Gardens in Pittsburgh is running a new exhibit, Chocolate! , through October 2008. The lead sponsor is
Trello Cioccolato. The exhibit traces chocolate from the beginning of its cultivation and has activities geared
towards both adults and children. In the ongoing saga of the New York Chocolate factory which continues to
sit unused in Fulton, New York the company has rehired four of the laid off Nestle workers to keep the plant
well maintained. Hopefully this is a sign that the investors in The Ivory Coast are getting ready to finally
reopen the plant and the 80 laid off workers can get back to making chocolate. Wauwatosa, Wisconsin is the
home of Chocolaterie Stam. The shop named after its founder Jacobus Stam originally opened in
Amsterdam in 1912. They carry 45 different homemade bon bons and the shop looks quite attractive judging
by the photo in the article. Confiserie Sprungli, the Swiss chocolate makers, have announced they are
expanding by opening an outlet in Dubai. Years back a certain member of the eChocolateNYC editorial board
had the opportunity to work his way through a box of Sprungli product while traveling through Switzerland and
throughly enjoyed the experience. The company has been making chocolate since 1836 when they started up
in Zurich. The firm is still in family hands with the sixth generation at the helm. Having a working agreement
with Swiss Air will allow the company to take advantage of Swiss Airs three daily flights, Zurich to Dubai, to
keep fresh inventory in their new shop.
May 2, 2008 - Jacques Torres has a cute boxed set for Mother's Day. The box includes champagne truffles
and an assortment of Jacques always high quality chocolates. Deborah Markus the chocolate editor of
Bellaonline has an interesting looking recipe for Chocolate Red Velvet Cake with an amusing tale of how the
recipe for red velvet cake may have come into the public domain. The Hershey folks keep adding more
important information to their website. Their newest section deals with S'mores. That wonderful mixture of
chocolate, marshmallow and graham crackers. We here at eChocolateNYC are old school and thought there
was only one way to make a S'more. To our delighted surprise Hershey provides 16 recipes from their
kitchens and then you can weigh in with your own recipe to. Cadbury Schweppes has almost completed its
demerger between the soft drink and confectionery sides of the business. Cadbury Plc started trading today
as the stand alone confectionery business. The demerger will be finished on May 7th when Dr Pepper
Snapple Group (DPSG) starts trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Barry Callebaut has completed its
acquisition of 60% of Malaysia's KLK Cocoa. The move will give Callebaut more leverage in the expanding
Asian market.
May 1, 2008 - De Brand Chocolates has a really nice tote filled with chocolate made up for Mother's Day. The
tote has everything from tasting bars to different truffle collections. Chocolat Moderne has a couple of nice
items for Mother's Day. They include a Mother's Day assortment in a pink faux lizard box and chocolate
covered cherries infused in a syrups that's been infused with vodka. Of course the folks at Vosges Haut -
Chocolat have something special on tap for the Mother's Day season. The Les Fleurs Du Chocolat Truffle
Collection. The Truffles come topped with an organic flower petal. Some of the flavors are Siam Citron:
jasmine tea + lemongrass + fresh coconut + white chocolate + organic marigold petal, Mirabelle Orange:
mirabelle plums + orange flower water + 65% dark chocolate + organic nasturtium petal, Rose Vert : tarragon
+ rose water + 65% dark chocolate + organic red rose petal, Platanos y Orchidus (3): orchid vanilla +
caramelized bananas + Jamaican rum + 41% deep milk chocolate + organic purple orchid flower.
April 30, 2008 - Mars, the makers of M&Ms and Snickers is planning to merge with chewing gum giant
Wrigley. Both companies have issued statements supporting the merger and when the smoke clears they
will have created the worlds largest confectionery firm. Halal products are growing in sales volume in the
United States. With immigration to the United States growing every year, it's estimated that the potential
market just among practicing Muslims could be 16 billion dollars a year. It's also believed that many non
Muslims prefer halal products believing that they are more natural and healthy. Companies like Lang
Chocolates are already making halal chocolate and it will be interesting to see how many companies attempt
to tap this growing market.
April 28, 2008 - The University of East Anglia in England needs 150 women to volunteer to consume
chocolate on a daily basis. They are hoping to establish a link between a new chocolate bar that is fortified
with extra flavanoids and soy and better medical health. Most doctors don't recommend chocolate as part of a
healthy regimen because unregulated it is loaded with extra sugars and fat. As healthier, darker, chocolates
are developed the extra sugars and fat become less of an issue. The women in the study will be provided
with chocolate and monitoring.
April 27, 2008 - The Pittsburgh Tribune - Review has a nice article about chocolate making and the state of
the industry in Italy. The article has a lot of useful information and a quick and useful read.
April 26, 2008 - The New York Observer has an interesting article about Alison Nelson and her shop
Chocolate Bar. With neighborhood rents spiraling out of control she's moving across town to the more
affordable East Village. The new address will be 127 East 7th Street and of course she still has her cafe at
Henri Bendel. Her Eighth Avenue location closes on April 27th so drop by the new shop and wish her luck.
In our nation's capitol in celebration of Earth Day Metro riders disembarking at the Capitol South and Union
Station stops were rewarded with riding public transit with a free chocolate bar. The Metro and the American
Public Transportation Association were trying to point out that a citizen of Washington can reduce their carbon
footprint 10% just by opting to ride public transportation instead of driving to work. On Sunday The Whole
Foods on Woodruff Road in Greenville, South Carolina will host what promises to be a neat event. The
Immaculate Baking Co. will attempt to bake a 500 pound chocolate chip cookie out of all organic materials.
That includes the eggs, flour everything. When the baking is done you'll be able to purchase a one pound
piece for $10. The proceeds will go to the Greenville Organic Foods Organization (GOFO) to help fund its
Grow Healthy Kids Program. Whereas we here at eChocolateNYC would be intimidated trying to bake a 500
pound cookie the folks at Immaculate are old hands at such matters and in 2002 baked a Guinness Book
record setting item when they whipped up a 40,000 pound item. In the United Kingdom Marks & Spencer are
going a little bit Green by using packaging in their Swiss Chocolate Assortment that is biodegradable,
compostable and made from renewable resources. The insert holding the chocolates is made from a
material called Plantic which is made from a plant based compostable material. It's official Maryland has
made the Smith Island Cake the official dessert of the state. The cake which is thin layers of yellow cake with
chocolate frosting has been a staple of the small Island's community for years. The Island has only 260 full
time residents and was originally settled by the English in the late 1600's. The Hershey Co. announced a
drop in profits for the sixth consecutive quarter even after factoring their second price increase in the last year.
The company is still very profitable it's just that the chocolate industry is getting slammed with increased
costs across the board. As cocoa and milk prices surge forward the companies also have to deal with
increasing energy costs at the same time. The winners have been announced for the Easter chocolate
bunny giveaway at McFarland Candies of Frostburg, Maryland. In the last few days the New York Times has
been running some great looking chocolate based recipes. This one looks good Dark Chocolate Flan With
New Mexican Chili, Cinnamon and Pepita Praline. Rabbi David Lipper of Temple Israel in Akron, Ohio had a
creative way to get the kids involved in the Passover Seder this year. Wherever possible chocolate was used
a substitute for the classical Seder ingredients. Wine was replaced with chocolate milk. Bitter herbs were
replaced with bitter sweet chocolate. Instead of dipping a vegetable in salt water a strawberry was dipped in
chocolate and salted to symbolize the coming of Spring and the rebirth of hope. In the world of Kosher
chocolate we recently came across Holyland Market, 122 St. Marks Place, 212 477 - 4440, a small shop that
is full of products imported from Israel. Of course we dropped in and were happy to see that they carry the
best selection of Elite chocolate bars we've come across in NYC. We're fond of Elite having discovered them
a while back at Economy Candy. Holyland has a larger selection of Elite bars but of course Economy has
more different candy. Nestle's, head of chocolate operations,Petraea Heynike, has announced that Nestle
will focus on dark chocolate as an aging consumer base seeks what they perceive to be a more healthy
chocolate eating experience. Nestle also plans on focusing on premium chocolate. The company is the
world's number two chocolate producer behind the Mars Company. English chocolate makers Thorntons
announced their sixth consecutive quarter of growth. Their progress had been slowed by the shorter Easter
season but all in all the company has rebounded nicely from their troubles of a few years ago. They currently
have 379 company owned stores as well as another 252 that are operating under franchise agreements.
We've seen them in Walgreens and we guess they'll be everywhere in the next few days. Why we're talking
about the Limited Edition Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull M&Ms and Snickers Bars. The
M&Ms will have a minty taste to them.
April 25, 2008 - The New York Times has what looks like a promising recipe for Chocolate-Chocolate Chunk
Ice Cream With Salted Cashews. The New York Times also has another promising recipe this one for Milk
Chocolate-Banana Pudding. This year the star of the ninth annual Long Grove Chocolate Festival wont be a
chef or famous chocolatier but will most likely be a 700 pound slab of fudge being put together by Long
Grove Confectionery Co. The Festival will be held on May 2nd, 3rd and 4th. It will be held in Long Grove,
Illinois which is a lovely town 35 miles North West of Chicago. The International Herald Tribune has a
fascinating article explaining the history of chocolate pudding and compares four different recipes the author
tried out.
April 24, 2008 - We've yet to sample the Haagen - Daz Reserve line but we can hardly wait to try the newest
addition to the line. Fleur de Sel caramel. Caramels covered in chocolate then blended into caramel ice
cream. Mixed into this is Fleur de Sel or 'Flower of the Salt' hand harvested salt from Brittany. Cloetta Fazer
the largest confectionery company in the Nordic region reported an increase in sales of 6% but a drop in
operating profit. Squeezed by increasing commodity prices the manufacturer of such brands as Karl Fazer,
Kexchoklad, Dumle, Geisha, Polly and Center will be forced to be raising prices and seeking greater
efficiency. The Food and Drink Federation of Great Britain is holding their Biscuit Cake Chocolate &
Confectionery Sector Group 55th Technology Conference in Dunchurch. Some of the leading companies in
the UK confectionery scene will be discussing everything from environmental issues to cocoa certification.
Tibor Liska is facing some heavy jail time after pleading guilty to moving some 12,000 units a month of a
Boom which was a mixture of sildenafil "Viagra", chocolate and herbs. He sold them as a natural plant based
supplement never mentioning they contained Viagra. Kraft Foods Inc. has agreed to sell its Artiach biscuits
business in Spain and its Balaton chocolate trademark in Hungary . Kraft was forced to sell off some
properties in Spain and Hungary. Nestle was the buyer of Balaton and the deal brought Kraft into compliance
with its agreement with the European Commission who had insisted that Kraft divest some properties in
these markets after they acquired Group Danone's global biscuits business last year.
April 23, 2008 - Cadbury has now raised the stakes in the removing of artificial colorings from their
confectionery products field by announcing they will discontinue the use of all such colorings by the end of
2008. With increasing concern over the effect of these colorings on children's behavior we here at
eChocolateNYC think it will be impossible for other confectionery concerns not to follow suit. It's only a matter
of time before individual regulatory bodies start banning those colorings that are found to alter behavior and
with Cadbury, Western Europes, largest confectionery firm taking the lead that day will be coming much more
quickly. KFC has recalled Double Chocolate Chip Cakes which contain a host of possible allergens and
aren't labeled appropriately. They contain eggs, milk, wheat, soy ingredients and possibly traces of tree nuts.
They will be rereleased once the labeling issues are resolved. Steve Wallace of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin
borrowed $9,000 from his life insurance policy and took it to start Omanhene. Omanhene makes chocolate
that is made from cocoa beans that are produced by adhering to exacting ethical standards. The company
started in 1991 and experienced 55% growth the last three years. His beans are from Ghana and his firm
processes them there which allows the manufacturing dollars to stay in the local economy. A new study in
the Journal of Nutrition has come to the conclusion that the consumption of two CocoaVia dark chocolate
bars a day can lead to the lowering of cholesterol levels. The research was carried out at The University of
Illinois. Some might question the results as part of the funding was provided by Mars which makes CocoaVia
bars. Still the Journal of Nutrition is a well regarded forum which adds a bit of validity to the findings. Cadbury
Adams a subsidiary of Cadbury Schweppes has announced they will cease advertising to consumers under
12. We're not quite sure how they will market Bubblicious gum as we can't see this being a product that will
appeal to adults. Vosges Haut - Chocolat has a new product that will be debuting on April 30th. It is a Red
Velvet Party Cake. The picture looks great. The Red Velvet is encased in white chocolate and sells for $60.
April 20, 2008 - A new study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry has found that the
Alkalisation of cocoa beans during the manufacturing process can lead to a decrease in flavanoid content by
two-thirds. This leads to a lowering of the antioxidant potential of chocolate. With some of the growth in the
dark chocolate, flavanol rich, attributed to consumers trying to eat healthy this is something that some
manufacturers will have to address. After purchasing 100% of the Tanzanian firm Biolands high end output
Barry Callebaut has gone ahead and taken a 49% stake in the company. By buying the cocoa that Biolands
has produced, organic and small farm, Biolands has been able to expand sustainable, ethical farming. With
Callebaut's recent investment they will be able to expand their programs into other countries. Researchers
published an article in the International Journal of Food Science & Technology suggesting the use of peanuts
and chocolate to both boost the protein content and enhance the taste of soy based drinks. With the market
for healthy drinks expanding and soy being a likely candidate for non dairy protein rich drinks we'd wager a lot
of research in this direction is going on world wide.
April 12, 2008 - Lewisburg, West Virginia is enjoying their Second Annual Lewisburg Chocolate Festival
today. Washington Street in the downtown will be closed and visitors will enjoy sampling different chocolate
items from a variety of providers. In Lancashire, England burglars made off with $40,000 worth of Cadbury
Flakes bars from a dairy business. The haul was eight pallets of the chocolate bars. The owners have
offered a reward of $20,000 for the capture of the bandits and return of the goods. If any of our readers are
going to be at Agfest, the big farm product fair in Tasmania, Australia, early May, as you're working your way
through the 600+ vendors take a look for Val Parish who will be selling some of the first batches of local
chocolate. We are curious to hear about her companies shiraz and pinot noir drops as well as the general
quality of Australian cocoa. If Australia can become a major producer of cocoa it could provide stability to
prices as the country is much more stable than cocoa powerhouses like Ghana and The Ivory Coast.
Cadbury reported a drop in chocolate Easter Egg sales this year. An early Easter combined with a price war
in The United Kingdom led to a drop in the companies Creme Egg profits for the year. D-Cape Vincent, the
Ivory Coast's ambassador to the United Nations has held a series of meetings with politicians and local
people connected with New York Chocolate. Apparently he was impressed and is going to urge his nations
President to get the factory back up and running. The plant employed hundreds in upstate New York and has
been shuttered for a while. Things went awry when investors from the Ivory Coast ran into a series of financial
pitfalls. Tomorrow, Sunday, The Fort Mason Conference Center in San Francisco, California will be home to
the Second Annual Chocolate Salon. Thirty or so local chocolate companies will be displaying their wares.
Some of the exhibitors are Poco Dolce, Coco-luxe' Charles Chocolates, Guittard, Scharffen Berger and XOX
Truffles . Sandra Freeman, co-owner of Divine Chocolate was recently interviewed about her shop with The
New York Weekly.
April 11, 2008 - Carob which has long been used as a chocolate substitute especially in vegan cooking is
now being seriously studied by scientists. They have isolated carobs protein and well-balanced amino acid
composition and are considering it as a source of protein in the protein replacement market. Soy currently
dominates that market but as more people turn to less animal protein diets this market can only grow. The
United Kingdom firm Waitrose is launching a product we've been waiting for. One Hundred Percent cacao
chocolate bars. Made from Venezuelan beans grown on the companies farm Hacienda El Tesoro. The new
product is named Venezuelan Black. In Australia Cadbury has suffered a defeat in its battle with local
confection firm Darrell Lea. Cadbury had claimed that Darrell Lea was using Cadbury's distinctive purple
coloring to confuse consumers into confusing consumers into believing that their product was actually
Cadburys. Darrell Lea felt the victory was deserved because they had used purple in their wrapping and
store displays for years. Cadbury has already announced they intend on appealing. Cracker Barrel is
recalling 5 oz bags of chocolate covered peanuts and almonds. A labeling snafu led to bags possibly having
the wrong nut in them. This could pose a health risk to the allergic. In the United Kingdom Marks & Spencer
have finally prevailed in a case that goes back 35 years. In 1973 when VAT was introduced M & S's chocolate
teacakes were mislabeled as chocolate biscuits. Cake is exempt from VAT whereas biscuits are not. Over
the years almost $7,000,000 was collected by the tax authorities. When the cakes were correctly classified in
1994 M & S moved to recoup this money. The Commissioners of Customs and Excise disputed the size of
the refund for a variety of reasons the most obvious being that the vast majority of the revenue collected was
from money that consumers had been charged by M & S and therefore to allow them to profit from the
governments mistake would lead to undue enrichment. The European Court of Justice ruled in M & S's favor
yesterday ending the case on a sweet note for the firms owners. It has been announced that Robert C.
Vowler will be retiring as The Hershey Trust Company chief executive. In his 12 year tenure Hershey
diversified and added such companies as Joseph Schmidt, Dagoba and Scharffen - Berger to its portfolio.
The trust still controls 78% of the firms stock.
April 09, 2008 - Vosges Haut - Chocolat has once again released their chocolate covered matzo. Pieces of
matzo covered in 64% chocolate and then sprinkled with Kosher sea salt. They are certified Kosher but are
not Kosher for Passover.
April 08, 2008 - Scientists for the Australian Army have developed a new "super chocolate". The chocolate
will be mixed with fats that have a high melting point so that the chocolate wont melt in hot environments
such as Iraq. It will also be fortified with vitamins and have added flavor so that it will maintain its taste for two
years. Also from Australia comes news that a Member of Parliament , Christopher Pyne, has a plan to end
the sale of non fairtrade chocolate from vending machines in the Parliament Building. He is concerned about
what type of message Parliamne is sending while consuming chocolate that may have been made from
chocolate that came from cocoa beans that may have been produced by child labor.
April 07, 2008 - The Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland, Maine hosted the 22nd Annual Chocolate Lover's
Fling, last weekend. You can see a nice local news clip here. Hershey is introducing a new line of chocolate
"Bliss". Over the weekend of April 25th Hershey hopes to help 10,000 people hold house parties where they
will introduce their friends to this new product. If you would like to be considered for holding one of these
parties click here. Containers of Private Selection Light Churned Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream were being
recalled from some Dillons stores in Kansas and 11 other states. The ice cream is being recalled because it
may contain wheat, soy or egg byproduct which can cause a reaction among those who are allergic. The
Supreme Court of China has handed Ferrero Rocher a victory in its court battle with local firm Montresor.
Montresor has been producing since the early 1980s a gold wrapped chocolate that looks just like Ferrero's
product but for a fraction of the price. The victory supports Ferrero's claim that not only their name but also
their packaging is distinctive and worthy of trademark protection. In Blacksburg, Virginia The Chocolate
Spike will be moving to new quarters. The shop will have a cafe. A study from Finland has found that
flavanoid consumption may cut the risk of pancreatic cancer among male smokers. This isn't the first study to
find flavanoids help fight cancer. Flavanoids found in cocoa beans has also been found to have the ability to
help the body fight heart disease. IPSOS conducted a recent survey in Belgium, Switzerland, France,
Germany, UK and The United States. The survey was financed by Barry Callebaut and tried to find out what
chocolate consumers wanted. Twenty - Five percent of chocolate lovers said they regularly try new and
different chocolates. The survey also found a growing sophistication among chocolate consumers. Forty -
Two percent knew about cocoa sourcing up from sixteen percent in 2006. Ghana, one of the worlds top
producers of cocoa has been suffering a yield decline the last few years. To combat this they have developed
four hybrid cocoa species. These new species are more pest resistant than previous strains. A team of
researchers has been studying the nutrients in these hybrids to see if they are as nutrient rich as the non
hybrid version of cocoa plants. They have to the conclusion that they have similar properties and may even be
better in some respects.
April 06, 2008 - Barry Callebaut has announced a deal where they will be purchasing a 60% stake in
Malaysia's KL Kepong Cocoa Products. The deal will allow Callebaut to have access to Kepong's customer
list as well as a better ability to source cocoa out of Indonesia to feed the companies plants in China and
Japan. With the Asian market expanding at a quicker pace than more developed markets Callebaut is trying
to make sure they have a piece of this developing market. Barry Callebaut has announced the half year
ending February 29th had a stable profit situation. While sales volume was up the increase in costs for raw
cocoa, milk and financing expansion costs have led to a flattening of profits. The company had particularly
disappointing results in the African consumer market. They have initiated some price restructuring in January
2008 and the new higher prices should lead to increased profitability. Vosges Haut - Chocolat has
introduced their first entry into the organic market. How good does this sound. A chocolate and peanut butter
bon bon composed of organic peanut butter and organic pink Himalayan salt and organic Fleur de Sel salt.
We cant wait to try this as it sounds great. Deborah Markus of Bellaonline has posted an interesting piece on
Brownie Baking using Kodiak Cakes Brownie Mix. She evaluates the use of whole wheat flour and white flour.
We here at eChocolateNYC always use white flour but this piece has made us reexamine how we approach
chocolate baking. Meiji Seika Japan's largest chocolate manufacturer has recalled sixteen products after it
was pointed out that the company was using an unapproved genetically altered sweetener in the products.
Greenpeace is calling upon the company to release a list of other firms that have bought the sweetener from
the company and may be using it in their products. Fuji Food has also recalled some products made with the
sweetener. The sweetener GF2 had been used to replace sugar. The company claims it is safe for
consumers but in Japan many consumers actively avoid GMO food.
April 01, 2008 - Cargill will be holding a conference to discuss the importance of texture in the manufacturing
of confectionery goods. The conference will be held during the Pennsylvania Manufacturing Confectioners
Association which will be held April 7 - 9. Texture is usually not given the attention that is given to taste and
appearance but it is very important in its own way.
March 20, 2008 - Lindt and Spruengli has announced record earnings for the year 2007. One share of Lindt
stock sells for close to $35,000. In 2007 Lindt saw their net profit rise 19.7%. Sales increased 13.9% in the
same period. They also announced they will spend $758,000,000 over the next three years in product
innovation. Sweet China returns to the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) today. A deal with Essential Box
Confectionery had fallen through which led to Sweet Chinas share trading to be cancelled in the AIM system.
Sweet China is now completing the deal which will lead to the reinstatement of their shares. Essential Box
Confectionery produces Lings Turkish Delight among other items. The Essential Box products will be sold in
China. The story of The New York Chocolate plant in Fulton, New York has been checkered the last year or
so. The former Nestle plant with over a million dollars worth of equipment was taken over by investors from
the Ivory Coast. Then financing fell through and as Civil War in the Ivory Coast distracted the government and
their investors the plant closed down. Their is still a skeleton crew of nine looking after the plant. This week
representatives of the Ivory Coast's Ministry of Justice and representatives of the nation's farmers were in
Fulton touring the plant. Hopefully the situation can be resolved and the plants 400 workers can finally get
back to manufacturing chocolate. With Easter and St. Patrick's Day falling so close together
March 16, 2008 - Thirty eight restaurants, stores and candy makers joined together to supply chocolate at
the annual Hospice Chocolate Festival for the benefit of the Hospice of South Kentucky in Bowling Green,
Kentucky last weekend. Wrigley plans a major revamp of their packaging and flavors to counter flat sales in
2007. Orbit gum will add sangria fresca, fabulous fruitini and fruit sorbet. Extra gum will add strawberry
banana, berry pearadise, island cooler and sweet watermelon. As well as being a major player in the
chewing gum market Wrigley is also the owners of Korkunov the Russian chocolate manufacturing firm.
Glisten the candy and snack manufacturer in the United Kingdom has announced they had a successful
2007 has the companies earnings took a jump much of what was attributed to the firms acquisitions. The
company acquired 50% of Skinny Candy as well as taking a stake in Dormen Foods and Big Thoughts two
snack food companies. The company increased operating profit 19%. The French supermarket chain
Leclerc has announced they will be removing certain candies from the checkout area and moving them to the
confectionery aisle. The company has taken the step even though it will cut into their profits in response to the
government's looking for ways to cut the child obesity rate.
March 11, 2008 - Cadbury has announced a date for its planned demerger of its soft drink division from its
confectionary arm. The date is May 7th and the beverage arm will include Dr. Pepper and Snapple among
other brands. Nestle has announced they will be opening a facility for research into dark and premium
chocolate. The company will be working with Pierre Marcolini among others and the facility is named The
Chocolate Centre of Excellence. If you haven't yet seen it this years clucking bunny from Cadbury/Hershey its
a cute item. The rabbit is soft, cute and makes an entertaining sound when squeezed. The rabbit comes with
a Cadbury chocolate egg. We saw these for sale at Walgreens for $6.99 yesterday and think they make a nice
Easter basket stuffer.
March 8, 2008 - DeBrands has mini chocolate bunnies this year. A package of 10 runs $7.50 and they look
really cute. You can get them in hazelnut or dark chocolate. Chocolat Moderne has created what looks like an
excellent Easter item this year. A box of six chocolate eggs. It's best we leave the description of the eggs to
the folks at Moderne and remind our readers that over the last few years Moderne has turned out fine product
after fine product.
March 6, 2008 - We received an email from Frederique of Trois Crepes Patisserie announcing this years
Easter selection. They're carrying praline Easter eggs that look great. They also have little sardine boxes with
12 chocolate fish. The fish are called Poisson d'Avril and are for celebrating April 1st. In France kids on April
1st play jokes on grownups by putting paper fishes on their backs. The grownups then go about their
business unaware that they have a paper fish stuck to their back. Swiss news sources are reporting that
Cadbury has created a new European headquarters in Switzerland. The company has been reorganizing
over the last year. They've demerged with their beverage side and have moved much of their manufacturing to
Eastern Europe. Cadbury is hoping by combining their operations they will have a more International
operation in place. The Spanish confectionary firm Natra saw an increase of 31% in sales in 2007 over
2006. Much of the increase can be attributed to the firms acquisition of the Belgium based firm All Crump.
They also acquired the Italian brand Nutkao the second largest chocolate spread brand in Europe behind
Ferraro's Nutella. The Finnish firm Cloetta Fazer Confectionery is changing their packaging in response to
criticism that their labeling's character Laku-Pekka is a caricature of a black person that perpetuates a
negative racial stereotype. Starting in April the new wrappers will make their appearance. They will use the
previous wrappers color scheme, black, white and red. The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility an
organization that represents 300 faith-based investors with over $100bn in invested capital has called upon
companies in the food industry to not use genetically modified (GM) sugar beet. The group has posed their
objections on their website. The group fears that allowing GM sugar into the nation's food chain would affect
thousands of commercially available products. Many companies have already announced plans to keep GM
products out of their some of their products. Mc Donalds has announced they will not use GM potatoes and
General Mills wont use GM wheat. Opposition to GM products is much more developed in Europe than here
in the States. John & Kiras has once again created a very nice looking holiday item. These are 64% Valrhona
chocolate eggs that come in a nice wooden box and sell for $36 a dozen. Cocoa prices keep rising and The
International Cocoa Organisation has announced that the daily price of cocoa increased 4.6% in January
from December. Hopefully this wont push chocolate prices up to much. Hershey has put up a site for Easter.
The site has ideas for Easter basket making, craft projects and recipes. Vosges Hot - Chocolat has added a
new bunny this year to their lineup. Amalfi , White chocolate bunny infused with lemon zest and pink
peppercorn , will be joining Barcelona, Milk chocolate bunny with smoked almonds and grey sea salt ,
Gianduja, Milk chocolate with almonds and hazelnut praline and Red Fire Bunny, Dark Chocolate with
Mexican chillies and Ceylon cinnamon.
March 3, 2008 - Sometimes you see corporate partnerships and you wonder why bother and sometimes you
wonder what took so long. The later sums up today's announcement that Starbucks and Hershey will be
releasing a line of chocolates under the Starbucks name. We had the opportunity to sample this line a few
weeks back and we are very enthusiastic about the quality of what was offered. Wow the pairing of Anthony
Carroll, Starbucks Coffee Quality Expert, and Ann Brinkerhoff, The Hershey Company's Master Chocolatier,
has led to a dynamite selection of chocolate that can be enjoyed both with coffee or by itself. We are
particularly partial to the Citron Dark Chocolate Tasting Squares. They have a deep chocolate taste with a
fragrant hint of citrus. The Chai Milk Chocolate Squares are also a first rate product. They literally melt on the
tongue with a subtle clean taste of Chai. The Chai Truffles are also first rate and if they are coming packaged
in bags of 10 for $5.00 this could be one of the truly great bargains in the business. We also enjoyed the Milk
Chocolate covered Coffee Beans and only wish they would also come in Dark Chocolate. Of the fourteen
items that we sampled the only one that we found wanting was the Dark Chocolate Vanilla Bean Truffles. We
found them a little to sweet with an aftertaste that was a bit hard to shake. On an editorial note it's great to see
how Hershey has been able to incorporate the concept of artisan chocolate into their business plan without
compromising quality. We are the first to admit we were a trifle leery when Hershey acquired Joseph
Schmidt, Dagoba and Scharffen Berger. These were three companies that had their own unique visions and
we had the natural fear that in a larger corporate culture they would lose these identities. In our opinion
Hershey has done a masterful job with all three companies and their partnership with Starbucks shows they
are flexible and capable of developing new concepts in chocolate and bringing them successfully to the
marketplace. The Starbucks line will be sold in grocery stores and other mass market retailers. The price
points are great and we heartily recommend you take the time to sample the line.
March 1, 2008 - Safeway and Wegmans will now be carrying Chuao Chocolatier's chocolate bars. Chuao
product has turned up here in New York City at the Food Emporium and Whole Foods. We have found there
bars to be of excellent quality. Considering Chuao is a relative newcomer to the field, they opened their doors
in 2002, they have done a tremendous job of producing a quality line and getting it out into the marketplace.
The AC Nielsen Company has issued a report for the year 2006. They found while chocolate consumption
increased 3.9% that premium chocolate consumption increased 24%. We'll be interested to see if the market
grew at a double digit rate in 2007 as it seems even with all of the good press that chocolate has gotten over
the last few years these kind of growth rates are hard to sustain. Good news for the Rocky Mountain
Chocolate Factory store in the Orland Square Mall which is a suburb of Chicago. On February 21st two teen
age bandits made off with the store's mascot a 30 pound stuffed bear by the name of Truffles. The story
made the local news at the time, see the store's surveillance camera footage of the heist, and caused quite
a stir locally. Two teenage girls came into the store and provided information which should lead to the
recovery of the bear.
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