Don't Mess with Our Chocolate!

Help save our chocolate! Did you know the FDA is considering changing the standards for what does and doesn't qualify as chocolate? Right now cocoa butter is required otherwise it's just not the real thing. Other fats are cheaper so of course chocolate manufacturers want to be able to replace the good stuff with other fats that don't belong in chocolate. The public has the right to weigh in on the subject, but you must submit your comments by April 25th (go to www.dontmesswithourchocolate.com). Tell them that you don't want to lose real chocolate in a sea of wax and tropical oils! Hats off to Guittard for hosting the Don't Mess with Our Chocolate campaign to keep chocolate, chocolate!

The rules currently state (basically) that chocolate must contain cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Other things can be in there, like milk fat and milk solids to make milk chocolate and a small amount of milk fat can be added to dark chocolate as well. The new proposal would allow products that contain NO COCOA BUTTER to be called chocolate. Don't let this happen!

(A special thanks to Alyce Mantia, owner of Mantia’s Restaurant for sending along this story.)