| July 2007 News |
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July 31, 2007 - A large collection of interesting Hershey memorabilia hit the auction block. The collection was composed of 500 pieces
and included molds, production proofs and different pieces of ephemera. The auction was handled by Classic Edge Auctions and
Appraisal and you can view pictures of some of the items at their website. Lake Champlain Chocolates has introduced a new look to their
product line. The new packaging for their bars is much more colorful than its predecessor. By the way drop by their website and sign up
for email updates and take a shot at winning free chocolate. In Singapore over one thousand students joined together to try to break the
record for most people taking a chocolate break at the same time. The students tried to raise S$30,000 for the President's Challenge
Fund. Amano Artisan Chocolate had a tremendous week. At the San Francisco International Chocolate Salon, sponsored by Taste TV,
Amano picked up three Gold Medals for Best Dark Chocolate, Best Dark Chocolate Bar, and Most Gifted Chocolatier 2007. In that
competition they competed against 26 other artisan and premium chocolate brands. They also were one of twelve silver trophy finalists at
the Outstanding New Product at the July 2007 NASFT Summer Fancy Food Show, New York, for their Ocumare Grand Cru Dark Chocolate
Bar. You can read the Press Release here. The Canadian Supreme Court dealt Kraft Canad Inc. a blow when in a 7 - 2 decision they ruled
against Kraft which was hoping to stop the import by Euro-Excellence Inc. of Toblerone chocolate bars which they then sell for less than
Kraft's Canadian subsidiary which has exclusive distribution rights in Canada. Kraft sought relief claiming that the look a like items were
therefore violations of copywright law since the wrappers are the same design. Look forward to more of this kind of litigation as global
markets shrink. Dove Chocolate has a pretty neat promotion going on. "DOVE Women" will be handing out samples of Dove Promises
Candy in both milk and dark chocolate. This event will be going on August 2nd - August 5th. We here in New York might bump into the
"DOVE Women". Other cities that the Women will be handing out samples are Baltimore/Washington DC, Boston MA, Chicago IL, Houston
TX, Los Angeles CA,
Miami FL, Philadelphia PA, San Diego CA and San Francisco CA . You can read the Press Release here.
July 27, 2007 - Hershey has reported operating profits dropped to 3.1% in the quarter that ended July 1st. An increase in dairy prices were
the primary culprit. Cargill has begun building a new cocoa processing plant in Tema, Ghana. The plant will start with a capacity of 65,000
tons and in time they hope to have it double. They will be producing chocolate liquor, butter and powder. Barry Callebaut chief executive
officer Patrick De Maeseneire has announced the company will be expanding their operations in the Ivory Coast. Having secured three
large contracts from Hershey, Cadbury and Nestle the company needs a larger supply of beans. They will be increasing their Ivory Coast
operation by 50% and doubling the amount of beans they purchase. The company also announced they will be building a medical facility in
Goh, a city where they have a factory, in order to help provide medical care to 18,000 cocoa suppliers and their families. A report out of
Russia has Mars opening a factory in the city of Ulyanovsk the birthplace of Lenin. The factory will produce candy and animal feed. Mars is
investing $60,000,000 in the project. This is an interesting recipe for chocolate ice cream with a Guinness ale twist. Oregon based Harry
And David have announced that they will be spending $16,000,000 to expand their Hebron, Ohio chocolate, candy and packaging facility.
The expansion will create 160 new jobs to the 225 that the plant already provides. In Bahrain Living Concepts has opened Maya La
Chocolaterie in the Seef Mall. Maya La Chocolaterie is the first chocolate bar to open in Bahrain. BellaOnline has nice recipe posted for
Chocolate Chip Rugelach. Charleston, West Virginia resident , Deborah Miller, has found a way to work around her allergy to tree nuts. She
was never able to enjoy chocolate for the fear that the chocolate she was eating may have been made in a plant that processed other
products that used nuts. In 2003 she started her own company Scribner Chocolates which makes all nut free chocolates. It was a long
process to get where she is today and since she was never able to eat chocolate in the past she had nothing to compare her creations to.
You can see her products here.
July 24, 2007 - The chef's at the Rizqun International Hotel kitchen in Brunei put together the world's "The Longest Chocolate Swiss Roll" .
The Roll was made in honor of the Sultan of Brunei's 61 st Birthday and the Roll is on display at The Mall in Gadong. The police in the
Fribourg region of Switzerland gave a new twist to the concept of good cop bad cop. The region which had some serious traffic accidents
last year had a one day targeted driver safety campaign. Cars were pulled over and inspected. Those drivers and cars that passed were
rewarded with a chocolate bar and those that failed were given a stern warning. The Sacramento Bee has a recipe from the "Williams-
Sonoma Ice Cream" book for chocolate sauce that you can make in ten minutes at home. The New York Times has a mention of Berkshire
Bark a product from Western Massachusetts. The Bark are bars of Belgian chocolate with nuts, spices and dried fruit. Starbucks and
Hershey are partnering to create and market coffee flavored chocolate products. The first product will a hot chocolate that will be released
for sale this fall. Some of the products will be available for sale in Starbucks shops and other products will be released for general sale.
July 23, 2007 - The Bruce Museum in Southern Connecticut is hosting an exhibit "A Taste for Chocolate". The exhibit put together by Carol
Ward a Bruce Museum educator who grew up in a house full of chocolate related artwork. Her father, Jack, was a CEO of a Brazilian
company that supplied cacao to companies such as Hershey. Kraft Foods Rus has announced that they will be investing $12,000,000 in a
production line in Pokrov a city in Central Russia. The factory is ten years old, originally owned by Stollwerck the German chocolate
company, Kraft has had the plant since 2002. Kraft has already increased production from 51,000 to 60,000 metric tons at the plant. The
new line will produce Milka and Alpine bars at the pace of 4 tons per hour or 14 bars a second. The South African chocolate industry is a
$440,000,000 a year business. According to data compiled by the Reserve Bank the market grew 6.4% by volume last year. The three
major players in the market Nestle, Cadbury and Beacon are trying to hold down prices even with an increase in sugar prices.
July 22, 2007 - Cadbury Adams USA has enlarged its dealings with ingredients firm Senomyx. Senomyx will develop new flavors for
Cadbury Adams and receive royalty payments for their work. Cadbury holds 26% of the world's gum market and is looking to expand their
market share. The Hershey Barry Callebaut partnership is heating up in North America. The companies had announced in May that
Callebaut would be supplying Hershey with 80,000 tons of chocolate for the North America market. Everything was finalized this week and
Callebaut will start shipping within the next few months. Both companies feel this deal will fuel further expansion for them in the North
American market. Thorntons had a bad start to this recent fiscal year but had an excellent fourth quarter when an increase in advertising
led to a 15.1% increase in sales which allowed the company to post a 5.1% gain in sales for the year. Same store sales were up 1.7% for
the full year. The Birmingham Magistrates Court sentenced Cadbury to pay a fine of almost $2,000,000 for the part the company played in
last year's salmonella outbreak. Cadbury pleaded guilty to 9 charges before deliberations began so the only suspense was what the court
would order as punishment. It has been estimated that Cadbury has already lost close to $100,000,000 as the company was forced to
recall product and close down and fix problems at the Herefordshire plant which was the source of the contamination. Of course no one will
ever no for sure the cost in erosion of consumer confidence in the companie's products. Through the end of 2007 Reese's will be giving
away over 10,000 prizes as part of their " Live Like The King" promotion. The promotion centers around Reese's newest product the Limited
Edition Reese’s Peanut Butter & Banana Creme Cups. Everything is licensed by the Presley estate and prizes include a trip for 4 to
Graceland.
July 20, 2007 - In The United Kingdom Twinings has withdrawn for sale its "Luxury Chocolate Drink". Milk may have gotten into the drink
during the manufacturing process and the product was not labeled as containing dairy products. The hearing at Birmingham crown court
began Friday June 13. The hearing will sentence Cadbury in the salmonella outbreak which plagued England last year. Cadbury has
already pleaded guilty to 9 separate charges. Barry Berlin, prosecuting for the Birmingham city council, has accused Cadbury of putting
people at risk by installing a system of testing which allowed for minimal or safe levels of salmonella whereas they should have been
aware that there are no safe levels of salmonella. Even a minuscule amount of contamination can lead to illness.
July 16, 2007 - Cadbury has suffered a blow. It's Sheffield, Northern England, factory went through a flood recently causing a tremendous
amount of damage forcing the suspension of production. The company is being forced to source alternate supplies to pick up the slack
and the plants workers hope to be back in business in a few weeks. BellaOnline's Chocolate Editor, Deborah Markus, has posted a nice
piece on chocolate and legends. Davie, Florida is home to the Schakolad Chocolate Factory. The employees hand dip everything and they
work from many interesting molds. The factory also retails chocolate and serves gelato.
July 15, 2007 - Carmen Botez has created a pair of chocolate tours in Manhattan. One of the tours takes place in Midtown and the East
Side and includes La Maison Du Chocolat and the Charbonnel and Walker Chocolates shop in Saks Fifth Avenue. Nicole Kidman admits
to a weakness for chocolate cake and has three or four pieces a week
July 13, 2007 - Cadbury has launched its newest product, Bubbaloo gum, in India. Cadbury's claims that the gum is the worlds best selling
due to its liquid center. They are making an effort to expand in two key Asian markets India and Thailand. Cadbury already has 72% of the
Indian chocolate market as well as 26% of the world's gum market. The Slovenian-based company Vitiva has issued a statement claiming
a new product that they have perfected Inolens 12 is a natural, rosemary based, additive that is odorless and tasteless and retards
oxidation. Oxidation is a cause of the early decay of chocolate and slowing it down will add to chocolates shelf life. Swiss chocolate
manufacturer Barry Callebaut has announced they will be opening a sales office in Mumbai, India in September 2007. The company is
hoping to fuel future expansion by entering under served and expanding markets. Australian confectionery manufacturer Darrell Lea is
looking to expand through attracting investors. Lea is doing well as their business has been expanding. They sell licorice now through over
10,000 outlets worldwide. The Philippine's National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
having given combined grants of $20,545 to San Isidro, Davao del Norte, the region of the Philippines. The area is known as the
"Chocolate Hub of the Davao Region". About 110 cacao farmers will receive aid and it is hoped the money will spur increased production.
July 11, 2007 - Boston chocolate shop owners are on the look out for the "Bon Bon Bandit". The hold up man is a suspect in as many as
20 robberies using a variety of weapons including a knife, handgun and sawed of shotgun. In addition to seven chocolate or gourmet ice
cream shops he is also wanted in robberies including gift shops and stationary stores. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Inc. has
announced that first quarter earnings were up 11% and they expect them to be up 20% on the year. They opened four new stores in the first
quarter and expect to roll out eight new stores in the second quarter. Chocolate.com has issued a Press Release explaining some of the
services they offer. You can read the Press Release here. Speaking of Press Releases General Mills the makers of Choco Chex cereal
have issued a Press Release showing how in Chicago the company wrapped four buses in a special exterior design and then offered free
rides to commuters. You can read the Press Release here. Another Press Release of interest is from Fannie May candies who are
releasing a line of ice cream treats for National Ice Cream Month. You can read the release here. Dunedin, New Zealand was home to the
Sixth Annual Cadbury Chocolate Carnival. The highlight was a race between 20,000 Cadbury Jaffas which went rolling down a hill. The
winner candy won a trip to Australia for someone. The race raised money for charity and local kids ate the candies that didn't win the race.
This is a link to another article about the Jaffa race in New Zealand and is worth taking a look at. East Hanover, New Jersey is the home of
Zigarelli Chocolates. The store relocated from Belleville, New Jersey and is owned by the Gennarelli family. The business has been in the
family since 1965 and was in existence before that. The store in Belleville was famous for its Easter eggs and the Gennarellis are keeping
the tradition alive. David Lebovitz, former pastry chef at Chez Panisse and author of "The Perfect Scoop," went to Texas recently to try
regional Ice Cream favorite Blue Bell. The company is number 3 in Ice Cream sales in the USA eventhough it is only available in the
Southwest. The company recently celebrated its 100th Birthday. Peterbrooke Chocolatier out of Jacksonville, Florida plans on opening
stores in both Birmingham and Tuscaloosa , Alabama in the next year. A man in Malmo, Sweden was arrested by Swedish police and
charged with fraud. He allegedly sold almost half a pound of chocolate to two men for $1,300. The men were under the impression that the
chocolate contained cannabis. The matter came to the attention of the police when the disgruntled customers confronted the seller and
shot him in the foot and hit him in the head with an ax. Today, Lulu's Chocolate Bar in Savannah, Georgia held its grand opening. The bar
got up and running seven weeks ago but today was the day to celebrate the grand opening. The owners are Janine Finn and Rebecca
Freeman. Ms. Freeman makes all of the deserts herself.
July 10, 2007 - The Hershey Company celebrated the their centennial by unveiling “The World’s Largest Hershey’s Kisses Chocolate”.
Barry Callebaut has surveyed chocolate users in the United States. Among other things the survey found that 46% of Americans consume
chocolate at least a few times a week. 81% of Americans eat milk chocolate and 64% eat dark chocolate. Kewaskum, Wisconsin is the
home of The Candy Tree. The shop's owner , Chris Jung, has been experimenting with using ingredients such as Omega-3 enriched
flaxseed and dried cranberries and blueberries mixed with chocolate to make a healthy treat. Burst's Candies in Corvallis, Oregon has a
neat event on Fridays for girls called "Chocolate Girl-ore.” The girls use different ingredients, marzipan paste one week , marshmallows the
next and make friends at the same time. Burst's opened in 1938 and has been providing Oregonians with home made chocolate treat ever
since. A lot of Scharffen Berger Kumasi Sambirano 68% cacao dark chocolate bars have been recalled as they were mislabeled and do
contain milk products not listed on the label. Outside of people with milk allergies the bars pose on danger to the rest of the general public.
Woodbury, New Jersey is the home of Fletcher's Fine Chocolates. Fletcher's factory is located in the Nut Shop on Broad street. Owner
Frank Fletcher purchased the Nut Shop 18 months ago and has been making chocolates ever since. He offers tours of his facility and has
over 100 molds allowing him the ability to make all sorts of interesting products.
July 6, 2007 - The International Cocoa Organisation has found that cocoa prices have reached their highest levels since 2003. Last
season there was a surplus of 192,000 tonnes whereas this season there is a deficit of 145,000 tonnes worldwide. A new industry study
has found that organic chocolate sales increased 49% last year in the United States. With the combination of consumers seeking higher
quality chocolate and the growth in organic marketing the increase is understandable.
July 5, 2007 - The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc has announced they will be holding an investor conference call at 4:15 p.m. EDT
on Tuesday, July 10, 2007. The call will be to discuss the companies First Quarter's results of Fiscal Year 2008. Les Truffes au Chocolat,
chocolate makers out of Calgary, Canada, have combined chocolate with Meg - 3 a branded Omega 3 product. The hope is that health
conscious chocolate consumers will want the combination as an easy, tasty way to get Omega 3 in their diet. Cadbury Schweppes has
launched an ambitious plan to cut carbon emissions by 50% by 2020. The company is including future growth and still plans on the 50%
cut. Hopefully other companies will follow Cadbury's lead and also look to make serious cuts in carbon emissions. A new study published
in the Archives of Internal Medicine, involving 44 adults, shows a link between consuming a small quantity of dark chocolate, 30 calories a
day, and the lowering of blood pressure. The study was sponsored by The University Hospital of Cologne, Germany. In June Cadbury had
pleaded guilty to three charges stemming from the salmonella outbreak last year. They are now set to pleading guilty to six additional
charges July 13th. The company has repeated apologized for poor judgement in the case which stemmed from their sitting on information
that some of their product may have become tainted. Having little to do with chocolate we here at eChocolateNYC only include the next
information because it concerns two items close to our hearts. A new study finds that in Great Britain sales of honey have risen 14% in the
period 2004 - 2006 while sales of marmalade have dropped 10% in the same time frame. The study postulates the increase in honey
sales is due to British consumers looking for healthier eating alternatives.
July 4, 2007 - Michelle Lehman, owner of Edible Arrangements in Clovis, California makes some really nice looking arrangements
involving fruits and chocolates. Barry Callebaut has announced that the two plants they originally agreed to take over from Nestle in
February will be turned over to Callebaut now that they have received regulatory approval.
July 3, 2007 -It's a sad day indeed for traditionalists. The Red October chocolate factory - Krasny Oktyabr - in Russian is going to be torn
down for redevelopment. The factory started chocolate production when the Czars ruled Moscow towards the end of the nineteenth century.
The factory kept producing chocolate through the Revolution, World War 2 and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Located right on the
Moscow River with views of the Kremiln the land is prime for development. The Chocolate Manufacturers Association hired Fontheim
International to lobby the federal government, according to a disclosure form. They will be lobbying Congress on issues that affect the
cocoa trade. The Association has nine members all heavy weights in the business. They include Hershey, Mars, Nestle and Archer Daniels
Midland. The Star - Ledger has a vehicle " the Munchmobile" that is being used to visit eateries in Northern New Jersey and check out their
food. You can watch German Chocolate Cake being made and other "Munchmobile" visits here. Mary Cook, owner of Harry's Chocolate
Shop in West Lafayette, Indiana has been fighting the town's smoking ban. She feels it will negatively effect her business.
July 1, 2007 - Switzerland's Barry Callebaut , the world's largest chocolate is shopping Brachs the struggling American confectionary firm.
They also warned that with rising cocoa prices their expenses will be going up in the coming year.
and included molds, production proofs and different pieces of ephemera. The auction was handled by Classic Edge Auctions and
Appraisal and you can view pictures of some of the items at their website. Lake Champlain Chocolates has introduced a new look to their
product line. The new packaging for their bars is much more colorful than its predecessor. By the way drop by their website and sign up
for email updates and take a shot at winning free chocolate. In Singapore over one thousand students joined together to try to break the
record for most people taking a chocolate break at the same time. The students tried to raise S$30,000 for the President's Challenge
Fund. Amano Artisan Chocolate had a tremendous week. At the San Francisco International Chocolate Salon, sponsored by Taste TV,
Amano picked up three Gold Medals for Best Dark Chocolate, Best Dark Chocolate Bar, and Most Gifted Chocolatier 2007. In that
competition they competed against 26 other artisan and premium chocolate brands. They also were one of twelve silver trophy finalists at
the Outstanding New Product at the July 2007 NASFT Summer Fancy Food Show, New York, for their Ocumare Grand Cru Dark Chocolate
Bar. You can read the Press Release here. The Canadian Supreme Court dealt Kraft Canad Inc. a blow when in a 7 - 2 decision they ruled
against Kraft which was hoping to stop the import by Euro-Excellence Inc. of Toblerone chocolate bars which they then sell for less than
Kraft's Canadian subsidiary which has exclusive distribution rights in Canada. Kraft sought relief claiming that the look a like items were
therefore violations of copywright law since the wrappers are the same design. Look forward to more of this kind of litigation as global
markets shrink. Dove Chocolate has a pretty neat promotion going on. "DOVE Women" will be handing out samples of Dove Promises
Candy in both milk and dark chocolate. This event will be going on August 2nd - August 5th. We here in New York might bump into the
"DOVE Women". Other cities that the Women will be handing out samples are Baltimore/Washington DC, Boston MA, Chicago IL, Houston
TX, Los Angeles CA,
Miami FL, Philadelphia PA, San Diego CA and San Francisco CA . You can read the Press Release here.
July 27, 2007 - Hershey has reported operating profits dropped to 3.1% in the quarter that ended July 1st. An increase in dairy prices were
the primary culprit. Cargill has begun building a new cocoa processing plant in Tema, Ghana. The plant will start with a capacity of 65,000
tons and in time they hope to have it double. They will be producing chocolate liquor, butter and powder. Barry Callebaut chief executive
officer Patrick De Maeseneire has announced the company will be expanding their operations in the Ivory Coast. Having secured three
large contracts from Hershey, Cadbury and Nestle the company needs a larger supply of beans. They will be increasing their Ivory Coast
operation by 50% and doubling the amount of beans they purchase. The company also announced they will be building a medical facility in
Goh, a city where they have a factory, in order to help provide medical care to 18,000 cocoa suppliers and their families. A report out of
Russia has Mars opening a factory in the city of Ulyanovsk the birthplace of Lenin. The factory will produce candy and animal feed. Mars is
investing $60,000,000 in the project. This is an interesting recipe for chocolate ice cream with a Guinness ale twist. Oregon based Harry
And David have announced that they will be spending $16,000,000 to expand their Hebron, Ohio chocolate, candy and packaging facility.
The expansion will create 160 new jobs to the 225 that the plant already provides. In Bahrain Living Concepts has opened Maya La
Chocolaterie in the Seef Mall. Maya La Chocolaterie is the first chocolate bar to open in Bahrain. BellaOnline has nice recipe posted for
Chocolate Chip Rugelach. Charleston, West Virginia resident , Deborah Miller, has found a way to work around her allergy to tree nuts. She
was never able to enjoy chocolate for the fear that the chocolate she was eating may have been made in a plant that processed other
products that used nuts. In 2003 she started her own company Scribner Chocolates which makes all nut free chocolates. It was a long
process to get where she is today and since she was never able to eat chocolate in the past she had nothing to compare her creations to.
You can see her products here.
July 24, 2007 - The chef's at the Rizqun International Hotel kitchen in Brunei put together the world's "The Longest Chocolate Swiss Roll" .
The Roll was made in honor of the Sultan of Brunei's 61 st Birthday and the Roll is on display at The Mall in Gadong. The police in the
Fribourg region of Switzerland gave a new twist to the concept of good cop bad cop. The region which had some serious traffic accidents
last year had a one day targeted driver safety campaign. Cars were pulled over and inspected. Those drivers and cars that passed were
rewarded with a chocolate bar and those that failed were given a stern warning. The Sacramento Bee has a recipe from the "Williams-
Sonoma Ice Cream" book for chocolate sauce that you can make in ten minutes at home. The New York Times has a mention of Berkshire
Bark a product from Western Massachusetts. The Bark are bars of Belgian chocolate with nuts, spices and dried fruit. Starbucks and
Hershey are partnering to create and market coffee flavored chocolate products. The first product will a hot chocolate that will be released
for sale this fall. Some of the products will be available for sale in Starbucks shops and other products will be released for general sale.
July 23, 2007 - The Bruce Museum in Southern Connecticut is hosting an exhibit "A Taste for Chocolate". The exhibit put together by Carol
Ward a Bruce Museum educator who grew up in a house full of chocolate related artwork. Her father, Jack, was a CEO of a Brazilian
company that supplied cacao to companies such as Hershey. Kraft Foods Rus has announced that they will be investing $12,000,000 in a
production line in Pokrov a city in Central Russia. The factory is ten years old, originally owned by Stollwerck the German chocolate
company, Kraft has had the plant since 2002. Kraft has already increased production from 51,000 to 60,000 metric tons at the plant. The
new line will produce Milka and Alpine bars at the pace of 4 tons per hour or 14 bars a second. The South African chocolate industry is a
$440,000,000 a year business. According to data compiled by the Reserve Bank the market grew 6.4% by volume last year. The three
major players in the market Nestle, Cadbury and Beacon are trying to hold down prices even with an increase in sugar prices.
July 22, 2007 - Cadbury Adams USA has enlarged its dealings with ingredients firm Senomyx. Senomyx will develop new flavors for
Cadbury Adams and receive royalty payments for their work. Cadbury holds 26% of the world's gum market and is looking to expand their
market share. The Hershey Barry Callebaut partnership is heating up in North America. The companies had announced in May that
Callebaut would be supplying Hershey with 80,000 tons of chocolate for the North America market. Everything was finalized this week and
Callebaut will start shipping within the next few months. Both companies feel this deal will fuel further expansion for them in the North
American market. Thorntons had a bad start to this recent fiscal year but had an excellent fourth quarter when an increase in advertising
led to a 15.1% increase in sales which allowed the company to post a 5.1% gain in sales for the year. Same store sales were up 1.7% for
the full year. The Birmingham Magistrates Court sentenced Cadbury to pay a fine of almost $2,000,000 for the part the company played in
last year's salmonella outbreak. Cadbury pleaded guilty to 9 charges before deliberations began so the only suspense was what the court
would order as punishment. It has been estimated that Cadbury has already lost close to $100,000,000 as the company was forced to
recall product and close down and fix problems at the Herefordshire plant which was the source of the contamination. Of course no one will
ever no for sure the cost in erosion of consumer confidence in the companie's products. Through the end of 2007 Reese's will be giving
away over 10,000 prizes as part of their " Live Like The King" promotion. The promotion centers around Reese's newest product the Limited
Edition Reese’s Peanut Butter & Banana Creme Cups. Everything is licensed by the Presley estate and prizes include a trip for 4 to
Graceland.
July 20, 2007 - In The United Kingdom Twinings has withdrawn for sale its "Luxury Chocolate Drink". Milk may have gotten into the drink
during the manufacturing process and the product was not labeled as containing dairy products. The hearing at Birmingham crown court
began Friday June 13. The hearing will sentence Cadbury in the salmonella outbreak which plagued England last year. Cadbury has
already pleaded guilty to 9 separate charges. Barry Berlin, prosecuting for the Birmingham city council, has accused Cadbury of putting
people at risk by installing a system of testing which allowed for minimal or safe levels of salmonella whereas they should have been
aware that there are no safe levels of salmonella. Even a minuscule amount of contamination can lead to illness.
July 16, 2007 - Cadbury has suffered a blow. It's Sheffield, Northern England, factory went through a flood recently causing a tremendous
amount of damage forcing the suspension of production. The company is being forced to source alternate supplies to pick up the slack
and the plants workers hope to be back in business in a few weeks. BellaOnline's Chocolate Editor, Deborah Markus, has posted a nice
piece on chocolate and legends. Davie, Florida is home to the Schakolad Chocolate Factory. The employees hand dip everything and they
work from many interesting molds. The factory also retails chocolate and serves gelato.
July 15, 2007 - Carmen Botez has created a pair of chocolate tours in Manhattan. One of the tours takes place in Midtown and the East
Side and includes La Maison Du Chocolat and the Charbonnel and Walker Chocolates shop in Saks Fifth Avenue. Nicole Kidman admits
to a weakness for chocolate cake and has three or four pieces a week
July 13, 2007 - Cadbury has launched its newest product, Bubbaloo gum, in India. Cadbury's claims that the gum is the worlds best selling
due to its liquid center. They are making an effort to expand in two key Asian markets India and Thailand. Cadbury already has 72% of the
Indian chocolate market as well as 26% of the world's gum market. The Slovenian-based company Vitiva has issued a statement claiming
a new product that they have perfected Inolens 12 is a natural, rosemary based, additive that is odorless and tasteless and retards
oxidation. Oxidation is a cause of the early decay of chocolate and slowing it down will add to chocolates shelf life. Swiss chocolate
manufacturer Barry Callebaut has announced they will be opening a sales office in Mumbai, India in September 2007. The company is
hoping to fuel future expansion by entering under served and expanding markets. Australian confectionery manufacturer Darrell Lea is
looking to expand through attracting investors. Lea is doing well as their business has been expanding. They sell licorice now through over
10,000 outlets worldwide. The Philippine's National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
having given combined grants of $20,545 to San Isidro, Davao del Norte, the region of the Philippines. The area is known as the
"Chocolate Hub of the Davao Region". About 110 cacao farmers will receive aid and it is hoped the money will spur increased production.
July 11, 2007 - Boston chocolate shop owners are on the look out for the "Bon Bon Bandit". The hold up man is a suspect in as many as
20 robberies using a variety of weapons including a knife, handgun and sawed of shotgun. In addition to seven chocolate or gourmet ice
cream shops he is also wanted in robberies including gift shops and stationary stores. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Inc. has
announced that first quarter earnings were up 11% and they expect them to be up 20% on the year. They opened four new stores in the first
quarter and expect to roll out eight new stores in the second quarter. Chocolate.com has issued a Press Release explaining some of the
services they offer. You can read the Press Release here. Speaking of Press Releases General Mills the makers of Choco Chex cereal
have issued a Press Release showing how in Chicago the company wrapped four buses in a special exterior design and then offered free
rides to commuters. You can read the Press Release here. Another Press Release of interest is from Fannie May candies who are
releasing a line of ice cream treats for National Ice Cream Month. You can read the release here. Dunedin, New Zealand was home to the
Sixth Annual Cadbury Chocolate Carnival. The highlight was a race between 20,000 Cadbury Jaffas which went rolling down a hill. The
winner candy won a trip to Australia for someone. The race raised money for charity and local kids ate the candies that didn't win the race.
This is a link to another article about the Jaffa race in New Zealand and is worth taking a look at. East Hanover, New Jersey is the home of
Zigarelli Chocolates. The store relocated from Belleville, New Jersey and is owned by the Gennarelli family. The business has been in the
family since 1965 and was in existence before that. The store in Belleville was famous for its Easter eggs and the Gennarellis are keeping
the tradition alive. David Lebovitz, former pastry chef at Chez Panisse and author of "The Perfect Scoop," went to Texas recently to try
regional Ice Cream favorite Blue Bell. The company is number 3 in Ice Cream sales in the USA eventhough it is only available in the
Southwest. The company recently celebrated its 100th Birthday. Peterbrooke Chocolatier out of Jacksonville, Florida plans on opening
stores in both Birmingham and Tuscaloosa , Alabama in the next year. A man in Malmo, Sweden was arrested by Swedish police and
charged with fraud. He allegedly sold almost half a pound of chocolate to two men for $1,300. The men were under the impression that the
chocolate contained cannabis. The matter came to the attention of the police when the disgruntled customers confronted the seller and
shot him in the foot and hit him in the head with an ax. Today, Lulu's Chocolate Bar in Savannah, Georgia held its grand opening. The bar
got up and running seven weeks ago but today was the day to celebrate the grand opening. The owners are Janine Finn and Rebecca
Freeman. Ms. Freeman makes all of the deserts herself.
July 10, 2007 - The Hershey Company celebrated the their centennial by unveiling “The World’s Largest Hershey’s Kisses Chocolate”.
Barry Callebaut has surveyed chocolate users in the United States. Among other things the survey found that 46% of Americans consume
chocolate at least a few times a week. 81% of Americans eat milk chocolate and 64% eat dark chocolate. Kewaskum, Wisconsin is the
home of The Candy Tree. The shop's owner , Chris Jung, has been experimenting with using ingredients such as Omega-3 enriched
flaxseed and dried cranberries and blueberries mixed with chocolate to make a healthy treat. Burst's Candies in Corvallis, Oregon has a
neat event on Fridays for girls called "Chocolate Girl-ore.” The girls use different ingredients, marzipan paste one week , marshmallows the
next and make friends at the same time. Burst's opened in 1938 and has been providing Oregonians with home made chocolate treat ever
since. A lot of Scharffen Berger Kumasi Sambirano 68% cacao dark chocolate bars have been recalled as they were mislabeled and do
contain milk products not listed on the label. Outside of people with milk allergies the bars pose on danger to the rest of the general public.
Woodbury, New Jersey is the home of Fletcher's Fine Chocolates. Fletcher's factory is located in the Nut Shop on Broad street. Owner
Frank Fletcher purchased the Nut Shop 18 months ago and has been making chocolates ever since. He offers tours of his facility and has
over 100 molds allowing him the ability to make all sorts of interesting products.
July 6, 2007 - The International Cocoa Organisation has found that cocoa prices have reached their highest levels since 2003. Last
season there was a surplus of 192,000 tonnes whereas this season there is a deficit of 145,000 tonnes worldwide. A new industry study
has found that organic chocolate sales increased 49% last year in the United States. With the combination of consumers seeking higher
quality chocolate and the growth in organic marketing the increase is understandable.
July 5, 2007 - The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc has announced they will be holding an investor conference call at 4:15 p.m. EDT
on Tuesday, July 10, 2007. The call will be to discuss the companies First Quarter's results of Fiscal Year 2008. Les Truffes au Chocolat,
chocolate makers out of Calgary, Canada, have combined chocolate with Meg - 3 a branded Omega 3 product. The hope is that health
conscious chocolate consumers will want the combination as an easy, tasty way to get Omega 3 in their diet. Cadbury Schweppes has
launched an ambitious plan to cut carbon emissions by 50% by 2020. The company is including future growth and still plans on the 50%
cut. Hopefully other companies will follow Cadbury's lead and also look to make serious cuts in carbon emissions. A new study published
in the Archives of Internal Medicine, involving 44 adults, shows a link between consuming a small quantity of dark chocolate, 30 calories a
day, and the lowering of blood pressure. The study was sponsored by The University Hospital of Cologne, Germany. In June Cadbury had
pleaded guilty to three charges stemming from the salmonella outbreak last year. They are now set to pleading guilty to six additional
charges July 13th. The company has repeated apologized for poor judgement in the case which stemmed from their sitting on information
that some of their product may have become tainted. Having little to do with chocolate we here at eChocolateNYC only include the next
information because it concerns two items close to our hearts. A new study finds that in Great Britain sales of honey have risen 14% in the
period 2004 - 2006 while sales of marmalade have dropped 10% in the same time frame. The study postulates the increase in honey
sales is due to British consumers looking for healthier eating alternatives.
July 4, 2007 - Michelle Lehman, owner of Edible Arrangements in Clovis, California makes some really nice looking arrangements
involving fruits and chocolates. Barry Callebaut has announced that the two plants they originally agreed to take over from Nestle in
February will be turned over to Callebaut now that they have received regulatory approval.
July 3, 2007 -It's a sad day indeed for traditionalists. The Red October chocolate factory - Krasny Oktyabr - in Russian is going to be torn
down for redevelopment. The factory started chocolate production when the Czars ruled Moscow towards the end of the nineteenth century.
The factory kept producing chocolate through the Revolution, World War 2 and the collapse of the Soviet Union. Located right on the
Moscow River with views of the Kremiln the land is prime for development. The Chocolate Manufacturers Association hired Fontheim
International to lobby the federal government, according to a disclosure form. They will be lobbying Congress on issues that affect the
cocoa trade. The Association has nine members all heavy weights in the business. They include Hershey, Mars, Nestle and Archer Daniels
Midland. The Star - Ledger has a vehicle " the Munchmobile" that is being used to visit eateries in Northern New Jersey and check out their
food. You can watch German Chocolate Cake being made and other "Munchmobile" visits here. Mary Cook, owner of Harry's Chocolate
Shop in West Lafayette, Indiana has been fighting the town's smoking ban. She feels it will negatively effect her business.
July 1, 2007 - Switzerland's Barry Callebaut , the world's largest chocolate is shopping Brachs the struggling American confectionary firm.
They also warned that with rising cocoa prices their expenses will be going up in the coming year.