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July 24, 2008 - Due to differences in the pricing of cocoa beans between the Ivory Coast and Ghana, in the
Ivory Coast price fluctuates in accordance with the futures market and Ghana's is announced and stays
stable before the season begins, smugglers have begun to smuggle the lower price beans out of Ghana for
sale in the Ivory Coast. Prices are up 53% from 2007 in New York, topping out at $3150 a ton. New data
shows that sucralose is slowly closing in on Aspartame as the number one artificial sweetener in Europe. In
2005 746 new products were released in Europe using Aspartame. In 2007 the number was down to 663.
Meanwhile sucralose laden products numbered 134 in 2005 and were up to 234 in 2007. European
manufacturers are responding to the feeling among some consumers that Aspartame is an unhealthy
ingredient. Lotte, South Korea's largest confectionery firm is entering the European market by purchasing
Guylian the Belgian chocolate company. They paid 105 million Euros for the company. Last year they
announced a 50 million Euro deal to operate a chocolate factory with Hershey outside of Shanghai, China.
Nestle has announced they will be changing the packaging on the Aero line of candy bars to update the
design and to increase shelf life. Here's an interesting recipe from the San Mateo Daily Journal. Using
marshmallow cream to make a faux buttercream frosting you then sprinkle shaved dark chocolate on top and
are ready to go. Sounds great. Who would have thought that Missoula, Montana was the home to high end
chocolate. Apparently that's the case as Jason and Ana Willenbrock, the owners of Posh Chocolat of
Missoula, went to the International Chocolate Salon Show in Seattle earlier this month and walked away with
eight awards. They took top prize in the “Best Truffle,” “Best in Salon” and “Best Flavored Chocolate Food”
categories and also picked up a second place and four honorable mentions. Chocolate Bar's new East 7th
street location has finally opened up and it is a nice, light, airy shop. In other Chocolate Bar news the shops
owner Alison Nelson has announced her company in partnership with Dubai-based HFK General Trading
will be opening ten shops in India and Pakistan. We wish her well in both of her new endeavours. Mont
Blanc Gourmet has partnered with Omanhene Cocoa Bean Company to release a new chocolate sauce,
single sourced, from Ghana.
July 23, 2008 - Deborah Markus Of Bellaonline has a article and review of Montale Chocolate Greedy
Perfume. Of course we here at eChocolateNYC prefer our chocolate in our bellies not on our skin but then
again there's nothing like the smell of a room full of fresh chocolate. Janet Hogarth, the owner of The
Chocolate Shoppe in Fairfield, Connecticut , will be closing her shop for good on Monday. The store had been
in business since 1994. Betty Hallock of the L.A. Times has a piece on some of the higher end producers,
DeVries, Patric, Amano, of chocolate bars in the United States. If you are mapping out your August activities
keep in mind that August 10th is national S'Mores Day. Hershey provides an informative website that has
many S'Mores ideas for the Holiday. If sleep deprived rats brains are any guide it seems the aroma of fresh
roasted coffee has a calming effect. The study was carried out by researchers at Seoul National University,
South Korea and has been published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
July 18, 2008 - In local chocolate news the Michel Cluizel space in the back of ABC Carpets has been
renamed the Dessert Studio. They still have some Cluizel product for sale and are branching out into other
brands and have a nice selection of the harder to find Amedei bars. They also are serving truffles and
brownies that they are making themselves. We will post more information as it becomes available. Another
year has gone by and once again we are reporting on the Annual Dunedin, New Zealand, Chocolate Festival.
The highlight of the festival is the rolling of the Jaffas down the world's steepest street, Baldwin St. The Jaffa
is an orange covered ball of chocolate and a Cadbury product and you can see a video report of the race
here and you can see the results of the race, which raises money for local charities here. A fun review of the
TasteTV's Chocolate Salon that was held in Seattle this weekend from the Seattlest which is published by
The Gothamist, one of our favorite sites for New York City news. It looks like the exhibitors were being creative
with offerings such as the crunchy white chocolate oatmeal stout/potato chip truffle from Grendelsweet and
the Kalamata olive truffle from Fiori. This article has definitely given us food for thought, pardon the pun, as to
how we will be planning our next trip to the Pacific Northwest. We've written in the past about how the
combination of increased energy costs and the increased costs of raw cocoa are going to put chocolate
manufacturers in a difficult place, either raise prices or eat the increases and cut profits. Now Thomas
Hoenig, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City is in agreement. He recently toured the Rocky
Mountain Chocolate Factory Inc., Durango, Colorado, factory accompanied by company CFO Bryan
Merryman. He expressed concern about how inflation was making operating more difficult for companies
while he watched workers at the plant make Rocky Pop caramel corn and raisin clusters. The Redcastle
Furze Primary School in Thetford, Norfolk England, took some heat in September, 2005 when the school
pledged to give each child a bar of chocolate, if they made it to the half time break without getting an exclusion
day. In the previous two years the children had racked up 65 exclusion days. The school was criticized for
encouraging bad eating habits etc. Surprise, surprise the scheme worked out so well it has been extended to
include handing out Easter eggs and holding discos and picnics. In a continuation of the visit to the Durango,
Rocky Mountain plant USA Today has also covered the story and has found that Rocky Mountain has had to
lay off some workers to deal with the effects of the current recession as well as increased costs. In what can
only be described as a "Willy Wonka" moment Mathilde Epron, a French airline hostess, purchased a Kit Kat
bar and won a very special prize, a trip into space. The contest winner gets a ride on a four-seater, fighter-
sized aircraft built by Rocketplane. The plane the Rocketplane XP will reach an altitude of 60 miles and she
will experience 5 minutes of weightlessness. She will first have to undergo four days of astronaut training in
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. To make the story even better she initially threw the wrapper in the trash and then
curiosity got the better of her and she fished it out two hours latter to check to see if it was a winner. Students
at Penn will be happy to know that local chocolatiers Naked Chocolate Cafe will open a store at 34th and
Walnut streets right in the heart of University City. In Europe, Kraft Foods, is adding a limited edition bar to the
Terry's Chocolate Orange lineup. The new bar will debut August 1st and is called the Terry's Chocolate
Orange Cosmic Toffee Crunch and contains milk chocolate flavored with real orange and toffee-flavored
crunchy pieces. The Los Angeles Times has a very informative and definitely must read article about some
of the newer players entering the chocolate business. They cover everyone from Timothy Childs of TCHO to
the Mast Brothers here in Brooklyn. These new entrepreneurs are tweaking their production methods
constantly looking for better ways to raise the quality of their chocolate. L.A. Burdick has an easy way for you
to vote this Election year. Vote with your stomach and buy either the Barack Obama assortment , ( Hawaiian
Pineapple, Kenyan Coffee, Kansas Corn Crunch and Tennessee Sour Mash ) or the John McCain
assortment ( Arizona Citrus, Hot Pepper Tequila, Peanut Butter, and Kentucky Rye ). We're not all that sure
how the Sour Mash and Rye are connected to the two candidates but we think the other bon bons make
sense. So far the online tally for boxes sold is Obama 8,300 and McCain 3,700.
July 16, 2008 - With a smaller than expected cocoa harvest coming out of the Ivory Coast and demand for
chocolate products steadily increasing the price of cocoa in New York has hit $3,150 a ton. This is 53%
ahead of 2007 and chocolate consumers can expect to see higher prices in the stores reflecting the higher
cocoa prices and increasing energy costs.
July 15, 2008 - Apparently Summertime is zucchini time in Iowa which has led the Daily Iowan to print a
recipe for chocolate zucchini bread that looks promising. Please always be aware that feeding your dog,
chocolate, grapes or raisins can be very dangerous. In the United Kingdom dog "poisoning cases" are up
almost 50% in the last two years. Endangered Species has been successfully pursuing a counter intuitive
business model. As most American companies have been belt tightening in these tough economic times.
Endangered Species has been searching for more expensive raw materials and has been donating more of
their profits to charity. The company has seen sales grow from $3,000,000 in 2004 to a projected
$17,000,000 this year.
July 11, 2008 - Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory has reported their results for the First Quarter of Fiscal
year 2008. Things didn't go that well as same store sales at franchised retail outlets decreased 2.5%. Net
earnings dropped 2.6% in the same period. The Coboss brand No Sugar Added Dark Chocolate Bar has
been voluntarily recalled in Canada by its distributor as it may contain milk which is not listed as an ingredient
on the label and could be harmful to those with allergies to milk proteins. A new weight losing diet in
England calls for consuming 700 calories of carbs every morning. The diet calls for 30 grams of chocolate
which strikes us as a good idea but we find hard to believe will lead to actual weight loss. If you are in
Seattle, Washington this weekend you might want to drop by Bell Harbor's Elliott Hall at Pier 66 on Sunday.
$20.00 will get you into The Seattle Luxury Chocolate Show. Some of the exhibitors will include Poco Dulce,
Guittard, Petits Noir, Kekau Chocolatier, Cocoa Chai Chocolates, Amano Artisan Chocolate, Island Angel
Chocolates and many others. A must read article from the Times in The United Kingdom. As competition
heats up in the United Kingdom and European chocolate markets all sense of proportion has been forgotten.
When Kim McCulley, the manager of the Hotel Chocolat store, in Nottingham, found someone had gone from
box to box of her stores truffles, and crushed them making them unsalable. She sent the stores closed circuit
security tape to company headquarters to help track down the perpetrator, a well dressed gentleman and a
female companion. It turned out the gentleman was none other than Barry Colenso, the master chocolatier
for Thorntons. Thorntons is one of Englands largest retailers of chocolate with hundreds of stores
throughout the country. This happened last August but Colenso stepped down after the episode. The article
then goes on to give an excellent overview of the current chocolate scene in the country which is primarily
based in and around London. A nice looking recipe for chocolate chip cookies from the New York Times.
Dark Chocolate sales have been soaring in The United Kingdom. Recent research from the UK claims sales
of Dark Chocolate have increased 96% between 2005 and 2007. With good news about the health benefits of
dark chocolate crossing our desk on an almost daily basis there is no reason to believe sales wont continue
to trend upwards.
July 6, 2008 - Teresa Wall of 42nd Street Candy Co., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, sat down for an interview
with Carrie Coppernoll of newsok.com. Read the article here. Sydney, Australia was the sight of a truck
hiest. The truck was loaded with $50,000 AU worth of chocolate awaiting delivery when it was stolen. When
cooking and sharing our handiwork always remember to keep food allergies in the back of your mind. A man
taking a bite out of a chocolate chip cookie collapsed 90 seconds later in Seattle's Magnuson Park. He was
rushed to Everett's Harborview Medical Center where he passed two days later. The cookie had been
prepared with some peanut butter which set off an anaphylactic shock reaction. The strange saga of New
York Chocolate in Fulton, New York continues to unfold. Hausmann A. Banet the owner of 20% of the
companies shares was forced to sell his stake. The remaining investors believe this will allow the company
to move forward. Mr. Banet had accused the company of being a money laundering operation and had
withheld a check for $565,000 from the state of New York that was property of the company. CNN.com has a
must read article about the future of cocoa production and the sustainability of West Africa's growing land
comes into question. Crop yields have been diminishing in recent years as the land and soil is degraded.
Cadbury has partnered with the group Earthwatch to help stem the tide of soil erosion and other problems
associated with cocoa production. Trident will be launching its chocolate gum on July 14th in the United
Kingdom. The gums packaging was designed by the firm Coley Porter Bell and it is hoping its "Tempt me,
treat me… do it sweetly" tagline will appeal to women.
July 3, 2008 - With Starbucks cutting back by closing 600 stores in the USA the inevitable question
becomes will the coffee industry see an across the board curtailment or is the closing of the 600 stores due
to Starbucks aggressively over expanding ? European coffee professionals see no lessening of demand in
their markets according to Roel Vaessen, director general of the European Coffee Federation. Barry
Callebaut has opened an innovation center in their manufacturing facility in Pennsauken, New Jersey. With
divergent regional tastes in the USA Callebaut hopes the center will allow them to produce products tailored
to the tastes of the US consumer. Givaudan, the ingredients producer, is looking
July 1, 2008 - Barry Callebaut AG, on the strength of orders from Hershey and Nestle has seen a 13%
growth in third quarter sales. Shares rose 4% in trading in Zurich.
June 30, 2008 - The Polk County Fair in Fertile, Minnesota will host a chocolate contest on July 9th. If you
happen to be in the area drop by and either whip something up and take your chances or root on those who
did. We've seen this written before but yet another article has postulated the theory that the chocolate market
is recession proof. The theory is that chocolate is such an inexpensive treat, a handful of Hershey Kisses
doesn't cost much and even a piece of "high end" chocolate pastry will set up back less than $10, that in
rough economic times the feel good factor and low cost will make chocolate one of the last things that people
will drop. In New Zealand, ShakeAway has a new franchisee that will be introducing over 150 different
milkshakes. What interests us the most is that they will be using locally sourced ingredients and will have
flavors such as hokey pokey biscuits, jaffas, snifters and toffee pops all local "favorites". Originally founded in
1845, Young & Smylie debuts new licorice with three new flavors. The company which was purchased by
Hershey in 1977, will be releasing three soft textured licorice flavors, traditional black, strawberry and peach
mango.
June 26, 2008 - Hershey has an excellent promotion on tap. Hershey is a sponsor of our 2008 Olympic team
and in conjunction with this sponsorship they have released specially marked " Taste Of Victory" wrappers on
Hershey, Reese's, Kit Kat, York Peppermint Patties and Almond Joy items. The wrappers will have possible
prizes which include a 2008 Chevy Tahoe - how sweet, 42" Plasma HDTVs and Visa Gift Cards. You can also
send in UPC codes from some Hershey products for a nice set of three Olympic bands. All in all a great deal.
You get some candy, help support our Olympians and get a shot at winning some great prizes. Anni Golding
is the chef and owner of Gâteau et Ganache in Palo Alto California. The San Jose Mercury News has an
interesting article about her and the chocolates she is producing. Ms. Golding has pursued her passion
through a variety of educational stops including The Institute of Culinary Arts in New York City, École Lenôtre
in Paris and L'École du Grand Chocolate Valrhona in Tain l'Hermitage, France. She teaches classes in
tempering chocolate and share her information with other local chefs. We've yet to see them but M & Ms is
releasing a new high end line of M & Ms. They will be called M & M Premiums and they will come in five
flavors, chocolate almond, mint chocolate, mocha, raspberry almond and triple chocolate. Starting today,
Askinosie Chocolate will start manufacturing white chocolate. They'll start straight from the bean and they'll
contain 34% cocoa butter. We wish them well as we've always enjoyed white chocolate and would like to see
it gain respect in chocolate circles. The Great Falls Tribune sent out the call for a recipe that combined
chocolate and cottage cheese. Three readers sent in recipes and they're worth taking a look at. Moods
restaurant in Llanelli, South Wales has created a curry dish combining white chocolate and chicken. The
San Francisco Chocolate Factory introduced Cocoa Vinoso at the Fancy Food Show in New York. The Cocoa
Vinoso line is made to be paired with different wines. For example the Cocoa Vinoso 58% is designed to be
paired with Merlot. You can read the Press Release. A U.S. Department of Agriculture team funded with ten
million dollars from the Mars Company will be teaming with a team from IBM and is hoping to map the cocoa
genome. The hope is that by studying the 400 million parts of the genome scientists will come up with ways
to battle diseases that strike cocoa. The European Commission, in Brussels, Belgium, said it will refer Italy to
the European Union's highest court, the European Court of Justice, over the labelling of "pure chocolate"
products. Chocolate bars in EU nations can use up to 5% of six tropical oils as long as notice of it is on the
label. The EU feels that by labeling their products as " pure chocolate" Italian firms are claiming that their
chocolate is "purer" than other countries chocolate. Deborah Markus of Bellaonline has an well written
review of Nesti Dante shea butter chocolate-scented soap.
June 23, 2008 - Yummie Chocolates seems to be working a lot with chocolate covered marshmallows. We
can't personally vouch for their product never having sampled it but they have garnered quite a bit of public
notice with an appearance on The Rachel Ray Show.
June 21, 2008 - Moonstruck Chocolate Company is opening their first store in New Jersey. The store will be
located in the Mall at Short Hills. Visitors to the Minnesota State Fair were introduced to a new product this
year. Charlie Torgerson, co-owner of several Famous Dave's franchises, is selling the mixture of chocolate,
bacon and sea salt. This is something that's been available at Vosges on Spring Street but we guess is now
filtering down the chocolate food chain. Ghirardelli Square is getting a face lift and new upscale restaurants
are being lured into the area. Although the area is a popular tourist destination resident San Franciscan's
have avoided the place in the past. Common complaints include the crowds of tourists. They are also
launching a time share operation where you can own 35 days a year in the old Ghiradelli factory building
starting at $265,000. Mrs. Fields Famous Brands the owners of Mrs. Fields Cookies and the TCBY Yogurt
brand are in the process of attempting to restructure the companies debt. Bankruptcy is a possibility if
investors do not agree to accept the restructuring offer. Debbi Fields is no longer involved in the management
of the firm.
June 20, 2008 - A shortage of licorice roots in Iran and China has led to projections that the price of licorice
will increase over the next year. In the last year wholesale prices have sky rocketed 40% and further
increases could filter down to the retail sector.
June 14, 2008 - Cadbury is introducing a new low calorie gum Sweet Kicks. Each piece has less than 5
calories and has a liquid chocolate center with a minty casing. Since chewing gum can burn 11 calories an
hour if you can keep a piece working for an hour you can burn 6 calories. It was 1892 in Edinburgh and
Alexander Grant, who worked with Robert McVitie in his biscuit shop, came across the idea of using
bicarbonate of soda as a raising agent in biscuits. The resulting product became the Digestive Biscuit. In
1925 chocolate was added. A new survey of Great Britain found the Chocolate Digestive was named the Best
Treat Of All Time. On June 8th we reported about Keith Sorrell an Englishman who has subsisted on a diet
of Mars Bars for the last 17 years, Now we report on Rebecca Scowcroft, from Bolton, United Kingdom a 12
year girl who's diet is virtually all chocolate. She suffers from an extreme food phobia where she is afraid to try
new foods. In India local chocolate produced by Cadbury and Nestle's is steadily losing market share to
imported chocolate. Retailers like to sell the imported chocolate as they can get a larger margin than from
the chocolate produced in country.
June 13, 2008 - Wow, how's this for brand loyalty. Reader's Digest surveyed their readers in the United
Kingdom and 54% picked Cadbury as the confectionery brand they trusted the most. Coming in second was
Galaxy with 7%. When you consider the big salmonella scare of 2006. Green & Blacks, a subsidiary of
Cadbury came in third but rated highest in perceived quality. Australian chocolate makers Darrell Lea were
fined for $120,000 for forcing 12 employees to sign away some of their labor rights. The company has 82
stores across Australia and contends the company made mistakes trying to implement Australian labor law.
June 11, 2008 - Pantaloon the Indian company that runs the Big Bazaar chain of stores in India has dropped
Cadbury products after a dispute with the company. Pantaloon will start test marketing their own brand of
chocolate in their stores under the name Tasty Treat. Lee Napoli founder of the New England Pastry Guild
and the ex pastry chef at Boston restaurants such as Maison Robert and Anago has opened her own
chocolate shop. The shop is named ChocoLee Chocolates and is located in the South End. She's making
her own truffles and other chocolate treats. Cocoa futures prices which are up 33% in the last year finally
dropped a bit on Tuesday. A stronger dollar was credited as investors sold off stakes in commodities. Long
term with demand growing in parts of the world and the cocoa supply erratic prices will probably continue to
trend upwards. In Georgetown, Massachusetts the Brennan family has decided to close down their shop
The Chocolate Cellar after five years in the business. On June 14th they will be donating half of their sales to
the group Music Parents. If you'd like to purchase their remaining inventory and existing customer base they
are asking $20,000.
June 10, 2008 - In what looks to be one of the cooler movie/chocolate pairings we've ever seen Hershey has
bat shaped Reese's cups coming out in conjunction with the release of the new Batman movie "The dark
Knight". They also have limited edition Kit Kat bars as well as limited edition Reese's Pieces. They are also
running a contest with great prized including The MV Dark Knight F4 motorcycle and home entertainment
systems.
June 09, 2008 - Unfortunately the chemical fire we reported at the Blommer Chocolate Factory was more
serious than first reported. It wasn't a fire but a leak of an ammonia like vapor. One of the three injured
passed away and the other two remain hospitalized. Pez has introduced a new flavor to its lineup. Starting in
July, 2008 they will offer a chocolate flavored Pez.
June 08, 2008 - A chemical fire of unknown origin at the Blommer Chocolate Factory in the River West
section of Chicago had the area's Haz Mat teams on the job. Three people were taken to area hospitals two
in serious or critical condition. The Pittsburgh Tribune - Review has what appears to be a promising recipe
for Airy Chocolate Berry Pavlova. Basically it's a chocolate meringue with whipped cream and berries and
looks great for something special on the table during the Summer. New Zealand's Bloomsberry chocolates,
which is available here locally at Bloomingdales, is now partnering with Whole Foods to develop Climate
Change Chocolate. The wrappers contain tips on how to lead a "green" existence and fifty five cents from
each bar sold will be donated to TerraPass to pay for 133 pounds of carbon offsets. The 133 pounds
represents the average American's carbon output for a day so by purchasing a bar you're in a way equalizing
your carbon output for the day. The Bloomsberry products that we've had in the past has all been first rate so
this could be an interesting project. The Bournville Cadbury factory first opened in 1878 with 200 workers.
Twenty Five years later the number had jumped to 5,000. The BBC has a nice selection of photos showing
some of the operations of the factory. If you are going to be in the Chicago, Illinois area the evening of Friday,
June 13th you might want to check out the After Hours Wine and Chocolate Tasting. Music will be provided by
the band Jabon and the event will be held at The Jackson Park Inner Harbor. South Korea's Lotte
Confectionery Company is expanding its operations in China. Currently the company has been test marketing
in three urban markets but is now poised to sell their products in the coastal areas mostly through grocery
stores. Lotte was getting market shares of 6 - 7 % after only being on sale for a couple of months which has
encouraged the company. With Chinese growth expected to be in the 10% range Lotte is hoping to do well
with their venture. Brooklyn's, Rick and Michael Mast, The Mast brothers are expanding their operation, Mast
Brothers Chocolate. They've been making their chocolate in Michael's Greenpoint apartment. Unlike many in
the business who melt chocolate to make their truffles and bon bons they start with the bean. Currently their
chocolates are on sale in a handful of stores and at some flea markets. The brothers have pooled their
resources and rented a store/factory at the corner of Wyeth and Berry streets in Williamsburg. The operation
is scheduled to be up and running this Fall. Thirty Seven year old Keith Sorrell has been living on a diet of 12
or so Mars bars a day for the last 17 years. He claims to eat no other solid foods and apparently the Mars
bars contain just enough nutrition to keep him up and running.
June 07, 2008 - Increased demand for cocoa from Latin America was the subject of a speech by Sergio
Seminario, an agricultural analyst with Grupo Seminario at The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) in Ecuador.
The European confectionery industry would like the European Union to delay implementing biofuel targets
until after independent research is completed. CAOBISCO the European trade group for the confectionery and
biscuit industry claims that some of the targets can not be completed in a sustainable way. The United
Nations Biodiversity conference held in Bonn, Germany included a presentation from Mars. Mars is doing
such things as forming partnerships with NGOs and local governments. They also fund research at The Mars
Centre for Cocoa Science in Brazil which is helping to identify disease-resistant strains of cocoa. The Center
for Science in the Public Interest is petitioning the FDA to ban eight artificial food colors that have been linked
to hyperactivity in children. The group also wants Congress to hold hearings into the link between the eight
dyes and the health of children. A ban would have a serious effect on the confectionery industry as many
products would have to be reformulated. There is an ongoing debate as to whether with higher food costs will
the market for organic goods such as chocolate shrink as consumers seek less expensive alternatives.
Josiane Kremer of Barry Callebaut feels there will be little difference in demand and that organic chocolate
consumers are already used to paying 3 times the price for a kilo of organic chocolate in comparison to the
price of a kilo of regular chocolate.
June 01, 2008 - A review of previous studies that were investigating the possible link between sucrose
consumption and hyperactivity in children has come to the conclusion that no firm evidence has been
presented to establish such a link.
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.
Ivory Coast price fluctuates in accordance with the futures market and Ghana's is announced and stays
stable before the season begins, smugglers have begun to smuggle the lower price beans out of Ghana for
sale in the Ivory Coast. Prices are up 53% from 2007 in New York, topping out at $3150 a ton. New data
shows that sucralose is slowly closing in on Aspartame as the number one artificial sweetener in Europe. In
2005 746 new products were released in Europe using Aspartame. In 2007 the number was down to 663.
Meanwhile sucralose laden products numbered 134 in 2005 and were up to 234 in 2007. European
manufacturers are responding to the feeling among some consumers that Aspartame is an unhealthy
ingredient. Lotte, South Korea's largest confectionery firm is entering the European market by purchasing
Guylian the Belgian chocolate company. They paid 105 million Euros for the company. Last year they
announced a 50 million Euro deal to operate a chocolate factory with Hershey outside of Shanghai, China.
Nestle has announced they will be changing the packaging on the Aero line of candy bars to update the
design and to increase shelf life. Here's an interesting recipe from the San Mateo Daily Journal. Using
marshmallow cream to make a faux buttercream frosting you then sprinkle shaved dark chocolate on top and
are ready to go. Sounds great. Who would have thought that Missoula, Montana was the home to high end
chocolate. Apparently that's the case as Jason and Ana Willenbrock, the owners of Posh Chocolat of
Missoula, went to the International Chocolate Salon Show in Seattle earlier this month and walked away with
eight awards. They took top prize in the “Best Truffle,” “Best in Salon” and “Best Flavored Chocolate Food”
categories and also picked up a second place and four honorable mentions. Chocolate Bar's new East 7th
street location has finally opened up and it is a nice, light, airy shop. In other Chocolate Bar news the shops
owner Alison Nelson has announced her company in partnership with Dubai-based HFK General Trading
will be opening ten shops in India and Pakistan. We wish her well in both of her new endeavours. Mont
Blanc Gourmet has partnered with Omanhene Cocoa Bean Company to release a new chocolate sauce,
single sourced, from Ghana.
July 23, 2008 - Deborah Markus Of Bellaonline has a article and review of Montale Chocolate Greedy
Perfume. Of course we here at eChocolateNYC prefer our chocolate in our bellies not on our skin but then
again there's nothing like the smell of a room full of fresh chocolate. Janet Hogarth, the owner of The
Chocolate Shoppe in Fairfield, Connecticut , will be closing her shop for good on Monday. The store had been
in business since 1994. Betty Hallock of the L.A. Times has a piece on some of the higher end producers,
DeVries, Patric, Amano, of chocolate bars in the United States. If you are mapping out your August activities
keep in mind that August 10th is national S'Mores Day. Hershey provides an informative website that has
many S'Mores ideas for the Holiday. If sleep deprived rats brains are any guide it seems the aroma of fresh
roasted coffee has a calming effect. The study was carried out by researchers at Seoul National University,
South Korea and has been published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
July 18, 2008 - In local chocolate news the Michel Cluizel space in the back of ABC Carpets has been
renamed the Dessert Studio. They still have some Cluizel product for sale and are branching out into other
brands and have a nice selection of the harder to find Amedei bars. They also are serving truffles and
brownies that they are making themselves. We will post more information as it becomes available. Another
year has gone by and once again we are reporting on the Annual Dunedin, New Zealand, Chocolate Festival.
The highlight of the festival is the rolling of the Jaffas down the world's steepest street, Baldwin St. The Jaffa
is an orange covered ball of chocolate and a Cadbury product and you can see a video report of the race
here and you can see the results of the race, which raises money for local charities here. A fun review of the
TasteTV's Chocolate Salon that was held in Seattle this weekend from the Seattlest which is published by
The Gothamist, one of our favorite sites for New York City news. It looks like the exhibitors were being creative
with offerings such as the crunchy white chocolate oatmeal stout/potato chip truffle from Grendelsweet and
the Kalamata olive truffle from Fiori. This article has definitely given us food for thought, pardon the pun, as to
how we will be planning our next trip to the Pacific Northwest. We've written in the past about how the
combination of increased energy costs and the increased costs of raw cocoa are going to put chocolate
manufacturers in a difficult place, either raise prices or eat the increases and cut profits. Now Thomas
Hoenig, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City is in agreement. He recently toured the Rocky
Mountain Chocolate Factory Inc., Durango, Colorado, factory accompanied by company CFO Bryan
Merryman. He expressed concern about how inflation was making operating more difficult for companies
while he watched workers at the plant make Rocky Pop caramel corn and raisin clusters. The Redcastle
Furze Primary School in Thetford, Norfolk England, took some heat in September, 2005 when the school
pledged to give each child a bar of chocolate, if they made it to the half time break without getting an exclusion
day. In the previous two years the children had racked up 65 exclusion days. The school was criticized for
encouraging bad eating habits etc. Surprise, surprise the scheme worked out so well it has been extended to
include handing out Easter eggs and holding discos and picnics. In a continuation of the visit to the Durango,
Rocky Mountain plant USA Today has also covered the story and has found that Rocky Mountain has had to
lay off some workers to deal with the effects of the current recession as well as increased costs. In what can
only be described as a "Willy Wonka" moment Mathilde Epron, a French airline hostess, purchased a Kit Kat
bar and won a very special prize, a trip into space. The contest winner gets a ride on a four-seater, fighter-
sized aircraft built by Rocketplane. The plane the Rocketplane XP will reach an altitude of 60 miles and she
will experience 5 minutes of weightlessness. She will first have to undergo four days of astronaut training in
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. To make the story even better she initially threw the wrapper in the trash and then
curiosity got the better of her and she fished it out two hours latter to check to see if it was a winner. Students
at Penn will be happy to know that local chocolatiers Naked Chocolate Cafe will open a store at 34th and
Walnut streets right in the heart of University City. In Europe, Kraft Foods, is adding a limited edition bar to the
Terry's Chocolate Orange lineup. The new bar will debut August 1st and is called the Terry's Chocolate
Orange Cosmic Toffee Crunch and contains milk chocolate flavored with real orange and toffee-flavored
crunchy pieces. The Los Angeles Times has a very informative and definitely must read article about some
of the newer players entering the chocolate business. They cover everyone from Timothy Childs of TCHO to
the Mast Brothers here in Brooklyn. These new entrepreneurs are tweaking their production methods
constantly looking for better ways to raise the quality of their chocolate. L.A. Burdick has an easy way for you
to vote this Election year. Vote with your stomach and buy either the Barack Obama assortment , ( Hawaiian
Pineapple, Kenyan Coffee, Kansas Corn Crunch and Tennessee Sour Mash ) or the John McCain
assortment ( Arizona Citrus, Hot Pepper Tequila, Peanut Butter, and Kentucky Rye ). We're not all that sure
how the Sour Mash and Rye are connected to the two candidates but we think the other bon bons make
sense. So far the online tally for boxes sold is Obama 8,300 and McCain 3,700.
July 16, 2008 - With a smaller than expected cocoa harvest coming out of the Ivory Coast and demand for
chocolate products steadily increasing the price of cocoa in New York has hit $3,150 a ton. This is 53%
ahead of 2007 and chocolate consumers can expect to see higher prices in the stores reflecting the higher
cocoa prices and increasing energy costs.
July 15, 2008 - Apparently Summertime is zucchini time in Iowa which has led the Daily Iowan to print a
recipe for chocolate zucchini bread that looks promising. Please always be aware that feeding your dog,
chocolate, grapes or raisins can be very dangerous. In the United Kingdom dog "poisoning cases" are up
almost 50% in the last two years. Endangered Species has been successfully pursuing a counter intuitive
business model. As most American companies have been belt tightening in these tough economic times.
Endangered Species has been searching for more expensive raw materials and has been donating more of
their profits to charity. The company has seen sales grow from $3,000,000 in 2004 to a projected
$17,000,000 this year.
July 11, 2008 - Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory has reported their results for the First Quarter of Fiscal
year 2008. Things didn't go that well as same store sales at franchised retail outlets decreased 2.5%. Net
earnings dropped 2.6% in the same period. The Coboss brand No Sugar Added Dark Chocolate Bar has
been voluntarily recalled in Canada by its distributor as it may contain milk which is not listed as an ingredient
on the label and could be harmful to those with allergies to milk proteins. A new weight losing diet in
England calls for consuming 700 calories of carbs every morning. The diet calls for 30 grams of chocolate
which strikes us as a good idea but we find hard to believe will lead to actual weight loss. If you are in
Seattle, Washington this weekend you might want to drop by Bell Harbor's Elliott Hall at Pier 66 on Sunday.
$20.00 will get you into The Seattle Luxury Chocolate Show. Some of the exhibitors will include Poco Dulce,
Guittard, Petits Noir, Kekau Chocolatier, Cocoa Chai Chocolates, Amano Artisan Chocolate, Island Angel
Chocolates and many others. A must read article from the Times in The United Kingdom. As competition
heats up in the United Kingdom and European chocolate markets all sense of proportion has been forgotten.
When Kim McCulley, the manager of the Hotel Chocolat store, in Nottingham, found someone had gone from
box to box of her stores truffles, and crushed them making them unsalable. She sent the stores closed circuit
security tape to company headquarters to help track down the perpetrator, a well dressed gentleman and a
female companion. It turned out the gentleman was none other than Barry Colenso, the master chocolatier
for Thorntons. Thorntons is one of Englands largest retailers of chocolate with hundreds of stores
throughout the country. This happened last August but Colenso stepped down after the episode. The article
then goes on to give an excellent overview of the current chocolate scene in the country which is primarily
based in and around London. A nice looking recipe for chocolate chip cookies from the New York Times.
Dark Chocolate sales have been soaring in The United Kingdom. Recent research from the UK claims sales
of Dark Chocolate have increased 96% between 2005 and 2007. With good news about the health benefits of
dark chocolate crossing our desk on an almost daily basis there is no reason to believe sales wont continue
to trend upwards.
July 6, 2008 - Teresa Wall of 42nd Street Candy Co., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, sat down for an interview
with Carrie Coppernoll of newsok.com. Read the article here. Sydney, Australia was the sight of a truck
hiest. The truck was loaded with $50,000 AU worth of chocolate awaiting delivery when it was stolen. When
cooking and sharing our handiwork always remember to keep food allergies in the back of your mind. A man
taking a bite out of a chocolate chip cookie collapsed 90 seconds later in Seattle's Magnuson Park. He was
rushed to Everett's Harborview Medical Center where he passed two days later. The cookie had been
prepared with some peanut butter which set off an anaphylactic shock reaction. The strange saga of New
York Chocolate in Fulton, New York continues to unfold. Hausmann A. Banet the owner of 20% of the
companies shares was forced to sell his stake. The remaining investors believe this will allow the company
to move forward. Mr. Banet had accused the company of being a money laundering operation and had
withheld a check for $565,000 from the state of New York that was property of the company. CNN.com has a
must read article about the future of cocoa production and the sustainability of West Africa's growing land
comes into question. Crop yields have been diminishing in recent years as the land and soil is degraded.
Cadbury has partnered with the group Earthwatch to help stem the tide of soil erosion and other problems
associated with cocoa production. Trident will be launching its chocolate gum on July 14th in the United
Kingdom. The gums packaging was designed by the firm Coley Porter Bell and it is hoping its "Tempt me,
treat me… do it sweetly" tagline will appeal to women.
July 3, 2008 - With Starbucks cutting back by closing 600 stores in the USA the inevitable question
becomes will the coffee industry see an across the board curtailment or is the closing of the 600 stores due
to Starbucks aggressively over expanding ? European coffee professionals see no lessening of demand in
their markets according to Roel Vaessen, director general of the European Coffee Federation. Barry
Callebaut has opened an innovation center in their manufacturing facility in Pennsauken, New Jersey. With
divergent regional tastes in the USA Callebaut hopes the center will allow them to produce products tailored
to the tastes of the US consumer. Givaudan, the ingredients producer, is looking
July 1, 2008 - Barry Callebaut AG, on the strength of orders from Hershey and Nestle has seen a 13%
growth in third quarter sales. Shares rose 4% in trading in Zurich.
June 30, 2008 - The Polk County Fair in Fertile, Minnesota will host a chocolate contest on July 9th. If you
happen to be in the area drop by and either whip something up and take your chances or root on those who
did. We've seen this written before but yet another article has postulated the theory that the chocolate market
is recession proof. The theory is that chocolate is such an inexpensive treat, a handful of Hershey Kisses
doesn't cost much and even a piece of "high end" chocolate pastry will set up back less than $10, that in
rough economic times the feel good factor and low cost will make chocolate one of the last things that people
will drop. In New Zealand, ShakeAway has a new franchisee that will be introducing over 150 different
milkshakes. What interests us the most is that they will be using locally sourced ingredients and will have
flavors such as hokey pokey biscuits, jaffas, snifters and toffee pops all local "favorites". Originally founded in
1845, Young & Smylie debuts new licorice with three new flavors. The company which was purchased by
Hershey in 1977, will be releasing three soft textured licorice flavors, traditional black, strawberry and peach
mango.
June 26, 2008 - Hershey has an excellent promotion on tap. Hershey is a sponsor of our 2008 Olympic team
and in conjunction with this sponsorship they have released specially marked " Taste Of Victory" wrappers on
Hershey, Reese's, Kit Kat, York Peppermint Patties and Almond Joy items. The wrappers will have possible
prizes which include a 2008 Chevy Tahoe - how sweet, 42" Plasma HDTVs and Visa Gift Cards. You can also
send in UPC codes from some Hershey products for a nice set of three Olympic bands. All in all a great deal.
You get some candy, help support our Olympians and get a shot at winning some great prizes. Anni Golding
is the chef and owner of Gâteau et Ganache in Palo Alto California. The San Jose Mercury News has an
interesting article about her and the chocolates she is producing. Ms. Golding has pursued her passion
through a variety of educational stops including The Institute of Culinary Arts in New York City, École Lenôtre
in Paris and L'École du Grand Chocolate Valrhona in Tain l'Hermitage, France. She teaches classes in
tempering chocolate and share her information with other local chefs. We've yet to see them but M & Ms is
releasing a new high end line of M & Ms. They will be called M & M Premiums and they will come in five
flavors, chocolate almond, mint chocolate, mocha, raspberry almond and triple chocolate. Starting today,
Askinosie Chocolate will start manufacturing white chocolate. They'll start straight from the bean and they'll
contain 34% cocoa butter. We wish them well as we've always enjoyed white chocolate and would like to see
it gain respect in chocolate circles. The Great Falls Tribune sent out the call for a recipe that combined
chocolate and cottage cheese. Three readers sent in recipes and they're worth taking a look at. Moods
restaurant in Llanelli, South Wales has created a curry dish combining white chocolate and chicken. The
San Francisco Chocolate Factory introduced Cocoa Vinoso at the Fancy Food Show in New York. The Cocoa
Vinoso line is made to be paired with different wines. For example the Cocoa Vinoso 58% is designed to be
paired with Merlot. You can read the Press Release. A U.S. Department of Agriculture team funded with ten
million dollars from the Mars Company will be teaming with a team from IBM and is hoping to map the cocoa
genome. The hope is that by studying the 400 million parts of the genome scientists will come up with ways
to battle diseases that strike cocoa. The European Commission, in Brussels, Belgium, said it will refer Italy to
the European Union's highest court, the European Court of Justice, over the labelling of "pure chocolate"
products. Chocolate bars in EU nations can use up to 5% of six tropical oils as long as notice of it is on the
label. The EU feels that by labeling their products as " pure chocolate" Italian firms are claiming that their
chocolate is "purer" than other countries chocolate. Deborah Markus of Bellaonline has an well written
review of Nesti Dante shea butter chocolate-scented soap.
June 23, 2008 - Yummie Chocolates seems to be working a lot with chocolate covered marshmallows. We
can't personally vouch for their product never having sampled it but they have garnered quite a bit of public
notice with an appearance on The Rachel Ray Show.
June 21, 2008 - Moonstruck Chocolate Company is opening their first store in New Jersey. The store will be
located in the Mall at Short Hills. Visitors to the Minnesota State Fair were introduced to a new product this
year. Charlie Torgerson, co-owner of several Famous Dave's franchises, is selling the mixture of chocolate,
bacon and sea salt. This is something that's been available at Vosges on Spring Street but we guess is now
filtering down the chocolate food chain. Ghirardelli Square is getting a face lift and new upscale restaurants
are being lured into the area. Although the area is a popular tourist destination resident San Franciscan's
have avoided the place in the past. Common complaints include the crowds of tourists. They are also
launching a time share operation where you can own 35 days a year in the old Ghiradelli factory building
starting at $265,000. Mrs. Fields Famous Brands the owners of Mrs. Fields Cookies and the TCBY Yogurt
brand are in the process of attempting to restructure the companies debt. Bankruptcy is a possibility if
investors do not agree to accept the restructuring offer. Debbi Fields is no longer involved in the management
of the firm.
June 20, 2008 - A shortage of licorice roots in Iran and China has led to projections that the price of licorice
will increase over the next year. In the last year wholesale prices have sky rocketed 40% and further
increases could filter down to the retail sector.
June 14, 2008 - Cadbury is introducing a new low calorie gum Sweet Kicks. Each piece has less than 5
calories and has a liquid chocolate center with a minty casing. Since chewing gum can burn 11 calories an
hour if you can keep a piece working for an hour you can burn 6 calories. It was 1892 in Edinburgh and
Alexander Grant, who worked with Robert McVitie in his biscuit shop, came across the idea of using
bicarbonate of soda as a raising agent in biscuits. The resulting product became the Digestive Biscuit. In
1925 chocolate was added. A new survey of Great Britain found the Chocolate Digestive was named the Best
Treat Of All Time. On June 8th we reported about Keith Sorrell an Englishman who has subsisted on a diet
of Mars Bars for the last 17 years, Now we report on Rebecca Scowcroft, from Bolton, United Kingdom a 12
year girl who's diet is virtually all chocolate. She suffers from an extreme food phobia where she is afraid to try
new foods. In India local chocolate produced by Cadbury and Nestle's is steadily losing market share to
imported chocolate. Retailers like to sell the imported chocolate as they can get a larger margin than from
the chocolate produced in country.
June 13, 2008 - Wow, how's this for brand loyalty. Reader's Digest surveyed their readers in the United
Kingdom and 54% picked Cadbury as the confectionery brand they trusted the most. Coming in second was
Galaxy with 7%. When you consider the big salmonella scare of 2006. Green & Blacks, a subsidiary of
Cadbury came in third but rated highest in perceived quality. Australian chocolate makers Darrell Lea were
fined for $120,000 for forcing 12 employees to sign away some of their labor rights. The company has 82
stores across Australia and contends the company made mistakes trying to implement Australian labor law.
June 11, 2008 - Pantaloon the Indian company that runs the Big Bazaar chain of stores in India has dropped
Cadbury products after a dispute with the company. Pantaloon will start test marketing their own brand of
chocolate in their stores under the name Tasty Treat. Lee Napoli founder of the New England Pastry Guild
and the ex pastry chef at Boston restaurants such as Maison Robert and Anago has opened her own
chocolate shop. The shop is named ChocoLee Chocolates and is located in the South End. She's making
her own truffles and other chocolate treats. Cocoa futures prices which are up 33% in the last year finally
dropped a bit on Tuesday. A stronger dollar was credited as investors sold off stakes in commodities. Long
term with demand growing in parts of the world and the cocoa supply erratic prices will probably continue to
trend upwards. In Georgetown, Massachusetts the Brennan family has decided to close down their shop
The Chocolate Cellar after five years in the business. On June 14th they will be donating half of their sales to
the group Music Parents. If you'd like to purchase their remaining inventory and existing customer base they
are asking $20,000.
June 10, 2008 - In what looks to be one of the cooler movie/chocolate pairings we've ever seen Hershey has
bat shaped Reese's cups coming out in conjunction with the release of the new Batman movie "The dark
Knight". They also have limited edition Kit Kat bars as well as limited edition Reese's Pieces. They are also
running a contest with great prized including The MV Dark Knight F4 motorcycle and home entertainment
systems.
June 09, 2008 - Unfortunately the chemical fire we reported at the Blommer Chocolate Factory was more
serious than first reported. It wasn't a fire but a leak of an ammonia like vapor. One of the three injured
passed away and the other two remain hospitalized. Pez has introduced a new flavor to its lineup. Starting in
July, 2008 they will offer a chocolate flavored Pez.
June 08, 2008 - A chemical fire of unknown origin at the Blommer Chocolate Factory in the River West
section of Chicago had the area's Haz Mat teams on the job. Three people were taken to area hospitals two
in serious or critical condition. The Pittsburgh Tribune - Review has what appears to be a promising recipe
for Airy Chocolate Berry Pavlova. Basically it's a chocolate meringue with whipped cream and berries and
looks great for something special on the table during the Summer. New Zealand's Bloomsberry chocolates,
which is available here locally at Bloomingdales, is now partnering with Whole Foods to develop Climate
Change Chocolate. The wrappers contain tips on how to lead a "green" existence and fifty five cents from
each bar sold will be donated to TerraPass to pay for 133 pounds of carbon offsets. The 133 pounds
represents the average American's carbon output for a day so by purchasing a bar you're in a way equalizing
your carbon output for the day. The Bloomsberry products that we've had in the past has all been first rate so
this could be an interesting project. The Bournville Cadbury factory first opened in 1878 with 200 workers.
Twenty Five years later the number had jumped to 5,000. The BBC has a nice selection of photos showing
some of the operations of the factory. If you are going to be in the Chicago, Illinois area the evening of Friday,
June 13th you might want to check out the After Hours Wine and Chocolate Tasting. Music will be provided by
the band Jabon and the event will be held at The Jackson Park Inner Harbor. South Korea's Lotte
Confectionery Company is expanding its operations in China. Currently the company has been test marketing
in three urban markets but is now poised to sell their products in the coastal areas mostly through grocery
stores. Lotte was getting market shares of 6 - 7 % after only being on sale for a couple of months which has
encouraged the company. With Chinese growth expected to be in the 10% range Lotte is hoping to do well
with their venture. Brooklyn's, Rick and Michael Mast, The Mast brothers are expanding their operation, Mast
Brothers Chocolate. They've been making their chocolate in Michael's Greenpoint apartment. Unlike many in
the business who melt chocolate to make their truffles and bon bons they start with the bean. Currently their
chocolates are on sale in a handful of stores and at some flea markets. The brothers have pooled their
resources and rented a store/factory at the corner of Wyeth and Berry streets in Williamsburg. The operation
is scheduled to be up and running this Fall. Thirty Seven year old Keith Sorrell has been living on a diet of 12
or so Mars bars a day for the last 17 years. He claims to eat no other solid foods and apparently the Mars
bars contain just enough nutrition to keep him up and running.
June 07, 2008 - Increased demand for cocoa from Latin America was the subject of a speech by Sergio
Seminario, an agricultural analyst with Grupo Seminario at The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) in Ecuador.
The European confectionery industry would like the European Union to delay implementing biofuel targets
until after independent research is completed. CAOBISCO the European trade group for the confectionery and
biscuit industry claims that some of the targets can not be completed in a sustainable way. The United
Nations Biodiversity conference held in Bonn, Germany included a presentation from Mars. Mars is doing
such things as forming partnerships with NGOs and local governments. They also fund research at The Mars
Centre for Cocoa Science in Brazil which is helping to identify disease-resistant strains of cocoa. The Center
for Science in the Public Interest is petitioning the FDA to ban eight artificial food colors that have been linked
to hyperactivity in children. The group also wants Congress to hold hearings into the link between the eight
dyes and the health of children. A ban would have a serious effect on the confectionery industry as many
products would have to be reformulated. There is an ongoing debate as to whether with higher food costs will
the market for organic goods such as chocolate shrink as consumers seek less expensive alternatives.
Josiane Kremer of Barry Callebaut feels there will be little difference in demand and that organic chocolate
consumers are already used to paying 3 times the price for a kilo of organic chocolate in comparison to the
price of a kilo of regular chocolate.
June 01, 2008 - A review of previous studies that were investigating the possible link between sucrose
consumption and hyperactivity in children has come to the conclusion that no firm evidence has been
presented to establish such a link.
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.
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