May 29, 2008 - In 2003 Kellog quietly dropped the Hydrox cookie from its lineup. Fans of the cookie were left to wonder why they could no
longer find the Oreo rival. Bowing to pressure, over 1,300 phone calls and an online petition with 1,000 signatures, Kellog has announced
the will be bringing the Hydrox back for another try at competing with Oreo. The San Francisco Chocolate Factory has introduced Got Milk ?
Chocolate Straws in the United States. The straws when used and then stirred into a cup of regular unflavored milk turn the milk into
chocolate milk. The company has adapted the straws from similar products available in Europe. You can read the Press Release here.
Police made five drug related arrests during the Sasquatch! Music Festival a 3 day event held at in George, Washington. Among the
seizures police confiscated thirteen pounds of chocolate laced with psychedelic mushrooms. We here at eChocolateNYC would like to
congratulate the founder of the town of 500 + for having the foresight and sense of humor to name the town George, Washington by the
way. The Marble Hill Chocolate Lounge in Cincinnati has announced they will be closing their O'Bryonville store. Green & Black's Organic
Chocolate will be sponsoring the 2008 James Beard Foundation Book Awards. The awards are held June 8th at Lincoln Center in New
York City and you can read the Press Release here. The Henry Ford Museum in Detroit has announced a list of chocolate themed events
that will be running throughout the Summer. The events will be running in conjunction with Chocolate: The Exhibition. The events include
chocolate paintings, music and a tasting. The Detroit Free Press has an article listing some of the better spots in the Detroit, Michigan area
to get top notch chocolate. The list includes shops such as Gayles Chocolates, Kilwins Of Birmingham, Morley Candy Makers and others. It
looks like Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Federal Court will be the court where all the sundry lawsuits alleging the major chocolate companies
are engaged in price fixing will be heard. The Wine, Chocolate and More Festival, will be held from 2 to 9 p.m. June 20 and 11 a.m. to 9
p.m. June 22 at the Polk County Fairgrounds, 520 Pacific Highway in Rickreall, Oregon. Admission will be $6 for adults and $3 for kids.
May 28, 2008 - There is a bit of speculation as to what Hershey will do in response to Mars acquisition of Wrigley which has created a
confectionery behemoth. Hershey which was pounded last year by increased costs for dairy, cocoa and energy had declining margins. Now
some in the industry wonder if Hershey will merge or purchase one of their remaining competitors in an effort to keep pace with Mars.
Cadbury is one company that has been mentioned especially with Cadbury's decoupling of their beverage business the confectionery end
of the company would make a great fit for Hershey. A new study finds yet another positive use of cocoa flavanols. The study published in
The Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that the flavanols may help to improve blood vessel help in Type 2 Diabetes
patients. Even when Doctor's treat the insulin problemsin Diabete's sufferers , two thirds of the patients eventually expire from vascular
problems such as strokes and heart disease so this could be a helpful advance. Food Navigator has a nice piece on a few of the newer
chocolate launches including Alpha from Newtree Chocolates which is chocolate and flax seeds. The flax seeds are rich in omega 3 fatty
acids which are purported to have a variety of health benefits. The Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International has announced that
worldwide Fairtrade sales were about $3.5 billion in 2007 an increase of 47% from the year before. Archer Daniels Midland Cocoa has
introduced new systems into their United Kingdom cocoa facilities. This will allow the company to respond to the marketplace's need for
more sources of certified organic cocoa. The International Cocoa Organization has released new figures that show that there will be a rise
in world cocoa production but the cocoa deficit although narrowed will not be closed so the marketplace can expect further price rises.
Nestle has announced that they will have a renewed emphasis on growth in Central and East Europe. In this area Nestle already has a
strong position, in Russia they are #1 in chocolate and #2 in ice cream. The company has already been experiencing growth rates of 10%
in the region but hopes to increase this to 15% a year over the next few years. Eastern Europe is becoming a competitive market with firms
such as Barry Callebaut and Wrigley also making investments in the region.
May 15, 2008 - Researchers at the University of Toronto have published the results of a new study in Physiological Genomics that
suggests that a genetic variation leads to the consumption of sugar. In laymen's terms this variation is what leads to the desire to consume
sugar. In the United Kingdom a new study has found an increased awareness of fairtrade chocolate among the general population. The
survey found the percentage of respondents who were aware of fairtrade increased from 24% in 2007 to 32% in 2008. DeBrand is selling
some nice little 2 and 4 piece boxes of chocolate to give away at graduation parties.
May 12, 2008 - In Australia Cadbury is boosting its Old Gold brand of dark chocolate by launching a new advertising campaign. Old Gold
which has 41% of dark chocolate block sales in Australia is looking to increase its market share. Their main competitor is the Nestle Club
brand with its 34% of the market. The market is $80,000,000 in size. The campaign will introduce consumers to new lines including
liqueur-flavoured products, a Mildly Dark crossover product targeting milk chocolate eaters, and a raspberry version. Mars has re -
registered the Marathon trademark in the United Kingdom and it looks like they might be bringing back the Marathon Bar. The bar became
the Snickers Bar in 1990 but now would be sold as the Marathon Bar. Since Cadbury's success with re - issuing the Wispa Bar companies
have been looking to ride the nostalgia market. Red Thread Confections, of Delmar, New York is owned and operated by Annika Pfluger .
Ms. Pfluger adopted her son Danny from Guatemala. Having traveled there as part of the adoption process Ms. Pfluger has been donating
ten percent of each sale to Guatemalan orphanages and charities that help needy kids. You can take a look at her companies offerings
here. The chocolates look great and we always encourage our readers to spend there money with those who are helping others. In the
United Kingdom the advocacy group War on Want has issued a report claiming that increased demand for palm oil, which is used in some
chocolates as well as margarine and cosmetics, has led to a land grab in Colombia. According to the report right wing paramilitary groups
are seizing land and crops. The government of Colombia has been encouraging the growth of palm oil as a substitute to cocoa, the raw
material of cocaine, production.
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.
| May 2008 Chocolate News Archive |
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