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Chocolate is a food many of us take for granted, and at the till, all we may "see" is a rise in price. We may be unaware of why prices have changed or even that the product itself has changed.

Mars bars went from 60g to 53g just as a result of a shortage of affordable cocoa (manufacturer's persective). In West Africa, where cocoa is grown, there are also weather factors that effect supply. And in China, demand is increasing, putting yet another burden on global demand for this product.

What IS Chocolate?

Chocolate is derived from cocoa beans that are found Inside cocoa pods, as explained at The World Atlas of Chocolate. The seeds must be fermented before they'll turn brown and Cote d'Ivoire produces most of the world's supply (1150 thousand tonnes). Keeping up with demand isn't easy. Ever-increasing Consumption puts pressure on producers -- and even those who manufacture sugar feel some of this pressure.

Chocolate liquor is blended with the cocoa butter in varying quantities to make different types of chocolate or couvertures. The basic blends of ingredients for the three types of chocolate (in order of highest quantity of cocoa liquor first), are as follows:

• Dark chocolate: sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa liquor, and (sometimes) vanilla
• Milk chocolate: sugar, cocoa butter, cocoa liquor, milk or milk powder, and vanilla
• White chocolate: sugar, cocoa butter, milk or milk powder, and vanilla

These are not the only ingredients in chocolate products. Those who eat chocolate often eat nuts, fruit, salt, ginger, ... and artificial flavors. There isn't enough cocoa to keep making all the products we demand, at ever increasing rates. Popular times for chocolates are Valentine's Day, Christmas and birthday parties. Keep an eye out for artificial chocolate cakes coming your way. Demand in China is growing and it will soon be among the top 23 consuming countries. As discussed at National Center for Biotechnology Information, there are benefits to eating chocolate, but are you really getting 100% pure chocolate? If demand keeps increasing, the answer may be "no." What IS chocolate? Look at the product's ingredients. Is there such a thing as artificial chocolate? Answer: Yes. Some people are not happy about "fake chocolate."

WHAT IS CHOCOLATE?

Chocolate is not cocoa, but cocoa is a key ingredient of it. "Chocolate" without cocoa is, as one individual put it ... fake. Many manufacturers now use the term "Chocolate flavoring," but it usually isn't pure chocolate. Did you buy your valentine chocolate made from cocoa or was it artificial? Can you tell the difference? Today, tastes can be duplicated artificially and you wouldn't even know it -- unless you read the ingredients label. Did you? On Valentine's Day, many may not even read this area of the product. Just what are you eating anyway when you buy chocolate? Most chocolate products are not 100% pure cocoa. There are many other ingre-
dients added to chocolate liquor and cocoa butter. Could it still be called chocolate if these are missing?

Contact Me:   Alan Colquhoun