Comments on: Chocomania: Maintaining a social conscience (+ a review)

By: Jaina

Jaina — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 22:08:50 +0000

I am no longer going to eat Ghiradelli chocolate. Thanks for the heads up! I never would have noticed that.

By: auntiemwrites

auntiemwrites — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 01:01:16 +0000

I found the Coconut M&M’s!!!!
Cadbury’s is the only milk I really like. Now I’m so-o-o-o not going to buy Ghiradelli again. Thanks for pointing that out~

By: Karen Snyder

Karen Snyder — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 16:30:22 +0000

Jen,
Regarding fair trade, you may be excited to know about how the fair trade community is reaching out to the First Lady…

Fair Trade the White House is a coalition of fair trade vendors and organizations which is inviting the First Lady to join the fair trade movement and make the White House a “Fair Trade Home.” The purpose of the outreach is to raise greater awareness of fair trade to the American consumer, so each person will choose to “Join the Fair Party,” and integrate more fair trade purchases into their regular buying habits, so that poverty is reduced in America and around the world.

Green America, TransFair, Fair Trade Federation, IMO, Fair Trade Resource Network are all involved, as are 81 other fair trade vendors so far.

The public invitation to the First Lady is available to sign online at http://www.fairtradewhitehouse.com. It would be wonderful to have your signature.

By: Cynthia1770

Cynthia1770 — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 13:49:43 +0000

Hi,
My google alert for HFCS picked up your post.
While I don’t adore chocolate, I understand your frustration.
I preach the treachery of HFCS so my mission is clear. Please
email Ghiradelli and tell them that there are lots of brands, domestic and European that don’t have HFCS. Congress and the FDA are not going to make any sweeping changes. The Corn Refiners Assoc (CRA), is a very powerful lobby. The only way we’re going to tackle this issue is at the cash register.
Ditch HFCS, especially HFCS-55 used to sweeten beverages.
To your health.

By: Jacey

Jacey — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 05:46:52 +0000

It’s good that Cadbury’s is using fair trade chocolate… but does this out weigh… or even out the fact that they’re now using palm oil? Not only does is change the taste of the chocolate, but it’s helping destory rainforests for the plantations.
So good on them for using fair trade chocolate…. but I can’t get over the decision to use palm oil.

By: Julie

Julie — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:53:01 +0000

That is why I love you! Eatting chocolate so I don’t have to!

I have never been a Ghiradelli choc fan. don’t know why, and now feel so much better that I don’t have to be ever!

Those new M&M’s sound like a weird flavor combo-peanut butter AND STRAWBERRY? Someone must have been very high to have thought that one up—like one too many bong hits for the idea session that day at the M&M factory . . . ;0

I still love my coconut M&M’s, though. Got a few more packs in the freezer. They’re my new summer flavor.

By: might i add...?

might i add...? — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:48:18 +0000

Thanks for the report on Ghirardelli. Maybe we can all start emailing them, telling them we’re boycotting until they use the real thing!

On the fair trade note, do you have Trader Joe’s there? If so, they have a LOT of different types of chocolate to try. I always get overwhelmed by all the choices. But they have fair trade milk and dark, plus loads of other choices.

Thanks so much for taking this job on! Hey, somebody’s got to do it, right?

By: class factotum

class factotum — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:23:32 +0000

I am no fan of HFCS either, but for what it’s worth, manufacturers do use it because it is much cheaper. The reason it is cheaper is because the import tariffs on cane sugar are so high. We pay high prices for sugar to protect a few sugar beet farmers in Montana. Kraft moved a plant from the US to Canada because of sugar prices, so 1,000 factory jobs were lost. But at least we protected the beet growers!

PS This is why Coke doesn’t taste as good in the US as it does abroad: it’s better when it’s made with cane sugar.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=87274&page=1

By: Heather

Heather — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:09:50 +0000

That is so disappointing regarding Ghiradelli. Although I am not surprised. I always thought their chocolates had a different after taste I wasn’t thrilled about. LOL (I told you I am a chocolate snob)

By: Skywalker

Skywalker — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:49:31 +0000

I understand the whole – we’re not putting poison in our bodies thing. You put Ghiradelli on notice.