chocolate in the news

Banning Chocolate Milk in School Cafeterias

Reports show that 71 percent of the milk served nationwide is flavored, and the predominant flavor is chocolate.  Most public schools offer chocolate milk as an alternative to white milk. 

But chocolate milk is the center of controversy in many cities in the US.  The school districts of the District of Columbia; Berkeley, California; and Boulder, Colorado have already banned chocolate milk from the cafeteria.  Florida schools are considering it.

What’s the big deal? 
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Tired Of Eating Chocolate?

Is it really possible to get sick of eating chocolate?

According to feedback from participants in a medical research study out of Australia, it is!  What, no way!  Sure enough, read on...

Heart patients were given 50 grams of 70% chocolate to be consumed daily as medicine during a research study on how the antioxidants in chocolate help control blood pressure.

By the end of the study, many participants said they would rather take a pill containing the antioxidants than eat any more chocolate.  About half the people in the study found the chocolate difficult to eat because of the strong flavor and about 20 percent “considered it an unacceptable long-term treatment option” over the concern for the fat and calories from the chocolate.
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Functional Chocolate: Snacking with Benefits

Chocolate for chocolate’s sake is just not cutting it anymore with consumers.  Apparently we are demanding chocolate with more meaning, purpose, and benefit.

The general term for this type of chocolate is “functional chocolate.”   Functional chocolates supply a nutritional benefit and chocolate is a good vehicle for transporting things like vitamins, probiotics, omega-3, and calcium.

In the last couple years, a few companies have introduced functional chocolates and one of them is Maramor Chocolates.  You can find some of their products at Walgreen’s and GNC stores across the nation.
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Travels with a Sweet-Tooth

According to the TripAdvisor website, www.tripadvisor.com, they have come up with a list of US attractions that satisfy a sweet-tooth.

Not all of these include chocolate, but I thought the list was pretty interesting anyway.

Here you are (drum roll please) the top 10 US destinations for the lovers of all things sweet!
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Is Chocolate Good for Pregnancy?

Eat chocolate if you're pregnant, research says.  As if a woman, pregnant or not, needs an excuse to eat chocolate!

A recent study has shown that the beneficial effects of chocolate can lower cardiovascular problems and prevent hypertension during pregnancy.

The antioxidants and flavanols in chocolate may protect cells from damage caused by oxidation and low-density lipoprotein (LDL).   The exact mechanism of the cardioprotective properties in chocolate are unknown, but the positive effects are well documented. 
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Superfudge Truffle to Retire

About a month ago, ice cream retailer Baskin-Robbins retired 5 flavors on their menu.  The company wants to make room for new flavors so they put these five into “the deep freeze.”

One of the flavors being retired is Super Fudge Truffle which was introduced in 2007.  Superfudge Truffle is a chocolate fudge ice cream with chunks of chocolate ganache and toffee truffle pieces.

In my opinion, you should never retire an ice cream flavor that includes chocolate ganache!
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Chocolate Covered Food On A Stick – Yum?

Food on a stick is a staple at many State Fairs.

And some of the food on a stick is deep-fried, frozen, and then covered in chocolate.

Yum?

My own state fair, the Wisconsin State Fair, is no different than any other in offering the unusual, the unique and the... weird (some would say gross)!
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The Finest Camel Milk Chocolate

No, you did not read that wrong and I did not mistype caramel.

There is something new in the milk chocolate world – one made with camel’s milk instead of cow’s milk! 

According to the Al-Nassma Chocolate website, camel’s milk makes great milk chocolate, and it’s healthier than cow’s milk.
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Coffee Candy Bar?

Here is something unusual in the chocolate world, especially since it isn’t chocolate.

Sahagun Handmade Chocolates has  introduced this 100% COFFEE bar that looks like a traditional chocolate bar.

They call it KA-POW!
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Changing Reputation in Peru with Cacao

Peru is not known for growing cacao.  It is better know for growing coca.  The leaves of the coca plant are used in the production of cocaine.  Coca is a much more profitable crop for farmers.  Until now.

The San Martin region, after years of programs promoting cacao as an alternative crop to coca, recently won a prestigious award from the Salon du Chocolat in Paris for growing the most aromatic cacao beans.

La Orquidea is one company in Peru dedicated to growing cacao and producing aromatic, flavorful chocolates.  They keep chocolate production near the fields of cacao and provide well paying jobs for women in Peru.   
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