| September 2006 News |
September 29, 2006 - I've got to tell you if I was in Portland, Oregon I'd certainly be dropping by Elizabeth Montes
at 10 N.W. 16th Ave., and trying a cup of their hot chocolate. Apparently they use Pralus, the French chocolate, and
we here at echocolatenyc love Pralus. Larry Slotnick and Alex Whitmore, are two chocolatiers who are planning to
open a chocolate lounge to go along with their Somerville , Massachussets factory Taza Chocolate. At Taza they
produce organic chocolate and their new enterprise will be called Taza Chocolate Lounge in Central Square. They
hope to have the Lounge up and running in October.
September 26, 2006 -Great Britain's Food Standards Agency, FSA, was unhappy with Cadbury's behavior during
the salmonella outbreak earlier this year. Documents, released under Freedom of Information laws, show that the
FSA wanted Cadbury to be more forthcoming with information about their products. Bella Online has a neat little
article posted on the appearance of drinking chocolate in literature. The Twin Cities Chocolate Extravaganza will
happen for the third time in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The show will take place November 11-12, 2006 at
International Market Square, located at 275 Market Street. In advance tickets are $15 a pop and it's $20 at the door.
Last year over 3,500 chocolate lovers showed up so be prepared for a large crowd. The third annual Charmed By
Chocolate will be taking place at Ada, Oklahoma's Main Street, Saturday, October 14th. Koronadal City, The
Philippines, had a chocolate scare when 31 school children were stricken sick after eating chocolate wafers that
were produced in China. Local health officials have banned the sale of food products imported from China until
they can figure out what went wrong. American Airlines is running a one week test to see if passengers on their
planes will purchase bottles of water for $2.00 and candy bars like Twix 4 to Go chocolate bars. Glendale, Arizona
will be getting a new shop that will definitely appeal to chocoholics. The shop will be named Sweet O Wine and
Chocolate Lounge at will be located in the Westgate City Center. They will sell chocolate candies, home made
truffles, pastries and chocolate fondue as well as an assortment of wines.
September 24, 2006 - We paid a visit to one of our favorite chocolate shops here in New York City, Chocolat Bla
Bla Bla yesterday and were pleased with some of the new products for sale. Although it's not chocolate one thing
we tried, liked and purchased was Coconut Cotton Candy from Mister Fluffy imported from France. If you like
coconut, which we do and you like cotton candy , which we do this stuff is great. We also found black and orange
chocolate covered sunflower seeds just in time for Halloween. There may be shops with more chocolate, and they
don't produce their own chocolate but Chocolat Bla Bla Bla is always worth a visit if you find yourself in Mid Town
Manhattan. Lorraine the owner is one of the truly wonderful people and the store is in a word lovely. Down a few
steps and you leave the "real world" for a whimsical adventure in chocolate. M&M's has put together a really neat
game that you should definitely check out. The game is a poster that has clues to 50 "Dark" movies. You click on
the clue and type in your guess as to what the movie is. Of course the whole thing is to celebrate Dark Chocolate
M&Ms and it works quite well. The Bankside area of London, England has launched a new and improved website.
To alert people to the new site commuters entering the area were greeted with cards announcing the website and
free bars of fairtrade chocolate.
September 22, 2006 - Nestle has announced they will be cutting their workforce at their York, England candy
factory by 645 jobs, a 26% cut in the work force, by 2008. The factory which produces Kit Kat, Yorkie and Smarties
among other products dates back to 1890. Osem Investments , a firm that is controlled my Nestle, may be looking
to acquire Unilever's chocolate holdings in Israel. Unilever has stated they do not intend on selling their chocolate
business. Fremont, Washington is now the home of the Theo Chocolate Co. They have taken over a historic brick
building that recently housed the Redhook Brewery and have created an organic / fair - trade chocolate factory, the
first in the United States. The factory conducts tours twice a day and you can see the cocoa beans ground down
and transformed to chocolate. On September 29, 2006 Godiva will be unveiling a new look for the Godiva Gold Box.
Godiva has also changed 23 recipes and is adding 11 new pieces to their line. Thornton's the troubled United
Kingdom chocolate retailer is now offering a new service for those who order their product over the Internet. The
service is "Pick and Mix" where you can create your own box of Thornton's product so you can get your favorites.
September 20, 2006 - With world wide sugar consumption growing year after year and price volatility both here in
the USA and around the world scientists have been working to find ways to increase sugar beet harvests. Stefan
Jaronski working out of the Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory has found a strain of the fungus
Metarhizium anisopliae forms a natural basis for dealing with the sugar beet maggot. The maggot chews away on
the roots of young plants leaving them defenseless against many diseases. The fungus emits spores which get
inside the insect and grow eventually destroying the host body. The fungus thrives with sugar beets and could help
to limit the amount of pesticides used in the future. The International Baking Fair, IBA, will take place in Munich,
Germany from October 3rd through the 9th. For those in the chocolate industry some of the items that will be on
display will be the "Frozenshell" a device that creates chocolate coating shells with fondant fillings. Sollich and
Chocotech will be showing their machines such as the Decormatic and the Turbotemper.
September 19, 2006 - Bubble Chocolate unveils three more flavors of its aerated chocolate bar. Bubbly 60% Dark
Chocolate, Bubbly Milk Chocolate and Bubbly Coffee Milk Chocolate. Harry Goldenberg, Peanut Chews, made in
Philadelphia but popular here in New York have been produced in Philly since 1917. The Chews, sticks of
molasses and peanuts wrapped in a chocolate-flavored coating , are now available in all 50 states. Just Born Inc.,
the Bethlehem, Pa., maker of Marshmallow Peeps and Mike and Ike candies, bought out the Goldenberg family in
2003 and are now hoping to take Peanut Chews international. The Church Of England is using Fair Trade
chocolate as part of a goody bag to be used to bring worshippers in. The chocolate will be given out in a bag with
brochures about church life. "Back To Church Sunday" will be celebrated in hundreds of churches through out
England. Truffles Chocolate Lounge will be opening in the Woodlands, Texas. Out of Kansas comes an
interesting recipe for Chocolate Mousse Tart. In a world where the health benefits of food are highly touted how
does one label food that has health benefits, chocolate has antioxidants which are good for one's health but also is
high in saturated fat and calories. In Europe a solution has been worked out. Under the Health and Nutritional
Claims Regulation any product purporting to have health benefits will be strictly tested. Items like chocolate will be
able to claim health benefits as long as only one of the unhealthy nutrients exceeds the recommended amount and
is clearly labeled.
September 18, 2006 - In Annapolis, Maryland confusion is the order of the day as different schools interpret the
School Boards new guidelines on what food is permissible in school. The new guidelines are in place to help
protect children by cutting down on the amount of "junk food" available and to limit the amount of food served that is
cooked in unlicensed kitchens. No more Bake Sales. Parent cooked food could spread illness. No more Birthday
Cupcakes. Pretzels and other non sugar items are suggested instead. Different schools have set different
standards and although we understand the need to teach kids nutrition it seems rather harsh to cut out the
occasional celebratory cupcake.
September 16, 2006 - UK chocolate maker Thorntons has announced a series of changes to reinvigorate sales
after a disappointing Summer. They suffered a 3.7% drop in same store sales and operating profits were off. They
plan on investing $1,800,000 in upgrading existing stores and adding new locations. They plan on adding an
organic truffle line as well as a single origin line. The single origin range will include five different types of chocolate
from Java, Cuba, Tanzania, Papua New Guinea and Sao Tome. Starting soon they will launch a promotional
campaign that showcases their high quality ingredients.
September 15, 2006 - Dr. Dora Akunyili, the director of Nigeria's Federal Agency for Food and Medicine, has
announced that Nigerian's should forgo viagra for chocolate instead. She referred to a study produced by Nigeria's
national committee for the development of cocoa which extols the virtues of cocoa. She feels not only does
chocolate have no side effects as opposed to viagra but it also helps a host of other medical conditions.
Albertson's has announced a recall of chocolate ice cream as it may contain an unlisted ingredient , almonds. The
chocolate ice cream may not be chocolate ice cream but ibstead Rocky Road. Read the Press Release here. The
Connoisseur House of Chocolates in Cedarburg, Wisconsin plans on opening a retail outlet inside their
manufacturing facility located at N144 W5620 Pioneer Road. Their website encourages you to drop by for a free
chocolate sample. Their website also lists a September opening date but this article mentions an October
opening date so I would recommend calling first. Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Sprungli has announced they
are joining the bandwagon and releasing a line of chocolate bars that are sourced single - origin. The first three
will be made with cocoa from Ecuador, Madagascar and Peru. This will be Dark Chocolate with the Ecuador bar
coming in at 75% cocoa. In Ausitn , Texas the local Bissinger's is carrying Washington State Richter Blackberries
dipped in Dark Chocolate. The article is accompanies by a photo and they look great. A quick visit to the
Bissinger's website has them in Milk and Dark Chocolate for $34.00 a pound and lists them as available only
through September 21st. Mars Incorporated has announced they are adding a variety of Milk Chocolate products to
their Cocoa Via line of healthy cocoa products. The varieties include CocoaVia® Milk Chocolate Bars, CocoaVia®
Milk Chocolate Bars with Almonds and CocoaVia® Milk Chocolate-Covered Raisins. The company also plans to
introduce the line's first beverage - CocoaVia® Rich Chocolate Indulgence with a limited distribution next month.
You can read the Press release here. Up in Cape Breton, Canada 13 year old Nicholas Collishaw has started his
own line of chocolate "Nicholicious". He sells them at the local flea market and to cruise ship passengers.
September 12, 2006 - Confectionary companies in China are reeling from the combination of rising sugar prices
and increased shipping and energy costs. In Dancheng, a city in Shangdong province, only 100 out of more than
300 candy factories have survived. The Danish Company Danisco has announced they will be launching a full line
of Fair trade certified vanilla products for the United States market. TransFair USA is a partner in the venture and
will do the certifying of the vanilla. Eskimo Pie Corporation, a subsidiary of CoolBrands International is set to sell
off its Value America flavors and ingredients division which manufactures a variety of products including powdered
chocolate and fudge sauces. Raymond Viault who has previous experience with Safeway and General Mills has
been appointed to the Board of Cadbury Schweppes. Corp Roshen, the largest candy company in the Ukraine has
purchased a factory in Lithuania for $2,000,000 from Invalda. This will allow them to enter the market in the Baltic
area. The British chocolate retailer Thorntons has seen profits drop 36% from last year. The firm also announced
that Chief Executive Peter Burdon intended to step down. John & Kira's has some interesting information about
different farmers they have partnered with and the products they are producing on their website. Helene & Robert
Beck , owners of La Vigne, grow organic Lemongrass which John & Kira's is now using.
September 11, 2006 - We've already checked out the Max Brenner shop/restaurant that opened recently here in
New York and have nothing but nice things to report back about the experience. With 20 locations world wide and a
second store scheduled to open here in New York in a few weeks the chain is expanding quickly. Partnering with
the Israeli candy conglomerate Strauss-Elite, the company has the funds to expand into other American markets.
Here in New York the Anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center is a day of somber reflection. For Evelyn
Robb, the owner of Evelyns for the last 40 years, her John Street location is constantly reminded of that tragic day.
Within easy walking distance of Ground Zero even five years later her business is off 25% with corporate orders cut
in half. As an aside we have shopped at Evelyn's quite a few times over the years and have found the fresh
cashews our favorite item in the shop. They also sell chocolate that is pretty darn good, the kids are especially fond
of the chocolate covered marshmallows. Every time we have visited the staff has been friendly, forthcoming and
extremely attentive to our needs. So if you find yourself in the financial district drop by and take a look around you
might find something you want to purchase. We've never made the trek to Genoa, Italy but this piece about Pietro
Romanengo Fu Stefano a maker of chocolate and candied fruit since the 18th Century makes us want to call our
travel agent and buy some plane tickets.
September 8, 2006 - The Bay Area region of California has always been the home to fine chocolate. From E.
Guittard and Ghirardelli to Cocolat and Scharffen Berger the area has always been hospitable to chocolate
manufacturers. Over the last ten years there has been an explosion of artisan chocolate making including products
by Michael Mischer, Stephanie Marcon of Coco-luxe, Woodhouse Chocolates in St. Helena and Richard Donnelly in
Santa Cruz. Geneva, Illinois is the home of Graham's Chocolates. Bob and Beckie Untiedt have been making fine
chocolates for 18 years and last October they opened Graham's 318 two doors down to sell gelato and chocolate
goods. Mice according to a new study prefer sweet treats like chocolate over cheese the commonly preferred bait
for a mouse trap. Researchers from Manchester Metropolitan University and the Stilton Cheese Makers
Association have discovered that the average mouse's diet is primarily grains and sweets. The Cadbury Adams
chocolate factory in Toronto , Canada celebrated its 100th Birthday this week and today will hand out 100,000 free
chocolate bars. The factory opened in 1906 and by 1919 was producing 5.5 million tons of chocolate a year. They
produce all of Canada's Cadbury's items and many items for export. Archer Daniels Midland Compan announced
the expansion of its chocolate manufacturing capabilities in Europe through the acquisition of Classic Couverture,
a Liverpool, United Kingdom-based chocolate manufacturer, from Edward Billington and Son Ltd. Read the Press
Release here. Carson Wrapped Hershey's Chocolate claims they will achieve record internet sales in 2006. Read
the Press release here. Chocolates a la Carte is a Valencia, California company that has had its employees
trained by The College of the Canyons. The staff received training in a variety of techniques that are business
related. Wednesday, September 13 - the day that marks what would have been author Roald Dahl's 90th birthday -
will be the UK's first ever Roald Dahl Day. Some small scale events are scheduled in the United Kingdom for the
writer of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory. September 6, 2006 - In Canada an investigation by CTV has found
many of the more commonly available breakfast cereals marketed to children have a higher sugar content than just
eating regular chocolate. Hershey is releasing a new series of premium chocolate to take advantage of consumer
demand for a higher quality chocolate experience. The line, to be called Cacao Reserve will include both eating
and drinking chocolate. The drinking chocolate comes in two flavors Classic Mayan and Mildly Spiced Aztec and
their are four different eating chocolates - Premium Milk (35% cacao), Premium Milk with Hazelnuts (35% cacao),
Extra Dark (65% cacao) and Extra Dark with Nibs (65% cacao). Read the Press Release here. Hershey hired
brand management agency Global Icons today to help leverage their properties such as Hershey Chocolate and
Reese's Cups and allow the properties to be licensed increasing the value of the brand and increasing revenue at
the same time. The Greenbank Chocolate Box are a group of Bristol, England citizens who have banded together
to save the former Elizabeth Shaw Chocolate Factory from demolition. They hope to have it listed as a historic site
to preserve it as opposed to razing it and having the area turned into housing.
September 4, 2006 - Tesco, the British chain store will be test marketing chocolate bars that are Halal which
makes them appropriate for Muslims to eat. They will be available at the Bradford and Batley shops and are
produced by Ummah food company, producers of other Halal items. There will be two flavors, orange chocolate
and caramel chocolate. ChocAmour
September 1, 2006 - A group of Australians take a tour of Sydney's chocolate shops. Quick reviews of Jeff de
Bruges, Vanderwee Chocolates and Haighs who have been producing chocolate since 1916. An international
team of scientists have mapped and published the first two genome sequences from Phytophthora , plant
destroyers, a grouping of 80 or so fungi that attack a wide variety of plants. The genes are rapidly changing and the
fungi attack cocoa plants destroying an estimated 450,000 tons of beans a year. The estimated cost in dollars is
around $400,000,000. In a strange twist of fate, M&M's had recently announced a reward of two million dark
chocolate M&Ms for the safe return of the Edward Munch masterpiece that had been stolen two years ago. The
painting has reportedly been recovered in Norway and is awaiting authentication. Masterfoods the makers of M&Ms
has announced they will pay up as soon as they can coordinate the details with the Oslo police. For the record two
million M&Ms are 40,000 1.69 ounce bags and carry a retail value of $22,000. Read Masterfood's Press Release.
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