Whither chocolate?

[tikistitch]

From fellow chocoholic, spazzygirl19:

The courage of their confections: Two candy makers are asking chocolate lovers to protest plans to allow cheaper ingredients. Vegetable oil, anyone?

Calling all chocoholics. Put down the truffles and power up the PC. It's time to weigh in on a fundamental question: What is chocolate?

Two of California's oldest confectioners, See's Candies Inc. and Guittard Chocolate Co., are battling an attempt to loosen government rules that dictate what ingredients go into the sweet stuff.

Legally, the candy that melts hearts and comforts the brokenhearted is made with cocoa butter and, in the case of milk chocolate, whole milk. But the Grocery Manufacturers of America, a trade group, wants to let confectioners substitute cheaper ingredients — vegetable oils and milk protein concentrates.

The article goes on to point to Guittard's protest web site, Dontmesswithourchocolate.com, where you can actually contact the FDA if you're against the change (and if you think it might actually make any difference).

While we tend to agree that most people won't notice the cheaper veggie oil substituted into their Hershey bars, we also bet there's no way in hell the chocolate companies are gonna pass the savings on to their customers.

Comments

[primalrage.livejournal.com]

Let's face it. People buy See's and the higher end chocolates FOR A REASON! If we wanted shitty ingredients we'd buy Hersheys and not See's. I think they'd just be shooting themselves in the foot.(or mouth as the case may be)

[jabberwockypie.livejournal.com]

Ah, but they're Making A Stand(tm) and even if they fail (and they probably will), they look good to any Chocolate lovers who hear about this stuff. Even though most people probably won't notice.