Don't mess with our chocolate!

[Miulang]

Some members of the Chocolate Manufacturer's Association (http://www.chocolateusa.org/About-Us/)(members include Hershey's and Nestle's) have applied to the FDA for permission to change the ingredients contained in products labelled as "chocolate" so that higher end chocolates can have vegetable oil and milk substitutes in place of the cocoa butter and whole milk currently used. If allowed to change their formulations for chocolate, it will allow the manufacturers to use cheaper ingredients. Would they also lower their prices to compensate for using cheaper ingredients? Of course not!

This website (http://dontmesswithourchocolate.guittard.com/whatsthisabout.asp)contains information on what the issues are, and what consumers can do to stop the changes.

Miulang

[cynsaligia]

Some members of the Chocolate Manufacturer's Association (http://www.chocolateusa.org/About-Us/)(members include Hershey's and Nestle's) have applied to the FDA for permission to change the ingredients contained in products labelled as "chocolate" so that higher end chocolates can have vegetable oil and milk substitutes in place of the cocoa butter and whole milk currently used. If allowed to change their formulations for chocolate, it will allow the manufacturers to use cheaper ingredients. Would they also lower their prices to compensate for using cheaper ingredients? Of course not!

This website (http://dontmesswithourchocolate.guittard.com/whatsthisabout.asp)contains information on what the issues are, and what consumers can do to stop the changes.

Miulang

i'm very relieved that mars isn't one of the members, bcs if it was, i'd cease to love ethel m's the way i do.

and chocolate without cocoa butter IS NOT chocolate, just as white chocolate IS NOT chocolate without cocoa powder!!!

:mad:

[Hellbent]

Fie! Fie! What are they thinking?
My sis gave me a box of 'Truffles France' from Trader Vic's. I looked at the box, and its got oil (coconut and vegetable), cocoa powder, and some other junk, but no truffles, no truffle oils. Um... Isnt there supposed to be truffles in here? Well maybe there were some truffles in the vicinity when they made it.
The box is nice, and even has a nice thing about removing truffles from the box and letting it sit for 30 minutes at room temperature before eating.
It tastes okay but eating about 4 of them is 60% of your daily recommended saturated fat intake... I think I know why she gave them to me now... =)

[Hellbent]

well after looking it up, chocolate truffles do not usually contain actual truffles. Now I wonder what a truffle tastes like. Its a fungus?

ericncyn, did you mix up the cocoa butter and cocoa powder from above?

[oceanpacific]

As I recall, the term "TRUFFLES" as used for chocolate candies has no real connection with the other "TRUFFLES," the underground fungus used in high class cookery.

[TATTRAT]

well after looking it up, chocolate truffles do not usually contain actual truffles. Now I wonder what a truffle tastes like. Its a fungus?

ericncyn, did you mix up the cocoa butter and cocoa powder from above?

Chocolate truffles are hand rolled Ganache. Very easy to make. Equal parts, by weight, good quality chocolate, and heavy cream. Melt over a double boiler and then tempure to desired temperature to produce desired sheen. Then there are endless possibilities of what they can be rolled in. I like a hint of curry, and lime zest. Sounds strange, but it is quite good.

As I recall, the term "TRUFFLES" as used for chocolate candies has no real connection with the other "TRUFFLES," the underground fungus used in high class cookery.

The only connection, is they look like small truffles. Other then that you are spot on. They are an underground fungus that grow in veins. the best ones come from Italy, and are protected by gun holding truffle farmers.


Chocolate companies have been monkeying around with chocolate a lot. It is a shame, IMO. From a financial standpoint, if they cut cream/diary, cocoa solids/butter, it could save them a MASSIVE amount of money in production, but I am a firm believer in, Quality does not cost, it pays. Not to mention, there are few things worse then waxy chocolate...

[oceanpacific]

Speaking about "waxy" chocolates, that reminds me of FLICKS. Thos were the ones sold in a tube at the movie theaters. After we'd finish off those "treats," we'd watch the movie by peering through the cardboard tube as if it was a telescope. Two tubes = "binoculars." Ahhh, the imagination of youth ...........

[oggboy]

I remember those chocolate candies in the tubes. That along with snow-caps and horlick candies was the bomb small kid days. Nowdays only get snow caps in the theaters.

[alohabear]

Speaking about "waxy" chocolates, that reminds me of FLICKS. Thos were the ones sold in a tube at the movie theaters. After we'd finish off those "treats," we'd watch the movie by peering through the cardboard tube as if it was a telescope. Two tubes = "binoculars." Ahhh, the imagination of youth ...........I remember Flicks, only got them at the movies. They were made by the Ghirardelli Co. in San Francisco. Here's is a site (http://www.oldtimecandy.com/flicks.htm) you can get them online:)
I agree, don't mess with our chocolate!

[Pomai]

One thing's for sure... when it comes to Macadamia Nut Chocolates, Hawaiian Host is the best. Mauna Loa and whatever other brands can't touch them.

Also, the chocolate used on Big Island Candies' half-dipped Shortbread Cookies are awesome too.

http://www.96seven44.com/images/bigislandcandies_closeup.jpg

[Honoruru]

Funny you guys should be mentioning Flicks. Just yesterday, I was standing in line at the checkout counter at Don Quijote and I happened to see some of them in the "impulsive buy" racks on my right. I remember thinking: I haven't seen these in years, maybe decades.

[Surfingfarmboy]

Pricebusters in Kailua also had Flicks available in the 4 different colored tubes the last time I was there.

[oggboy]

Wow, I don`t even see it at stores on Maui. And yes Hawaiian Host Chocolate is the best.:D

[cynsaligia]

ericncyn, did you mix up the cocoa butter and cocoa powder from above?


errr...not quite sure i understand this question. but maybe this will help: white "chocolate" is made only with cocoa butter, no cocoa powder. regular chocolate (either dark or milk), has both. so i'm saying that if a dark or milk chocolate is made without cocoa butter, it simply is not chocolate. it's fake chocolate, which is an anathema to me.

on the other hand i do enjoy carob, but i enjoy it not bcs it's fake chocolate, i enjoy it bcs it's "carob-y."

[oceanpacific]

I remember those chocolate candies in the tubes. That along with snow-caps and horlick candies was the bomb small kid days. Nowdays only get snow caps in the theaters.

The HORLICKS bottle looked like a pill bottle, so we used them while playing "DOCTOR."

I saw TOMOE AME at Long's on sale for $0.88. It used to be only a nickel in the old days.

[Miulang]

The HORLICKS bottle looked like a pill bottle, so we used them while playing "DOCTOR."


Although they don't come in those little "pill" bottles anymore, you can still get Horlick's Malted Milk Tablets (http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/jump.jsp?itemID=11881&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C5%2C39%2C174&KickerID=95&KICKER&searchid=inceptor). Country of manufacture: MALAYSIA

Miulang

[Random]

Are Hawaiian Host and Menehune Mac changing their chocolate recipes without lowering the price?

[Miulang]

Are Hawaiian Host and Menehune Mac changing their chocolate recipes without lowering the price?
They can't change their recipes without getting approval from the FDA. I don't have any boxes of chocolate covered macs at home, but if somebody has a box or package and can find the ingredient list you can tell for sure. If it doesn't have cocoa butter and milk solids (like if it uses palm oil or some other vegetable oil in place of cocoa butter) then the chocolate isn't real chocolate. And legally, they can't call a product with artificial ingredients "chocolate". They can call it "chocolate like" or "couverture" but it's not chocolate (like with champagne...only sparkling wines bottled in Champagne, France, can legally be called "champagne" and why Italian sparkling wine is called "Asti" and not Italian champagne).

I'm pretty sure the premium stuff will never get adulturated ---like Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate or Original Hawaiian Chocolate Factory or Scharffenberger or Valrhona or Callebaut---any of the premium, boutique chocolatiers--- would never want to jeopardize their reputations by adulterating their products. But mass produced chocolate companies like Nestle's and Mars and Hershey's all want to try to maximize their profits by reducing the cost of the ingredients (and by making the changes without lowering the prices accordingly) because they believe the average consumer won't notice the difference. So plebian chocolate will start to taste more like wax, while the ultrapremium brands will retain their good chocolately taste.

Miulang

[i-hungry]

The request doesn't really matter if you ask me. I don't buy those chocolates because they don't taste as good and that's without the cheaper ingredients.

If you want good chocolate then get the better stuff.

[Leo Lakio]

Also, the chocolate used on Big Island Candies' half-dipped Shortbread Cookies are awesome too.
http://www.96seven44.com/images/bigislandcandies_closeup.jpg
I hate you.:p I ate the last of our stash of these last week - now I need more...