April 26, 2007 - Elizabethtown Borough, Pennsylvania has agreed to a land development deal with Masterfoods
so that Masterfoods can add 67,000 square feet to their plant. The plant will add 5 new production lines at a cost of
$30 million and Dove chocolate will be produced. The future looks bright for chocolate sales in Saudi Arabia. In a
recent survey the average Saudi consumer was found to be consuming chocolate 4.8 times a week. Hershey is
partnering with country artist Paisley. They are sponsoring his new tour as well as putting his likeness on one
hundred million plus chocolate bars. The Olympian out of Olympia, Washington has a neat little 10 question test
on how much you know about chocolate. Barry Callebaut and Hershey have announced a deal where Callebaut
will lease part of Hershey's Robinson, Illinois plant and also build and operate a plant in Monterey, Mexico.
Calllebaut also agrees to provide Hershey with 88,000 tons of chocolate a year. A neat photo of Goedele
Matthyssen of Confiserie Felicitas chocolate makers carrying chocolate bunnies at their shop in Hornow, Germany
about 75 miles east of Berlin.
April 25, 2007 - John & Kiras has announced their Ladybugs were so popular this year at Easter that they have
decided to add them to their Wedding collection. The Ladybug Gems come with Raspberry, Mint & Honey Lavender
Ganache. Bad news for Cadbury as the company and some of its managers are being charged in Great Britain in
the salmonella case. The Birmingham City Council is bringing three charges against the company. The charges
stem from Cadbury not informing authorities that salmonella was showing up in internal tests in January 2006 and
only informing authorities when it was announced people were turning up sick in June. The managers could face
two years for each charge if found guilty. The company could also face unspecified fines. Barry Callebaut is
funding research aimed at finding the ingredient in cocoa butter that seems to increase insulin sensitivity which
may be a help to diabetics. Scientists have told attendees at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for
Cancer Research that they believe that new studies point to a diet rich in flavonols can help decrease the risk of
pancreatic cancer. German equity investment company Arques has taken over confectionery firm van Netten. Van
Netten produces fruit gums, jellies, sweets and sugar coated candies. Arques has been on a buying spree lately
especially in the food industry. Easter weekend saw cold, damp weather kept some from attending the Chocolate
Festival in Old Washington, Kentucky. The Festival which has been around for twenty years and among the events
they hold a Miss and Mr. Chocolate Festival Pageant. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has an interesting obituary
of Charles Pihringer. He helped to bring The Chocolate House Inc. along after World War 2. Among other things
the firm supplied the fudge at Disney World.
April 21, 2007 - While Hershey remains incredibly profitable, $93.47 million in the first quarter, profits are down
from 2006's first quarter of $122.47. Hershey claims their Cacao Reserve line is their fastest growing brands and
the success they have had with dark chocolate has been a plus. On the negative side their core brands, Reeses,
Hershey, etc have seen stagnant growth. They have been revamping the Reese's line so by next year at this time
we will probably also be reporting a growth in profits for their core brand. Cargill has been granted a patent for a
process that reduces the fat content in cocoa mass. Ukrainian confectionery company AVK has decided to
produce more chocolate to solidify its position as the largest chocolate maker in the Ukraine. Currently chocolate
provides 70% of sales for the firm and they are hoping to bring that figure up to 80% by the end of 2007. AVK
makes Shedevr, Frutta and the Chewyland brands. They have also revamped their high end boxed Assorti line.
They plan on spending $10 million to modernize their plant at Dnepropetrovsk .
April 20, 2007 - The BBC has a report that Cadbury is now moving into "upscale" dark chocolate to compete with
companies like Hershey. The company plans on revamping its Bournville brand which is its version of dark
chocolate (36%cocoa solids) and release a version that is 60% cocoa solids named Deeply Dark. Here's a
simple recipe for something that looks like a quick chocolatey breakfast, Chocolate Raspberry Croissant. Dr.
David Lewis of the Mind Lab in England has conducted some experiments, wiring couples and having them either
kiss or sample chocolate, and come to the conclusion that the buzz from eating chocolate was more intense and
longer lasting than the buzz from kissing. We here at eChocolateNYC could have saved the good doctor time and
money as we have self administered multiple experiments in this field and have come to the conclusion that
kissing while consuming chocolate is really the way to go. A month ago, March 20th, we reported on NOKA
opening a new store in Midtown Tokyo, Japan. The store has gotten off to a bang up start and drawn long lines of
curious shoppers. If you want to see what the outside of the store looks like click here. If you would like to take a
look at the store's interior .
April 15, 2007 - For Guittard the battle lines are drawn and they are leading the battle to change the FDA's mind
before the FDA changes what can be labeled as chocolate. The current standard of identity could be changed so
that products composed of vegetable oils instead of cocoa butter and milk substitutes instead of milk could legally
be identified as chocolate. Guittard has set up a website explaining the possible changes and has an email form
you can fill out to register your protest. We here at eChocolateNYC applaud Guittard for their efforts. Let chocolate
be chocolate and call the other products something else. Halloren Schokoladenfabrik, billed as Germany's oldest
chocolate maker, plans an IPO in June to fund expansion plans. NuGo Nutrition has added two new flavours -
Dark Chocolate Almond and Dark Chocolate Pomegranate - to its NuGo Organic snack bar range. The bars
contain Omega 3. The Hotel Sacher in Vienna, Austria held a birthday party recently for the 175th birthday of the
original Sacher Torte. Although many others have produced similar tortes over the years the Hotel claims to still
have the original secret recipe. They make about 360,000 tortes a year with a third for export. According to the
Hotel, Franz Sacher, an apprentice chef at the time conceived the treat while filling in for his ill boss. The torte was
made for Prince Metternich and has been well received ever since. In India there is a concern that some of the
imported chocolate for sale may not have been tested for safety. Taxes are high for imported chocolate so many
have resorted to bringing some into the country in their luggage and under Indian law they avoid paying taxes on it.
Some of this chocolate then finds law this chocolate is not taxable. This chocolate then makes its way into stores
where it is sold at a discount. The problem arises when chocolate that hasn't been tested enters the country.
See's Chocolates, the California chocolate firm, is undergoing more expansion and now numbers 205 shops as
well as plans for many temporary shops next holiday season. They are owned by Warren Buffet's Berkshire
Hathaway Company, they were purchased in 1972 for $25,000,000 , so they have access to plenty of expansion
capital as well as excellent management advice.
April 11, 2007 - We here at eChocolateNYC are pleased to announce we have worked our way through some
items produced by Joseph Schmidt Confections. We had been concerned with the companies purchase by
Hershey. Joseph Schmidt had always had a reputation for quality and would there be a lessening of that
commitment ? We're happy to report that we've worked our way through the Schmidt Spring line and all we can say
is wow. The first item we checked out was the 5 Pack Treasure Box which besides being attractive was filled with
5 nice mini truffles. Two milk , two dark chocolate and one milk strawberry. The chocolate was first rate and the
strawberry had a fresh , clean taste to it. The second item we sampled was The Flower Slicks box. The box looks
great, a nice Spring design , and is well constructed. Our 8 year old has already claimed it as a jewelry box and it
should have a nice second life. The slicks are thin discs , fourteen total, seven different flavors. The all dark and all
milk are fine. The milk caramel , white raspberry and peanut butter are much better than average. Where the
assortment is exceptional are the coconut - truly awesome - and the white orange which was amazing. You can
order these two items on line or here in New York they should be available at Whole Foods and Macys. Our
attention was called to a listing on Craigs List here in NYC from Sweetriot. Our regular readers know we rarely
reprint items verbatim but in this case we feel the second paragraph of the listing describes the situation better
than we could ever hope to. So here it is. If you are a chocoholic, outgoing, fun or in need of a better pick up line
this is the perfect fix. We provide you with free sweetriot, and in return you hit the bars, be creative, and share your
experiences. Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity. Who could resist your dazzling personality, paired with
divine chocolate? Gather for cocktails with your wing-women and/or wing-men and let sweetriot work its magic. If
you are interested this link will take you to the ad. If you haven't yet sampled Sweetriot you definitely should. They
have a crunch and taste that is ethereal and have grown to be one of our favorite items in the chocolate universe.
British chocolate firm Elizabeth Shaw will be producing new Origins chocolates and truffles - sourced from Sao
Tome, Ecuador and Java. They are joining the trend towards sourcing high end chocolates. In Great Britain
Cadbury keeps getting bad news. In the last year they've worked their way through the salmonella scare and now
the British Consumer group Which? has announced that the result of a recent Easter egg taste test found their
tasters preferred eggs from supermarkets Asda and Marks & Spencer to the eggs produced by Cadbury. The were
also criticized by Friends of the Earth, Scotland (FOE) for using to much packaging on their eggs creating
unnecessary waste. Scientists from the Nestlé Research Center (NRC) have reported that the polyphenol content
of chocolates around the world. Nestle is trying to prove that chocolate has healthful benefits and is laying the
scientific groundwork to support this viewpoint.
April 10, 2007 - A team of Doctors at The University Hospital of Cologne, Germany has completed a study that
suggests that flavanoids found in dark chocolate can help to lower blood pressure. Pippa, a cockatoo, living at
Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary in England has adopted a bowl of easter eggs and has been trying
to hatch them. The 17 year old bird saw the bowl of Cadbury eggs and sat on them and has been waiting for them
to hatch ever since. A picture of a chocolate sculpture of San Sebastian Town Hall, Pineda de Mar, north of
Barcelona, Spain.
April 9, 2007 - In Ireland it is estimated that residents will consume approximately one million kgs of chocolate for
Easter. The Villager has three neat photos of Jacques Torres's Chocolate Haven. The Easter rabbits look great.
In Peterborough, England local businesses got together and purchased for the children in the Peterborough
District Hospital chocolate Easter eggs. Some of the kids couldn't eat them straight away as they were awaiting
surgery but the kids all enjoyed the event. Of course our annual warning DOGS DO NOT TAKE WELL TO
CHOCOLATE. Do need feed it to them and watch the kids as some on occasion will slip a dog whatever it is they
themselves are eating. The Fannie May Confections factory that was closed in Bensalem, Pennsylvania is getting
a new lease on life. The Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority has agreed to extend a small business
loan to DIJAS Capital LLC who will renovate the building and then lease it to A&L Foods and Irene's Bakery &
Gourmet Kitchen Inc. In Scottsdale, Arizona a breach of contract lawsuit has been filed by Christine Kim of Seven
Sisters Sweet Shop against Bobbie Burt of Chocolate Heaven. The suit alleges that when Ms. Kim purchased her
shop from Ms. Burt in 2004 Ms. Burt agreed not to sell or manufacture chocolates within 20 miles of Seven Sisters
Sweet Shop. Her new shop is located only 6 miles away. Three decades ago, the sisters from St. Joseph
orphanage convinced Gramer's Fine Candies Inc. in Jackson, Michigan to start making chocolate stautes of the
Virgin Mary for Easter. A tradition was born and every easter since then Gramers has produced a run. They sold out
this year.
April 5, 2007 - For those of us in the chocolate business who from time to time find ourselves around machinery
it's always good to remember not to become complacent and stay alert. The Debelis facility in Kenosha,
Wisconsin was the scene of a horrifying accident when an employee reached into a vat of chocolate, not realizing it
was on, and proceeded to lose her hand Wednesday morning. Hershey has raised the wholesale prices on its
chocolate line. The average Hershey bar will see a 4 or 5% increase of its wholesale price. How this will affect
Hershey bars at the retail level remains to be seen. This is a serious chocolate photo, Alfred Buxbaum, Hotel
Sachers head confectioner, pours liquid chocolate over a Sachertorte at a cake factory in Vienna. A nice photo of
a little girl preparing to celebrate Easter in Beirut, Lebanon. In Brazil Easter eggs are big business. Here's a photo
of a shop worker setting up a chocolate egg display in a Sao Paulo shop. This is a photo of the same shop and
worker setting up a gigantic Easter egg. Here's another cool photo. It's a 1:100 scale chocolate model of Peter
and Paul Fortress at the Interfood 2007 exhibition in St. Petersburg, Russia. "Nine out of ten people say they love
chocolate. The tenth is lying," said Guido Gobino and here is a picture of what a tin of his chocolates look like.
April 4, 2007 - London's Covent Garden was the scene of chocolate madness on Tuesday. British chocolate firm
Thorntons invited people to come on down and help consume a 860 pound 14.5 x 9.5 chocolate Easter billboard.
The billboard made of 10 giant bunnies, 72 eggs and 128 4.5 pound panels. Planned by Barry Colenso it took a
team of 10 300 hours to put the thing up. It was figured the billboard would last a week but when a troop of 50
Brownies showed up at the unveiling it was have been obvious a week was wishful thinking. Within 3 hours it was
all over and the billboard was gone. In Italy high end chocolates are being produced by a variety of firms. Guido
Gobino producer of Tourinot chocolates and the Italian market are examined in this article from Reuters. Barry
Callebaut, said Tuesday that its six month net profit had increased by 11.1 percent. The company has found new
consumers in Russia and China that have driven increased sales. Nestle is recalling their Kit Kat caramel chunky
bar in both Canada and Australia. The bars were produced in Australia and the problem lies in the packaging may
have plastic pieces that are not supposed to be there. It looks like Hershey Co. has added to its foreign portfolio.
They have been granted permission by India's Foreign Investment Promotion Board for the proposed acquisition
of a 51% stake of Godrej Beverages. Godrej produces tea, beverages, packaged foods and confectionary items.
April 3, 2007 - Barry Callebaut's industrial business segment has been experiencing rapid growth, 11.4%
organic growth in the last six months as more companies are outsourcing their chocolate ingredient needs. We
reported a few weeks back that Callebaut had worked a deal with Nestle where Callebaut would provide Nestle
with chocolate in Europe. The Wall Street Journal rated artisan marshmallows and came to the conclusion that
DeBrand comes out on top. DeBrand has four different flavors of marshmallows. They are Cinnamon, Berry,
Vanilla and Cocoa. Chocolat Moderne , here in Manhattan, has for pick up only, no shipping, an eight inch
chocolate egg with a nest inside. The nest has an Art Deco chocolate duck sitting on an egg. The duck is made
from an antique mold. Deborah Markus of Bellaonline has an interesting piece posted examining whether it is
safe to consume chocolate during pregnancy. Switzerland-based pharmaceutical company Metrohm has
developed a test to determine the exact sugar content of chocolate thus helping manufacturers ensure
consistency on the production line. Cadbury was forced to pull some commercials from UK Television when they
received complaints that the ads were "offensive and racist". The ads showed a man with a strong Caribbean
accent shouting "mastication for the nation". Cadbury claims the ads were done with input from England's African
Caribbean community. The ads hoped to portray Trident in a playful light. After 500 + complaints the Advertising
Standards Authority ruled that although the advertisements were not intentionally that companies needed to be
careful in portraying humor based on accents. Artist Cosimo Cavallaro, creator of the "My Sweet Lord" chocolate
statue of Jesus claims he has received thousands of emails in support of the project. He has the sculpture stored
in a refrigerated truck and says he has received offers to buy or display the piece. Union members at two Hershey,
Pennsylvania chocolate factories have voted to agree to a plan that would lead to the elimination of hundreds of
jobs but would keep the factory open. The agreement passed 1,813 to 126 and was the fruit of negociations
between the Hershey Company and Chocolate Workers Local 464. The residents of Ruhnu, an island off of
Estonia will be given a 40-kilogram chocolate bear to compensate them for an ice traveling brown bear that visited
the island and then left. This was the second recent bear visit. Last April a bear floated across the Gulf Of Riga,
stayed awhile and then swam away. Laima the Latvian chocolate maker has crafted the large chocolate bear and
plans on air lifting it to the island so that the islanders can celebrate the bear visits.
April 1, 2007 - Results, presented at the annual American College of Cardiology scientific meeting in New
Orleans, Louisiana, of a study showed that in healthy adults the ingestion of Dark Chocolate over a short period of
time leads to increased blood flow function. Ten pound bars of chocolate were unveiled in Florence, Florida. The
bars released by the Widows of Deceased Veterans Foundation. Money raised by the sale of the bars will go to
help provide aid for the families of military veterans have passed away. Paul Mangels the owner of H. Mangels
Confectioner in Milford, Connecticut appeared recently on Good Morning Connecticut Weekend to talk about his
firms invention of chocolate bunny ears. With a prediction of a shortfall of 103,000 metric tons in cocoa production
futures prices are nearing $2,000 per ton. The drought in the Ivory Coast and Ghana continues without letup
making the problem worse. The Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, Oregon, has been fortunate to have
chocolatier, Patrick Magee of Burst's Candies build a three foot high chocolate rabbit for the Library. The areas
children gather to watch the unveiling and then the rabbit is cut into pieces and taken home by the kids. In
Scotland, Plaisir du Chocolat has joined forces with Waverley Care to issue a chocolate bar in a Tartan wrapper
that will be sold in Plaisir du Chocolat's Canongate shop and in Harvey Nichols in St Andrew Square. The
Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Finesse Chocolate have issued an allergy alert as some Finesse
product with milk proteins, Dark Chocolate covered fruit, was not labeled correctly. The product was sold in the
Montreal, Canada area and only poses a health issue for those with a milk allergy. The Canadian Food Inspection
Agency (CFIA) and Tickleberry’s are warning people with allergies to milk, soy, sulphites, peanuts and wheat
proteins not to consume Tickleberry’s Chocolate Covered Dried Fruit products. The products were sold all over
Canada. The Independent out of Great Britain is reporting that child labor is still being used in the Ivory Coast
despite a pledge from the worlds major chocolate companies five years ago to move towards eradicating the
problem. Artist , Cosimo Cavallaro, has caused a bit of an uproar with his new sculpture " My Sweet Lord".. The
sculpture is six feet high and depicts a naked, arms outstrecthed, anatomically correct Jesus. The statue was
supposed to be displayed at the Lab Gallery inside Manhattan's Roger Smith Hotel for a four day run ending at
Easter. The statue has outraged some Catholic groups. The story has spread far outside New York and this is a
link to the BBC's coverage. The following is a link to a followup article on CNN.com explaining the cancellation of
the controversial chocolate Jesus statue show. A link to a picture of the statue.
so that Masterfoods can add 67,000 square feet to their plant. The plant will add 5 new production lines at a cost of
$30 million and Dove chocolate will be produced. The future looks bright for chocolate sales in Saudi Arabia. In a
recent survey the average Saudi consumer was found to be consuming chocolate 4.8 times a week. Hershey is
partnering with country artist Paisley. They are sponsoring his new tour as well as putting his likeness on one
hundred million plus chocolate bars. The Olympian out of Olympia, Washington has a neat little 10 question test
on how much you know about chocolate. Barry Callebaut and Hershey have announced a deal where Callebaut
will lease part of Hershey's Robinson, Illinois plant and also build and operate a plant in Monterey, Mexico.
Calllebaut also agrees to provide Hershey with 88,000 tons of chocolate a year. A neat photo of Goedele
Matthyssen of Confiserie Felicitas chocolate makers carrying chocolate bunnies at their shop in Hornow, Germany
about 75 miles east of Berlin.
April 25, 2007 - John & Kiras has announced their Ladybugs were so popular this year at Easter that they have
decided to add them to their Wedding collection. The Ladybug Gems come with Raspberry, Mint & Honey Lavender
Ganache. Bad news for Cadbury as the company and some of its managers are being charged in Great Britain in
the salmonella case. The Birmingham City Council is bringing three charges against the company. The charges
stem from Cadbury not informing authorities that salmonella was showing up in internal tests in January 2006 and
only informing authorities when it was announced people were turning up sick in June. The managers could face
two years for each charge if found guilty. The company could also face unspecified fines. Barry Callebaut is
funding research aimed at finding the ingredient in cocoa butter that seems to increase insulin sensitivity which
may be a help to diabetics. Scientists have told attendees at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for
Cancer Research that they believe that new studies point to a diet rich in flavonols can help decrease the risk of
pancreatic cancer. German equity investment company Arques has taken over confectionery firm van Netten. Van
Netten produces fruit gums, jellies, sweets and sugar coated candies. Arques has been on a buying spree lately
especially in the food industry. Easter weekend saw cold, damp weather kept some from attending the Chocolate
Festival in Old Washington, Kentucky. The Festival which has been around for twenty years and among the events
they hold a Miss and Mr. Chocolate Festival Pageant. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has an interesting obituary
of Charles Pihringer. He helped to bring The Chocolate House Inc. along after World War 2. Among other things
the firm supplied the fudge at Disney World.
April 21, 2007 - While Hershey remains incredibly profitable, $93.47 million in the first quarter, profits are down
from 2006's first quarter of $122.47. Hershey claims their Cacao Reserve line is their fastest growing brands and
the success they have had with dark chocolate has been a plus. On the negative side their core brands, Reeses,
Hershey, etc have seen stagnant growth. They have been revamping the Reese's line so by next year at this time
we will probably also be reporting a growth in profits for their core brand. Cargill has been granted a patent for a
process that reduces the fat content in cocoa mass. Ukrainian confectionery company AVK has decided to
produce more chocolate to solidify its position as the largest chocolate maker in the Ukraine. Currently chocolate
provides 70% of sales for the firm and they are hoping to bring that figure up to 80% by the end of 2007. AVK
makes Shedevr, Frutta and the Chewyland brands. They have also revamped their high end boxed Assorti line.
They plan on spending $10 million to modernize their plant at Dnepropetrovsk .
April 20, 2007 - The BBC has a report that Cadbury is now moving into "upscale" dark chocolate to compete with
companies like Hershey. The company plans on revamping its Bournville brand which is its version of dark
chocolate (36%cocoa solids) and release a version that is 60% cocoa solids named Deeply Dark. Here's a
simple recipe for something that looks like a quick chocolatey breakfast, Chocolate Raspberry Croissant. Dr.
David Lewis of the Mind Lab in England has conducted some experiments, wiring couples and having them either
kiss or sample chocolate, and come to the conclusion that the buzz from eating chocolate was more intense and
longer lasting than the buzz from kissing. We here at eChocolateNYC could have saved the good doctor time and
money as we have self administered multiple experiments in this field and have come to the conclusion that
kissing while consuming chocolate is really the way to go. A month ago, March 20th, we reported on NOKA
opening a new store in Midtown Tokyo, Japan. The store has gotten off to a bang up start and drawn long lines of
curious shoppers. If you want to see what the outside of the store looks like click here. If you would like to take a
look at the store's interior .
April 15, 2007 - For Guittard the battle lines are drawn and they are leading the battle to change the FDA's mind
before the FDA changes what can be labeled as chocolate. The current standard of identity could be changed so
that products composed of vegetable oils instead of cocoa butter and milk substitutes instead of milk could legally
be identified as chocolate. Guittard has set up a website explaining the possible changes and has an email form
you can fill out to register your protest. We here at eChocolateNYC applaud Guittard for their efforts. Let chocolate
be chocolate and call the other products something else. Halloren Schokoladenfabrik, billed as Germany's oldest
chocolate maker, plans an IPO in June to fund expansion plans. NuGo Nutrition has added two new flavours -
Dark Chocolate Almond and Dark Chocolate Pomegranate - to its NuGo Organic snack bar range. The bars
contain Omega 3. The Hotel Sacher in Vienna, Austria held a birthday party recently for the 175th birthday of the
original Sacher Torte. Although many others have produced similar tortes over the years the Hotel claims to still
have the original secret recipe. They make about 360,000 tortes a year with a third for export. According to the
Hotel, Franz Sacher, an apprentice chef at the time conceived the treat while filling in for his ill boss. The torte was
made for Prince Metternich and has been well received ever since. In India there is a concern that some of the
imported chocolate for sale may not have been tested for safety. Taxes are high for imported chocolate so many
have resorted to bringing some into the country in their luggage and under Indian law they avoid paying taxes on it.
Some of this chocolate then finds law this chocolate is not taxable. This chocolate then makes its way into stores
where it is sold at a discount. The problem arises when chocolate that hasn't been tested enters the country.
See's Chocolates, the California chocolate firm, is undergoing more expansion and now numbers 205 shops as
well as plans for many temporary shops next holiday season. They are owned by Warren Buffet's Berkshire
Hathaway Company, they were purchased in 1972 for $25,000,000 , so they have access to plenty of expansion
capital as well as excellent management advice.
April 11, 2007 - We here at eChocolateNYC are pleased to announce we have worked our way through some
items produced by Joseph Schmidt Confections. We had been concerned with the companies purchase by
Hershey. Joseph Schmidt had always had a reputation for quality and would there be a lessening of that
commitment ? We're happy to report that we've worked our way through the Schmidt Spring line and all we can say
is wow. The first item we checked out was the 5 Pack Treasure Box which besides being attractive was filled with
5 nice mini truffles. Two milk , two dark chocolate and one milk strawberry. The chocolate was first rate and the
strawberry had a fresh , clean taste to it. The second item we sampled was The Flower Slicks box. The box looks
great, a nice Spring design , and is well constructed. Our 8 year old has already claimed it as a jewelry box and it
should have a nice second life. The slicks are thin discs , fourteen total, seven different flavors. The all dark and all
milk are fine. The milk caramel , white raspberry and peanut butter are much better than average. Where the
assortment is exceptional are the coconut - truly awesome - and the white orange which was amazing. You can
order these two items on line or here in New York they should be available at Whole Foods and Macys. Our
attention was called to a listing on Craigs List here in NYC from Sweetriot. Our regular readers know we rarely
reprint items verbatim but in this case we feel the second paragraph of the listing describes the situation better
than we could ever hope to. So here it is. If you are a chocoholic, outgoing, fun or in need of a better pick up line
this is the perfect fix. We provide you with free sweetriot, and in return you hit the bars, be creative, and share your
experiences. Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity. Who could resist your dazzling personality, paired with
divine chocolate? Gather for cocktails with your wing-women and/or wing-men and let sweetriot work its magic. If
you are interested this link will take you to the ad. If you haven't yet sampled Sweetriot you definitely should. They
have a crunch and taste that is ethereal and have grown to be one of our favorite items in the chocolate universe.
British chocolate firm Elizabeth Shaw will be producing new Origins chocolates and truffles - sourced from Sao
Tome, Ecuador and Java. They are joining the trend towards sourcing high end chocolates. In Great Britain
Cadbury keeps getting bad news. In the last year they've worked their way through the salmonella scare and now
the British Consumer group Which? has announced that the result of a recent Easter egg taste test found their
tasters preferred eggs from supermarkets Asda and Marks & Spencer to the eggs produced by Cadbury. The were
also criticized by Friends of the Earth, Scotland (FOE) for using to much packaging on their eggs creating
unnecessary waste. Scientists from the Nestlé Research Center (NRC) have reported that the polyphenol content
of chocolates around the world. Nestle is trying to prove that chocolate has healthful benefits and is laying the
scientific groundwork to support this viewpoint.
April 10, 2007 - A team of Doctors at The University Hospital of Cologne, Germany has completed a study that
suggests that flavanoids found in dark chocolate can help to lower blood pressure. Pippa, a cockatoo, living at
Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary in England has adopted a bowl of easter eggs and has been trying
to hatch them. The 17 year old bird saw the bowl of Cadbury eggs and sat on them and has been waiting for them
to hatch ever since. A picture of a chocolate sculpture of San Sebastian Town Hall, Pineda de Mar, north of
Barcelona, Spain.
April 9, 2007 - In Ireland it is estimated that residents will consume approximately one million kgs of chocolate for
Easter. The Villager has three neat photos of Jacques Torres's Chocolate Haven. The Easter rabbits look great.
In Peterborough, England local businesses got together and purchased for the children in the Peterborough
District Hospital chocolate Easter eggs. Some of the kids couldn't eat them straight away as they were awaiting
surgery but the kids all enjoyed the event. Of course our annual warning DOGS DO NOT TAKE WELL TO
CHOCOLATE. Do need feed it to them and watch the kids as some on occasion will slip a dog whatever it is they
themselves are eating. The Fannie May Confections factory that was closed in Bensalem, Pennsylvania is getting
a new lease on life. The Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority has agreed to extend a small business
loan to DIJAS Capital LLC who will renovate the building and then lease it to A&L Foods and Irene's Bakery &
Gourmet Kitchen Inc. In Scottsdale, Arizona a breach of contract lawsuit has been filed by Christine Kim of Seven
Sisters Sweet Shop against Bobbie Burt of Chocolate Heaven. The suit alleges that when Ms. Kim purchased her
shop from Ms. Burt in 2004 Ms. Burt agreed not to sell or manufacture chocolates within 20 miles of Seven Sisters
Sweet Shop. Her new shop is located only 6 miles away. Three decades ago, the sisters from St. Joseph
orphanage convinced Gramer's Fine Candies Inc. in Jackson, Michigan to start making chocolate stautes of the
Virgin Mary for Easter. A tradition was born and every easter since then Gramers has produced a run. They sold out
this year.
April 5, 2007 - For those of us in the chocolate business who from time to time find ourselves around machinery
it's always good to remember not to become complacent and stay alert. The Debelis facility in Kenosha,
Wisconsin was the scene of a horrifying accident when an employee reached into a vat of chocolate, not realizing it
was on, and proceeded to lose her hand Wednesday morning. Hershey has raised the wholesale prices on its
chocolate line. The average Hershey bar will see a 4 or 5% increase of its wholesale price. How this will affect
Hershey bars at the retail level remains to be seen. This is a serious chocolate photo, Alfred Buxbaum, Hotel
Sachers head confectioner, pours liquid chocolate over a Sachertorte at a cake factory in Vienna. A nice photo of
a little girl preparing to celebrate Easter in Beirut, Lebanon. In Brazil Easter eggs are big business. Here's a photo
of a shop worker setting up a chocolate egg display in a Sao Paulo shop. This is a photo of the same shop and
worker setting up a gigantic Easter egg. Here's another cool photo. It's a 1:100 scale chocolate model of Peter
and Paul Fortress at the Interfood 2007 exhibition in St. Petersburg, Russia. "Nine out of ten people say they love
chocolate. The tenth is lying," said Guido Gobino and here is a picture of what a tin of his chocolates look like.
April 4, 2007 - London's Covent Garden was the scene of chocolate madness on Tuesday. British chocolate firm
Thorntons invited people to come on down and help consume a 860 pound 14.5 x 9.5 chocolate Easter billboard.
The billboard made of 10 giant bunnies, 72 eggs and 128 4.5 pound panels. Planned by Barry Colenso it took a
team of 10 300 hours to put the thing up. It was figured the billboard would last a week but when a troop of 50
Brownies showed up at the unveiling it was have been obvious a week was wishful thinking. Within 3 hours it was
all over and the billboard was gone. In Italy high end chocolates are being produced by a variety of firms. Guido
Gobino producer of Tourinot chocolates and the Italian market are examined in this article from Reuters. Barry
Callebaut, said Tuesday that its six month net profit had increased by 11.1 percent. The company has found new
consumers in Russia and China that have driven increased sales. Nestle is recalling their Kit Kat caramel chunky
bar in both Canada and Australia. The bars were produced in Australia and the problem lies in the packaging may
have plastic pieces that are not supposed to be there. It looks like Hershey Co. has added to its foreign portfolio.
They have been granted permission by India's Foreign Investment Promotion Board for the proposed acquisition
of a 51% stake of Godrej Beverages. Godrej produces tea, beverages, packaged foods and confectionary items.
April 3, 2007 - Barry Callebaut's industrial business segment has been experiencing rapid growth, 11.4%
organic growth in the last six months as more companies are outsourcing their chocolate ingredient needs. We
reported a few weeks back that Callebaut had worked a deal with Nestle where Callebaut would provide Nestle
with chocolate in Europe. The Wall Street Journal rated artisan marshmallows and came to the conclusion that
DeBrand comes out on top. DeBrand has four different flavors of marshmallows. They are Cinnamon, Berry,
Vanilla and Cocoa. Chocolat Moderne , here in Manhattan, has for pick up only, no shipping, an eight inch
chocolate egg with a nest inside. The nest has an Art Deco chocolate duck sitting on an egg. The duck is made
from an antique mold. Deborah Markus of Bellaonline has an interesting piece posted examining whether it is
safe to consume chocolate during pregnancy. Switzerland-based pharmaceutical company Metrohm has
developed a test to determine the exact sugar content of chocolate thus helping manufacturers ensure
consistency on the production line. Cadbury was forced to pull some commercials from UK Television when they
received complaints that the ads were "offensive and racist". The ads showed a man with a strong Caribbean
accent shouting "mastication for the nation". Cadbury claims the ads were done with input from England's African
Caribbean community. The ads hoped to portray Trident in a playful light. After 500 + complaints the Advertising
Standards Authority ruled that although the advertisements were not intentionally that companies needed to be
careful in portraying humor based on accents. Artist Cosimo Cavallaro, creator of the "My Sweet Lord" chocolate
statue of Jesus claims he has received thousands of emails in support of the project. He has the sculpture stored
in a refrigerated truck and says he has received offers to buy or display the piece. Union members at two Hershey,
Pennsylvania chocolate factories have voted to agree to a plan that would lead to the elimination of hundreds of
jobs but would keep the factory open. The agreement passed 1,813 to 126 and was the fruit of negociations
between the Hershey Company and Chocolate Workers Local 464. The residents of Ruhnu, an island off of
Estonia will be given a 40-kilogram chocolate bear to compensate them for an ice traveling brown bear that visited
the island and then left. This was the second recent bear visit. Last April a bear floated across the Gulf Of Riga,
stayed awhile and then swam away. Laima the Latvian chocolate maker has crafted the large chocolate bear and
plans on air lifting it to the island so that the islanders can celebrate the bear visits.
April 1, 2007 - Results, presented at the annual American College of Cardiology scientific meeting in New
Orleans, Louisiana, of a study showed that in healthy adults the ingestion of Dark Chocolate over a short period of
time leads to increased blood flow function. Ten pound bars of chocolate were unveiled in Florence, Florida. The
bars released by the Widows of Deceased Veterans Foundation. Money raised by the sale of the bars will go to
help provide aid for the families of military veterans have passed away. Paul Mangels the owner of H. Mangels
Confectioner in Milford, Connecticut appeared recently on Good Morning Connecticut Weekend to talk about his
firms invention of chocolate bunny ears. With a prediction of a shortfall of 103,000 metric tons in cocoa production
futures prices are nearing $2,000 per ton. The drought in the Ivory Coast and Ghana continues without letup
making the problem worse. The Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, Oregon, has been fortunate to have
chocolatier, Patrick Magee of Burst's Candies build a three foot high chocolate rabbit for the Library. The areas
children gather to watch the unveiling and then the rabbit is cut into pieces and taken home by the kids. In
Scotland, Plaisir du Chocolat has joined forces with Waverley Care to issue a chocolate bar in a Tartan wrapper
that will be sold in Plaisir du Chocolat's Canongate shop and in Harvey Nichols in St Andrew Square. The
Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Finesse Chocolate have issued an allergy alert as some Finesse
product with milk proteins, Dark Chocolate covered fruit, was not labeled correctly. The product was sold in the
Montreal, Canada area and only poses a health issue for those with a milk allergy. The Canadian Food Inspection
Agency (CFIA) and Tickleberry’s are warning people with allergies to milk, soy, sulphites, peanuts and wheat
proteins not to consume Tickleberry’s Chocolate Covered Dried Fruit products. The products were sold all over
Canada. The Independent out of Great Britain is reporting that child labor is still being used in the Ivory Coast
despite a pledge from the worlds major chocolate companies five years ago to move towards eradicating the
problem. Artist , Cosimo Cavallaro, has caused a bit of an uproar with his new sculpture " My Sweet Lord".. The
sculpture is six feet high and depicts a naked, arms outstrecthed, anatomically correct Jesus. The statue was
supposed to be displayed at the Lab Gallery inside Manhattan's Roger Smith Hotel for a four day run ending at
Easter. The statue has outraged some Catholic groups. The story has spread far outside New York and this is a
link to the BBC's coverage. The following is a link to a followup article on CNN.com explaining the cancellation of
the controversial chocolate Jesus statue show. A link to a picture of the statue.
| April 2007 News |
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