Just how stupid do they think you are? Chocolate needs your help, today!
Posted on Apr 24 in baking, chocolate, ingredient, issues, Meta Talkby NikaPrint
Hmmmm, chocolate.
It’s likely something we all take for granted.
You might think that the definition of chocolate is an inherent thing and you might think that when you go to the store and when you buy something that is called chocolate that it would, indeed, BE chocolate. For the most part, that is what it is now.
Seems there are some who find that unacceptable and there is some nefarious behind the-scenes-activity with the FDA (THAT would never happen in this administration, right?).
In short, the FDA is considering changing the definition of chocolate to include those products that do not contain cocoa butter or even cocoa solids and that transfats and artificial sweeteners are mighty fine amendments to a Hershey bar.
Seems the big business organization behind this would be the Chocolate Manufacturers Association (instills a lot of confidence in their products doesn’t it). Who are some of the companies that are spear-heading this push for dumbing down chocolate and making it even LESS wholesome for our children?
“The Chocolate Manufacturers Association, whose members include Hershey, Nestle SA and Archer Daniels Midland Co., has a petition before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to redefine what constitutes chocolate. They want to make it without the required ingredients of cocoa butter and cocoa solids, using instead artificial sweeteners, milk substitutes and vegetable fats such as hydrogenated and trans fats.” (Adam Satariano for Bloomberg Press)
Thats right, you read it, none other than Nestle and Hershey.
I have to tell you. Before I learned about their push to degrade chocolate, I had a lot of good will toward these companies. I would have been positively inclined toward the Chocolate Manufacturers Association. But now, they have done some permanent damage in this household as I now do not nor can I trust these companies to provide a wholesome product that I can give to my children.
I can promise you that I will be looking for other REAL chocolate products from companies that speak up against this silliness.
You can have your say today and tomorrow by visiting the FDA’s comment site. You can give them your 2 cents worth on whether you think its right to allow these large multinational corporations to label a non-chocolate product as chocolate.
To do that visit the FDA’s site at: FDA E-comments Website
Don’t be confused by the oddness of the page, hit the “submit button” and you will be able to make your contribution.
For more specific information on how to do the FDA filing visit the “DontMessWithOurChocolate” page.
Learn more at “Eating Liberally“, get angry, submit your comments to the FDA.
Other Bloggers HEART Chocolate, why you should too
Cybele May, of the Candy Blog, has been quite vocal about this rear-guard attack on the American Way Of Life – I mean – chocolate.
Read her LA Times opinion piece “Hands off my chocolate, FDA!” on it, where she says, in part:
“The FDA is entertaining a “citizen’s petition” to allow manufacturers to substitute vegetable fats and oils for cocoa butter. The “citizens” who created this petition represent groups that would benefit most from this degradation of the current standards. They are the Chocolate Manufacturers Assn., the Grocery Manufacturers Assn., the Snack Food Assn. and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Assn. (OK, I’m not sure what’s in it for them), along with seven other food producing associations.”
Other bloggers in the blogosphere who are trying to raise the ruckus on this issue include:
Technorati Tags: chocolate, definition, FDA, Chocolate Manufacturers Association, Hershey, Nestle, Food and Drug Administration
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What a wonderfully illustrated call to arms!
(Don’t forget that two large agri-business concerns are also members of the Chocolate Manufacturers Association – Cargill & ADM, they have the most to gain from this as they make both chocolate and vegetable oil.)
Your pictures are gorgeous, as usual, and such a great call to arms. I read about this earlier this week and was looking for a way to do something, when I found links through stephencooks.com to write about the legislation and left my comment straight away. I’m sending e-mails to all my non-food blogger friends so they can weigh in, too (oops, no pun intended).
Hmmm—what can we expect from mass-production type of foods? They are just after the money. There will always be small companies which will produce quality, 100% natural chocolate.
Cybele: thanks for the reminder! They indeed have all to gain dont they.. yikes. I am so glad you have done all the rabble-rousing, its much appreciated here.
Mary: awesome… network the heck out of it! I have been meaning to get to that cheese making extravaganza but its so hard to get time to do it! One day, one day.. That Ricki looks like a neat person!
Melissa: indeed.. this is not about the current reality that they put out all sorts of crap called food.. its more about “truth in labeling” which is an extremely tenuous thing here in the US.
I have to tell you tho, I recently went looking for “real” chocolate and was left shocked at just how expensive cocoa powder alone can be!
Tomorrow, I am going to commemorate the day by nibbling some fair trade organic chocolate I bought recently. Nibble is the operative word. For one, just a nibble and not more because its not THAT good for me
and the second reason would be the little chocolate fiends I call my children who think all chocolate has THEIR name on it and mom should just watch.
Uuuuuuuuhhhh…. What eye candy! Beautiful!
Your pictures of the chocolate covered pretzels and the cream pie with stars were my introduction to food blogs. It was like falling into a whole new world. I now have over 100 blogs that I view almost daily, but yours remains a favorite.
)
Jill – Wow! Those were posted so long ago. 100 blogs, you beat me, I am exhausted with a couple dozen. I am so glad that you come back to visit. I am still amazed by the new food blogs I find. Supposedly there are more than 200,000 food blogs. Boggles my mind.