Chocolate Companies Eliminate Cocoa Butter

WHAT?!? Can it be true?!? Sadly, it is!

And the worst part...The vegetable oils that are replacing cocoa butter in many chocolate products may lead to increased health risks. Not to mention, the quality and taste of our beloved chocolate candy will be less than wonderful!

WHY would chocolate manufacturers remove the very ingredient that gives our chocolate that smooth creamy taste???

It all boils down to $$$$$$....Large chocolate manufacturers, such as Hershey, have replaced cocoa butter with palm, shea, sunflower, and safflower oil in many of their products because cocoa butter prices have doubled in the past two years.

Why the increase??? DEMAND!

How can we be sure that we are getting what we really want from our chocolate? We have to start checking out the labels. The Food and Drug Administration requires that cocoa butter must be an ingredient in a chocolate product to be labeled – chocolate.

The labeling on candy products which include chocolate have been altered slightly. A chocolate bar that contains vegetable oils instead of cocoa butter cannot be labeled a chocolate bar. The labeling differences are subtle, but we have got to start looking or we will be fooled into eating chocolate that is an impostor!

What should we look for? Here are some example replacement phrases to be on the lookout for:

Chocolatey
Made with Chocolate
Chocolate Candy ...or simply watch to see if Chocolate is not Mentioned in the Name

However, the best way to determine if a candy bar has real chocolate is to read the ingredients label. The ingredient list MUST include cocoa butter if it is real chocolate!

So, why should we be watchful? First of all, the price of this impostor chocolate was not reduced, and who wants to pay a premium for something that isn't even chocolate???

And lets not forget there are health risks related to vegetable oils. Why it may not matter to some, true chocolate lovers and those who crave real chocolate will notice a difference in taste. The impostor will be less creamy and waxier.

And the worst news - The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has warned that the use of palm, shea, sunflower, and safflower oil in food products is not healthy and may lead to higher cholesterol in people. These oils are also high in Omega 6 and excess intake of Omega 6 can lead to long-term diseases such as heart disease, cancer, asthma, arthritis, and depression. (University of Maryland Medical Center).

So...the bottom line is this...WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL AND BE BETTER CHOCOLATE SNOBS! - read the labels and don't buy the impostor!

September's COCOA CLUB MEETING

SEPTEMBER COCOA CLUB

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2008 - 7 PM

HOSTED BY: APRIL OPPLIGER

THEME: CHOCOLATE SPA

MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:

Jenny Z - Co-Founder

Campbell Z - Jr. Member

April O - Member (Her boys - Aaron, Holden and UMA the dog)

Autumn S - Co-Founder (Her boy Doug)

Betty S - Guest

MEETING NOTES: CHOCOLATE SPA was a wonderful treat for our bodies as well as our taste buds! In addition to some great edible treats, we had other indulgences based on CHOCOLATE.

So...what kind of SPA things did we share?

April made a chocolate mud mask for our hands and faces. It was made from yogurt, cocoa, and raspberries. We treated our hands and faces to some decadent moisture, and YES, it tasted good too! She also provided CHOCOLATE themed nail polishes to paint our nails. Campbell loved the polishes and tried all the colors...Chocolate Soufflé, ..., & ...

Autumn brought CHOCOLATE tea bath salts for everyone! The salts were made from CHOCOLATE tea leaves, Epsom salts and cocoa butter oil.

What about edible treats?

As the hostess, April out did herself! She made an amazing CHOCOLATE pizza topped with strawberries, CHOCOLATE covered potato chips, and CHOCOLATE dipped pretzel sticks. She also had banana Oreos, mixed nuts, chips and salsa, and covered apricots, blueberries, cherries, and strawberries! A FANTASTIC array to tempt us!

Jenny and Campbell gave our taste buds a treat with a salty sweet mixture of popcorn and CHOCOLATE. YUM!

Autumn made puffs - CHOCOLATE cream and chicken salad and brought chocolate martinis!

QUOTES AND PRIZES:

Can you figure out who said: "CHOCOLATE is the greatest gift to women ever created, next to the likes of Paul Newman and Gene Kelly!"

Jenny and Autumn guessed correctly - Sandra Bullock - and won the prizes!

 

SPECIAL GUESTS:

We had some special attendees this time. Our pet hostess was Uma. She was quite gracious and since CHOCOLATE isn't good for dogs, she had plenty of her own treats!

Autumn's mother-in-law, Betty also attended since she was visiting from Denver.

And this time, some of the guys were included. Of course they loved all the treats! Aaron, Holden and Doug were busy in the basement playing "rock band" for most of the evening, but after our spa experience, we all joined "the band."

A fun time was had by all! If you missed it....you missed out on a great evening!

We hope to see you next time!

Health Benefits of CHOCOLATE

"Chocolate contains up to four times the anti-oxidants found in tea."

Sound too good to be true? In fact, that was the conclusion of a recent study by Holland's National Institute of Public Health and Environment.

Researchers found that chocolate - specifically dark chocolate - contains 53.5 mg of catechins per 100 grams. (Catechins are the powerful anti-oxidants that fight against cancer-causing cells and help prevent heart disease).

By contrast, 100 ml of black tea contains a mere 13.9 mg of catechins.

SO...I say here's to a "cuppa" and a CHOCOLATE bar! :)

OUR FIRST COCOA CLUB MEETING

FRIDAY, AUGUST 8th, 2008 - 7 PM
HOSTED BY: JENNY and; AMY

THEME: CHOCOLATE, DRINKS, and; FRIENDS!

CHARTER MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE:

Jenny Z - Co-Founder

Amy R - Honorary Cleveland Chapter Member

Mary R - Charter Member

Campbell Z and "Albert the Guinea"- Jr. Charter Members

Regan - Jr. Charter Member

Alison B - Charter Member

Kelli F - Charter Member

April O - Charter Member

Autumn S - Co-Founder


MEETING NOTES: As a result of her love of the show "SEINFELD," Mary was able to indentify who is credited with our COCOA QUOTE and won the trivia question. She was sent home with a supply of "BLISS" chocolates!

We had an amazing collection of treats! Some of the highlights were: Alison provided delicious chocolate chip cookies from Paradise cafe. April shared Lindt truffles. Kelli offered us a taste of some candy favorites - (Reece's Cups, Snickers, and Keebler Chocolate Graham cookies). Mary brought some classic tootsie rolls that inspired some GREAT CHOCOLATE ART! (as seen above!) Jenny expanded our taste buds sharing a chocolate with chili powder and some sauces for dipping! Regan and Campbell helped Aunt Amy make a smooth fudge, (a family recipe), and a rich chocolate bundt cake. I brought some snackable choclate covered pretzels and blueberrries.

As for the drinks, we had plenty of red and white wine, but my favorite had to be the Raspberry beer! Amy, I hope you will post the name and location that you bought it so that we can get some more!




..CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE! There was no lack of treats or fun! We learned that there is a limit to how much CHOCOLATE one can eat! Next time we will focus our efforts and add some other kinds of foods!

LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR

NEXT GET-TO-GETHER IN

SEPTEMBER!

All things COCOA

There are many "followings" in this world. There are fan bases for just about anything you can imagine. However....there is no group out there, no club that requires membership fees, no gathering of enthusiastic groupies; no organized collection of people that are proven tried and true more than those of us who love -

~~~~ CHOCOLATE ~~~~

We go by many names. We've been called "CHOC-O-HOLICS," "Chocolate Lovers," "Addicted to CHOCOLATE," and many others names and phrases that only endear us and spur us on in our passionate quest for all things CHOCOLATE!

CHOCOLATE runs thicker than blood! Are some just genetically pre-disposed or is it a learned and nurtured relationship?

For me, I think it is BOTH! My mother had a passionate love affair with CHOCOLATE! To any doubter she was quick to point out the health benefits CHOCOLATE, but she never forgot to mention the pure pleasure that CHOCOLATE gave her! Many times I found my mom nibbling on CHOCOLATE from a secret stash, its where-a-bouts known only to her! So, it only stands to reason that I too have a fond connection with CHOCOLATE. To me, CHOCOLATE is luxury, pleasure, release, comfort, joy, and FUN!

One of my most cherished memories of time with my mom was a yearly event that at a certain age I was invited to attend with her. It was in my hometown of Durango, CO and it was called "CHOCOLATE FANTASIA" and fittingly, it benefited the local safe house and community shelter. It was an extravagant evening of all things indulgent. I remember it clearly even today.

And so it would seem that I was destined to begin my own love affair with this delectable indulgence. CHOCOLATE! Suitable as gifts for royalty, yet common enough today to bring a bit of luxury to everyday life!

Who of us, the CHOCOLATE lovers that we are, hasn't sought comfort in our favorite CHOCOLATE? Who of us hasn't felt our head swim at the mere thought of 7 layer CHOCOLATE cake? Who of us hasn't gingerly checked for drool while pressing our nose to the glass in front our our local CHOCOLATIER? Who of us doesn't have a stash unknown to anyone but ourselves? Who of us doesn't love to entertain the dream of swimming Willy Wonka's CHOCOLATE river, or moving to France to become a "CHOCOTAT" temptress creating confections that inspire magic...and of course a dreamy man like Johnny Depp!

AAAH....the power of CHOCOLATE!