copal cocoa info. 228.doc · web view''changes, if adopted, would provide the flexibility...

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: ICCO DAILY COCOA

PRICES UP-COMING EVENTS LONDON & NEW

YORK FUTURES MARKETS UPDATE

SPOT PRICES NEWS TIT- BITS

ORDER FORM -14TH INTERNATIONAL COCOA REASEARCH CONFERENCE

COPAL COCOACOPAL COCOA InfoInfo A Weekly Newsletter of Cocoa Producers' Alliance

Issue No. 228 23rd – 27th April 2007

ICCO Daily Cocoa Prices

ICCO dailyprice

(US$/tonne)

Londonfutures

(£/tonne)

New YorkFutures

(US$/tonne)

23rd April 1968.43 1019.67 1899.67

24th April 1945.23 1006.00 1879.67

25th April 1952.69 1010.33 1884.67

26th April 1920.33 1002.33 1849.67

27th April 1918.45 996.00 1850.33

Average 1941.00 1007.00 1873.00

Up-coming Events

COCOA PRODUCERS’ ALLIANCE, NATIONAL ASSEMBLY COMPLEX TAFAWA BALEWA SQUARE, P.O. BOX 1718, LAGOS, NIGERIA. TEL: +234(0)1-263-5574 FAX: +234(0)1-263-5684

Email: [email protected] Website: www.copal-cpa.org1

In the News: Cocoa improves blood flow in the brain Ivory Coast cocoa farmers miss high prices Barry Callebaut to study cocoa butter for diabetics African Rains Dampen Cocoa Prices Study: Cocoa lowers blood pressure Brazil's Finest Organic Cookies and Snacks From JASMINE Come to

Southern California Whole Foods for Brazil Days The Pressure is on for Dark Chocolate Connoisseurs: Don't meddle with chocolate Cocoa slump causes Ivory Coast budget cut Hershey and Barry Callebaut Announce Strategic Supply and

Innovation Partnership Child labour is widespread on cocoa farms Chocolate Purists Alarmed by Proposal To Fudge Standards Unfair Labor Practices Using West African Children To Produce Cocoa

Beans For World's Chocolate Still Going On Hershey and Barry Callebaut join forces Chocoholics in a tizzy over proposed cocoa standards

Have you had your cocoa today?

mailto:[email protected]

International Financial Futures and Options Exchange (LIFFE)London Futures Market – Summary of Trading Activities

(£ per tonne)

Monday 23rd April 2007 Month Opening Trans Settle Change Daily High Daily Low Volume

May 2007 1000 986 -19 1001 978 2526

Jul 2007 1014 1005 -15 1020 996 3526

Sep 2007 1036 1022 -16 1037S 1013 1330

Dec 2007 1040 1032 -16 1046S 1024 1314

Mar 2008 1048 1039 -17 1053 1035 354

May 2008 1051 1045 -18 1059 1040 282

Jul 2008 1051 -18 0

Sep 2008 1060 -17 0

Dec 2008 1069 -17 0

Mar 2009 1076 -17 0

Totals 1039 9,332

Tuesday 24th April 2007 Month Opening Trans Settle Change High Low Volume

May 2007 984 973 -13 984 959 3313

Jul 2007 1004 991 -14 1004 977 4106

Sep 2007 1020 1008 -14 1020 9 95 1536

Dec 2007 1029 1019 -13 1029S 1005 1388

Mar 2008 1035 1026 -13 1038 1014 553

May 2008 1043 1033 -12 1043S 1021 199

Jul 2008 1032 1039 -12 1032 1030S 45

Sep 2008 1049 1047 -13 1049S 1048 17

Dec 2008 1060 1058 -11 1060 1060 8

Mar 2009 1065 -11 0

Totals 1026 11,165

Wednesday 25th April 2007 Month Opening Trans Settle Change High Low Volume

May 2007 965 977 4 979 962 6134

Jul 2007 989 995 4 997 981 5399

Sep 2007 1004 1013 5 1015 1000 298

Dec 2007 1014 1023 4 1025 1010 1091

Mar 2008 1026 1031 5 1032S 1026S 21

May 2008 1032 1038 5 1032S 1032S 19

Jul 2008 1044 5 0

Sep 2008 1052 5 0

Dec 2008 1062 4 0

Mar 2009 1069 4 0

Totals 1030 12,962



http://www.nybot.com/reports/dmrs/etsDMRs/dmrFutures.asp?dmrMonth=04&dmrDay=10&dmrYear=2007&commodityID=1&commodityType=future







Thursday 26th April 2007 Month Opening Trans Settle Change High Low Volume

May 2007 979 968 -9 1001 958 2705

Jul 2007 998 987 -8 1019 976 5755Sep 2007 1018 1005 -8 1036 994 2466

Dec 2007 1028 1015 -8 1044S 1005S 1084Mar 2008 1035 1022 -9 1050 1013 596

May 2008 1051 1029 -9 1054 1020 34Jul 2008 1030 1036 -8 1036S 1030 22

Sep 2008 1044 -8 0Dec 2008 1054 -8 0

Mar 2009 1061 -8 0Totals 1022 12,662

Friday 27th April 2007 Month Opening Trans Settle Change High Low Volume

May 2007 968 962 -6 976 960 2,023Jul 2007 990 981 -6 995 978 2,069

Sep 2007 1005 999 -6 1011S 997 2,391Dec 2007 1016 1008 -7 1018S 1006 825

Mar 2008 1022 1015 -7 1029 1013 345May 2008 1022 1023 -6 1026S 1022 18

Jul 2008 1031 -5 0Sep 2008 1040 1040 -4 1042S 1040 33

Dec 2008 1050 -4 0Mar 2009 1057 -4 0

Totals 1017 7,704

Average for the week 1030 10765Total for the week 53,825





New York Board of Trade(New York Futures Market – Summary of Trading Activities)

(US$ per tonne)

Monday 23rd April 2007 Month Open Price Change High Low Volume

May 2007 1810B 1874A 1873 -14 1879 1850 231

Jul 2007 1872 1875 1886 -19 1897 1855 5956

Sep 2007 1890B 1902A 1912 -19 1917 1892 574

Dec 2007 0 0 1937 -17 1925 1915 624

Mar 2008 0 0 1957 -18 1937 1937 75

May 2008 0 0 1971 -18 0 0 19

Jul 2008 0 0 1985 -14 0 0 100

Sep 2008 0 0 2009 -15 0 0 2

Dec 2008 0 0 2021 -17 0 0 0

Mar 2009 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 1755 7581

Tuesday 24th April 2007 Month Open Price Change High Low Volume

May 2007 1850 0 1840 -33 1850 1820 159

Jul 2007 1847 1850 1856 -30 1859 1830 8845

Sep 2007 1873B 1877A 1883 -29 1889 1858 971

Dec 2007 1892B 0 1907 -30 1904 1887 2433

Mar 2008 0 0 1928 -29 0 0 3

May 2008 0 0 1942 -29 0 0 0

Jul 2008 0 0 1956 -29 0 0 0

Sep 2008 0 0 1980 -29 0 0 0

Dec 2008 0 0 1991 -30 0 0 0

Mar 2009 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 1728 12411

Wednesday 25th April 2007 Month Open Price Change High Low Volume

May 2007 1810B 1840A 1845 5 1858 1830 186

Jul 2007 1841 1845 1861 5 1869 1841 7009

Sep 2007 0 0 1888 5 1895 1880 240

Dec 2007 1905 0 1914 7 1905 1905 3293

Mar 2008 0 0 1935 7 0 0 66

May 2008 0 0 1950 8 0 0 90

Jul 2008 0 0 1967 11 0 0 100

Sep 2008 0 0 1991 11 0 0 12

Dec 2008 0 0 1998 7 0 0 1

Mar 2009 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 1735 10997










Thursday 26th April 2007 Month Open Price Change High Low Volume

May 2007 1882 1885 1823 -22 1893 1825 236

Jul 2007 1888 1890 1823 -38 1890 1808 10627

Sep 2007 1910B 1920A 1849 -39 1900 1845 1030

Dec 2007 0 0 1875 -39 1905 1874 741

Mar 2008 0 0 1897 -38 0 0 113

May 2008 0 0 1913 -37 0 0 0

Jul 2008 0 0 1931 -36 0 0 0

Sep 2008 0 0 1954 -37 0 0 0

Dec 2008 0 0 1960 -38 0 0 423

Mar 2009 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 1703 13170

Friday 27th April 2007 Month Open Price Change High Low Volume

May 2007 1826 0 1822 -1 1850 1825 75

Jul 2007 1819 1823 1822 -1 1840 1810 5097

Sep 2007 1845B 1848A 1849 0 1863 1845 1010

Dec 2007 1872 0 1876 1 1880 1870 393

Mar 2008 0 0 1898 1 0 0 107

May 2008 0 0 1914 1 1900 1890 114

Jul 2008 0 0 1932 1 1915 1910 109

Sep 2008 0 0 1955 1 1950 1950 83

Dec 2008 0 0 1961 1 1960 1960 81

Mar 2009 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Totals 1703 6994

Average for the week 1725 12788Total for the week 51,153

Spot Prices (US$ per tonne)23rd April 24th April 25th April 26th April 27th April

Main Crop Ghana, Grade 1 2269 2239 2244 2206 2205

Main Crop Ivory Coast, Grade 1 2174 2144 2149 2111 2110

Main Crop Nigerian, 1 2139 2109 2114 2076 2075

Superior Arriba 2754 2724 2729 2691 2690

Sanchez f.a.q. 2159 2129 2134 2096 2095

Malaysian 110 1879 1849 1854 1816 1815

Sulawesi f.a.q. 1924 1894 1899 1861 1860

Ecuador Cocoa Liquor 3715 3656 3666 3591 3589Pure Prime Press African Type Cocoa Butter 5281 5197 5211 5104 5102

10/12% Natural Cocoa Press Cake 943 928 931 912 911Source: Cocoa Merchants’ Association






NewsCocoa improves blood flow in the brainMonday 23rd April, 2007, Nigerian TribuneCocoa is nutritional and medicinal. Cocoa is a cash crop and commands export value all over the world. Apart from the nutritional benefit, Oluwatoyin Malik reports that the crop is also highly medicinal, as it has great positive effects on the brain. FEW people would have ever thought that the cup of cocoa drink they take to fill their tummies or just drink for the love of the taste could be of any benefit to them. However, the good news is that a nice cup of the right kind of cocoa could hold the promise of promoting brain function as people age, new researches have revealed.

Medical researchers have been coming in contact with more cases of people suffering dementia and in an increasingly ageing world, they are saddled with the responsibility of looking for ways to make the brain work better. One potential source of help may be flavanols, an antioxidant found in cocoa beans that can increase blood flow to the brain. This was disclosed at an annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

In tests carried out by Ian MacDonald of the University of Nothingham, England, it was reported that some young women were asked to do a complex task while their brains were being studied with magnetic resonance imaging. Among the women given drinks of cocoa high in flavanols, there was a significant increase in blood flow to the brain compared with subjects who did not drink cocoa, MacDonald said. This raises the prospect of using flavonols in the treatment of dementia, marked by decreased flow of blood in the brain and in maintaining overall cardiovascular health, he said further.

Norman Hollenberg of Harvard Medical School said he also found a similar health benefit in the Cuna Indian tribe in Panama. These are people who drink cocoa exclusively. Hollenberg, an expert in blood pressure, studied the Cuna because those who live on the Native Island do not have high blood pressure. The researcher discovered that when tribe members move to cities, their blood pressure rises.

A major difference is the consumption of their own prepared cocoa, which is high in flavanols. Whereas in native areas, that is all they drink, in cities, they adopt the local diet. In addition to having low blood pressure, Hollenberg noted there were no reports of dementia among the native Cuna. In a study reported a year ago, older men in the Netherlands who ate the equivalent of one-third of a chocolate bar everyday had lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of death.

Speaking on the research finding, Professor Charles Aworh of the Department of Food Technology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan said that flavanols, just like they have been discovered in cocoa, are present generally in plants including fruits and vegetables. “We now know that many of these substances that we did not attribute health benefits to in the past, other than the traditional food benefits, also have health benefits. Antioxidants have some protective mechanism; they are scavengers. In other words, antioxidants remove substances that can cause problems in the body or make them inactive. “From that point, we know that flavanols, tannins and pigments are antioxidants that have health benefits,” Prof Aworh said.

On the finding that flavanols in cocoa can help fight off dementia, Prof. Aworh said it could be possible even though doctors would say that there might be several causes for dementia. He also said that since individuals vary, certain things may work for some because of their natural body endowment and may not work for others. “Many of these things (research findings) are new and you may not actually be able to pin point scientifically what they are doing except through the survey of people who eat a particular type of diet which would reveal that a specific disease is rare in that population,” he said.

Prof Aworh said since new research findings are revealing health benefits in different foods, that is why food technologists always advise people on varied diets. “This means that people have a chance of taking advantage of the natural constituents that are present in different types of foods that we may not be aware of. A restricted diet of purely starchy foods or purely proteinous foods is not recommended,” he advised.

Another researcher, Henriette Van Praag of the Salk Institute for Biological Studied, discussed the effects of a specific flavonol, Epichatechin, in tests carried out in mice. She said when that chemical was added to their food,




the mice showed improved ability to solve a maze and remembered it longer than mice without the flavonol. She said Epichatechin affected the hippocampus, the brain area important in memory.

The researchers however said it was too early to conclude that chocolate led to better health. The men who ate more cocoa products could have shared other qualities that made them healthier. Hagen Schroeter of Mars Inc, the Candy Company that paid for some of the research work reported that cocoa has long been studied for potential medical benefits. He noted, just like Prof Aworh said, that in addition to cocoa, flavonols occur in other foods such as fruits, tea and wine that have been associated with dilation of the arteries.

Prof Aworh also advised on the need to balance one’s attitude to eating cocoa products, especially chocolates, based on the research findings. “While the cocoa itself is bitter, chocolate has been sweetened. You have to think in terms of the calories that come from that, so there must be balance,” he counseled. Ivory Coast cocoa farmers miss high pricesApril 24, 2007 NEW YORK (Reuters) -- An unusually harsh harmattan -- a seasonal cold, dry wind that carries clouds of dust from the Sahara -- was the first sign of trouble for West African cocoa farmers. This was followed by a drought, described as the worst in living memory by farmers in parts of top grower Ivory Coast, cutting the supply of their main crop beans short well before the end of the season.

About 70 percent of the world's cocoa, chocolate's key ingredient, is grown in West Africa, much of which is deeply impoverished. Cocoa prices have risen sharply, hitting four-year highs, because of the expected shortage due to poor rains and below-average production. But even if prices are rising, most farmers in Ivory Coast are unable to cash in on the bull market. Many don't have any cocoa to sell.

"Poverty will increase because farmers will have gone nearly six months without selling cocoa beans. They'll only start getting cocoa in July, if they are lucky," said a manager at the Kavokiva cooperative in Daloa, Ivory Coast. "The farmers have not profited from the rise in prices because they have had no cocoa for three months," said farmer Magloire Gnankan in the outskirts of the western town of Daloa.

Stiff competition between buyers for scarce beans as the October-March main crop limped to a close pushed farm gate prices in some areas over 500 CFA francs ($1.03) per kilogram -- well above the prices they fetch in an average season. "When we had cocoa, the best price was 300 CFA francs per kilogram. When the cocoa was gone, the prices rose as high as 500," said Gnankan.

Unfortunately, there are no beans left in the bush for the growers to share in this price rise, said the commercial representative for a large international exporter in Abidjan. "The main crop is finished, the representative said, and work is beginning on a new crop. "We only hope the prices stay like this a little while longer to allow the growers to make a bit of money," the representative said.

Abundant rains have since returned to the region, promising a rebound in the April-September mid-crop, farmers said, and wholesale prices have already started to pull back from their peaks.

Consumers may never see prices for candy bars move higher, though in late March, Masterfoods USA, a division of Mars Inc., hiked wholesale prices of well-known chocolate bars like Snickers by about five percent due to rising costs. Shortly after, Hershey Co. increased its prices by about four percent to five percent, citing the need to help offset costs. Since retailers typically order chocolate in advance, they should not feel the increased wholesale rates in the near future, and therefore were not expected to hike prices on their store shelves until September or later, said Daniel Butler, vice-president of merchandising and retail operations for the National Retail Federation, a Washington, DC-based organization that represents retailers.

A spokeswoman for privately-held Publix Super Markets Inc., which has about 900 stores in five states, has not raised its chocolate prices and she could not say when, or if, they will as they secure pricing in advance. "These past three weeks we've seen cocoa prices at the levels they reached during the worst part of the war in Ivory Coast in 2002 and 2003 when fighting was raging between rebel and government soldiers," said the director of an international cocoa exporting company based in Ivory Coast's main city Abidjan, last week.




Cocoa is expected to continue to be scarce due to the expectation of a smaller West African crop and growing demand fueled in part by increasing popularity for higher quality chocolates. Consumers have also been upping their purchases because recent studies have attached health benefits to eating chocolate, with researchers stating in one that dark chocolate improves the function of blood vessels while another report showed that flavanols, an ingredient found in cocoa, may boost brain function and delay decline as people age.

Consumers expected to pay up"People are willing to pay the price as they never have been before. They really want the best that they can afford, obviously that's a subjective decision of what you love the most," said Joan Steuer, of Los Angeles-based Chocolate Marketing LLC, which publishes an annual U.S. Top Ten Chocolate Trends report.

"No longer is chocolate just a sweet. Chocolate is consumed as a food."

The firm prices come at a time of heightened consumer awareness of cocoa growers' working and living conditions. Large chocolate companies including Hershey Co., Lindt & Sprungli and Mars Inc. belong to the World Cocoa Foundation, which partly funds public-private partnerships in West African programs that target small-scale farmers and aims to improve sustainability. "We're looking at how to diversify cocoa farms so farmers aren't so reliant on one cash crop," World Cocoa Foundation President Bill Guyton said.

Barry Callebaut to study cocoa butter for diabeticsBy Jess Halliday, FoodNavigator.com, France24/04/2007 Barry Callebaut is funding research aimed at discovering the component in cocoa butter responsible for an observed improvement in insulin sensitivity, with the ultimate aim of developing chocolate products for diabetics. The cocoa and chocolate manufacturer has a stated commitment to developing chocolate with health promoting properties. It became interested in this area after animal studies conducted by the Center for Molecular Medicine (CMM) in Stockholm, Sweden, found that rats fed cocoa butter developed better insulin sensitivity than those fed other types of fat.

Barry Callebaut is funding the next stage of the project to try to uncover the element in cocoa butter responsible for the effect. If the findings are replicated in humans, it could open the way for a new range of products that would bring the pleasures of chocolate to diabetics, without fear that they could be compromising their health. "The goal of this study is to understand the molecular mechanisms behind these positive effects to produce a special chocolate for diabetics, which would allow them to enjoy chocolate without having to worry about their condition," said Professor Petra Tollet-Egnell, lead researcher at CMM.

The company has not revealed the amount of funding it is providing for the trial, nor an anticipated timeline for resulting products to be available. The positive results for the first CMM trail - which NutraIngredients.com has not seen in full - appear to have been a surprise for those involved.

Prof Tollet-Egnell and team set out to determine why men and women are affected differently by diabetes. They fed male and female rates different kinds of fats in an attempt to create insulin resistance. "To everyone's surprise," Barry Callebaut said in a communiqué, "the animals on a cocoa fat diet developed better insulin sensitivity than those fed with other kinds of fat, despite similar lipid content in the liver."

Chocolate and confectionery products aimed at diabetics have been on the market since the 1960s - however they have recently come in for criticism. Last June the organisation Diabetes UK began a campaign to curb the sale of treat foods aimed at diabetics on the grounds that they are expensive and of little use and the Co-Op supermarket opted to pull diabetic chocolate, jams and conserves and beverages from its shelves. A spokesperson for Diabetes UK told NutraIngredients.com at the time: "Diabetic foods tend to be quite expensive and are not that good for you." He added that consumers may be lulled into a false sense of security that they are eating healthily.

Advice on the charity's website holds that although such foods use a bulk sweetener like sorbitol or fructose in place of sugar, which allows them to be labelled as 'sugar-free', their nutritional content, such as fat and calories, is similar to ordinary confectionery foods and therefore still raise blood glucose levels in the same way. If Barry Callebaut's research proves fruitful it could well usher in a new generation of treat foods that are not only truly suitable for diabetics, but could also prove helpful in managing their condition. Several other companies in the nutraceutical field have also been conducting research into ingredients for diabetes management.




For instance, US company Nutrition 21 has conducted research into the benefits of its chromium picolinate supplement and is actively pursing its use in foods. DSM Nutritional Products is also understood to be developing an ingredient for diabetes prevention. Other recent research has investigated the potential of fibre-enriched bread to help manage insulin sensitivity and protect against type-2 diabetes, and studies involving supplementation with cinnamon extract have also yielded positive results for blood-glucose levels. At present, no guidance exists, either at a European or UK level, on products labelled as "suitable for people with diabetes"

African Rains Dampen Cocoa Prices 4/24/2007, By Simon Constable, TheStreet.comCocoa prices were dipping nearly 2.5% Tuesday on news of wet weather in the main growing region as well as ongoing concerns over reduced demand. Contracts for July delivery of the beans were losing $44, to $1,844 a ton, on the New York Board of Trade. "There is some concern about increased rainfall in West Africa, as it's beneficial for the main crop in 2007 and 2008," explains Rohit Savant, a commodities analyst at the specialty consulting firm CPM Group in New York.

Favorable weather conditions in Ghana and Ivory Coast, the two largest producing countries in the region, will likely lead to increased supply and so put more downward pressure on prices. Also continuing to weigh on the minds of traders was news released Friday from the Chocolate Manufacturers Association that first-quarter U.S. cocoa grind figures were down almost 7% when compared with the same period a year ago. Savant says it's reflective of a drop in demand for beans. Other indicators such as volume of cocoa butter and chocolate liquor (melted) were off also.

Shares of confectioners Hershey (HSY - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr) and Cadbury Schweppes (CSG - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr) were lower by 0.4% and 1% respectively in recent trading. Turning to the base metals, copper contracts were losing 6 cents at $3.59 a pound on the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange on news that the sales of existing homes fell much more than expected in March. Copper is used for electrical wiring in the construction of new dwellings, an important piece of the global demand equation for copper. For that reason, traders play close attention to the overall health of the housing sector.

Study: Cocoa lowers blood pressureApr 25, 2007, By Los Angeles TimesChocolate -- that traditional antidote for broken hearts -- now has another use. Foods rich in cocoa appear to reduce blood pressure, according to researchers at the University Hospital of Cologne in Germany. Testing the hypothesis that plant compounds known as polyphenols found in cocoa and tea have a beneficial effect on blood pressure, researchers analyzed five studies on cocoa and five studies on tea published between 1966 and 2006.

The report, which appears in the April issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that chocolate lowered systolic blood pressure by about 4.7 points on average and diastolic pressure by about 2.8 points. In short, a healthful daily dose of chocolate could reduce blood pressure of 140/80 to about 135/77.

Curiously, tea did not have a similar effect, possibly because the composition of the polyphenols in tea is slightly different. "It's likely that the phenols specific to cocoa represent the active ingredients," lead author and pharmacologist Dr. Dirk Taubert said in an e-mail. "A possible candidate are the so-called procyanidins, which are a group of complex phenols." So a little chocolate a day may keep the doctor away? "Regular consumption of polyphenol-rich cocoa products like dark chocolate may be considered part of a blood pressure lowering diet, provided" -- here it comes -- "that there is no gain in total calorie intake," he says. Natch. There's always a catch.

Brazil's Finest Organic Cookies and Snacks From JASMINE Come to Southern California Whole Foods for Brazil Days SOURCE: Jasmine Alimentos.April 25th and 26th!PARANA, BRAZIL -- (MARKET WIRE) -- April 25, 2007 -- For hundreds of years Brazil has been known as a land of staggering beauty, energy and joy from their unexplored rainforests, endless rivers and pristine beaches to the excitement of Carnaval. Now Southern California can experience this Brazilian excitement April 25th and 26th at Whole Foods Brazil Days.




Savor the delicious taste of Brazil with Jasmine Alimentos' new line of organic and all natural whole grain cookies, cereals, whole-wheat crackers, dried fruit and soy snacks. Jasmine Alimentos', one of Brazil's finest and largest manufacturers, will share the Brazilian exotic experience with: Jasmine's delicious and organic cookies-- Jasmine Whole Grain Organic Cookies: USDA Certified Organic whole grain cookies: Coffee, Brazil Nut and Soy and Honey.

Jasmine Original Whole Grain Cookies: Free of chemicals and toxins, rich in nutrients and dietary fiber, come in Cocoa, Brazil Nut, Papaya, Lemon, Coconut, Coffee and Citrus.

Whole Grain Light: With 38% reduced fat content and free from additives or preservatives, the light version of the original Whole Grain cookies come in Cocoa, Brazil Nut, Lemon and Citrus.

Whole Grain Diet: All the same nutrients as the Original Whole Grain Cookies but with no added sugars, the Whole Grain Diet cookies come in Cappuccino, Hazelnut and Apricot.

Rosquihanas: These small, doughnut shaped cookies are a Brazilian favorite and are available in whole grain varieties such as Apple & Banana, Honey & Oats, Sesame Seed, Orange & Honey and Coconut.

On April 25th, representatives from the finest all natural and organic Brazilian companies, including Jasmine Alimentos', will be sampling products from 12pm to 4pm at the West Los Angeles Whole Foods, located at 11666 National Blvd. and April 26th from 1pm to 5pm at the El Segundo Whole Foods, located at 760 S. Sepulveda Blvd.

Since 1990, Jasmine Alimentos' has been providing the highest quality natural and organic products. Through extensive research and development, quality assurance and utilization of only the most wholesome ingredients, Jasmine Alimentos' has successfully created a full line of products that includes more essential vitamins, minerals, fiber and other key nutrients than the vast majority of organic and all natural snack foods.

The Pressure is on for Dark ChocolateWed, 25 Apr 2007, Technocrat.netA new metastudy is indicating that regular consumption of cocoa might be about as good for lowering blood pressure as normally prescribed medicine. This is sure to put even more pressure on suppliers!"Eating dark chocolate may be almost as effective at lowering blood pressure as taking the most common anti-hypertensive drugs, a review of studies has found. Tea, on the other hand, appears to be ineffective."..more there

Connoisseurs: Don't meddle with chocolateBy Adam Satariano Bloomberg News04/25/2007 Would chocolate containing trans fats and sugar substitutes taste as sweet as the real thing? Hershey Co. and other candy makers say yes. The Chocolate Manufacturers Association, whose members include Hershey, Nestle SA and Archer Daniels Midland Co., has a petition before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to redefine what constitutes chocolate. They want to make it without the required ingredients of cocoa butter and cocoa solids, using instead artificial sweeteners, milk substitutes and vegetable fats such as hydrogenated and trans fats. ''They are trying to pull one over on us,'' said Cybele May, 40, publisher of CandyBlog, on which she has encouraged more than 200 people to write the FDA to protest what she calls ''mockolate.'' ''What they are asking for is permission to confuse the consumer for what we readily accept as chocolate.''

Gary Guittard, fourth-generation owner of Guittard Chocolate Co., wants to keep chocolate from the dark side, too. He has enlisted the support of high-end companies such as billionaire Warren Buffett's See's Candies to fight the big chocolate makers. ''The process of this thing going through, it wasn't transparent, and it needs to be brought out into the light,'' said Guittard.

Brad Kinstler, chief executive officer of Carson, California-based See's, is siding with Guittard in the confections controversy. ''If the margarine manufacturers could call their product butter instead of being required to call it margarine, wouldn't it strike the consumer as being odd?'' said Kinstler, whose company sold 30 million pounds of sweets last year. Hershey, the largest U.S. candy maker, says that broader labeling is needed to keep up with changing consumer tastes. “'The petition would modernize all food standards, increasing flexibility to accommodate changes in technology'' Kirk Saville, spokesman for the Hershey, Penn.-based company, said in an interview. ''Changes, if




adopted, would provide the flexibility to make changes based on consumer taste preference, ingredient costs and availability, and shelf life.''

Cocoa prices in New York have surged about 28 percent in the past six months on speculation that dry weather may impair cocoa production in the Ivory Coast and Ghana, the world's largest suppliers of beans to make chocolate. ''Cocoa butter is the most expensive ingredient there is, and so it adds up to a substantial amount of money,'' said Guittard, whose 139-year-old company in Burlingame, Calif., is a member of the chocolate manufacturers association.

A pound of chocolate contains roughly 25 percent cocoa butter at a cost of $2.30, while vegetable oils are as little as 70 cents a pound, Guittard said. U.S. chocolate manufacturers used $1.4 billion of cocoa and cocoa products in 2005, according to the latest data from the Chocolate Manufacturers Association. The chocolate association signed the petition submitted to FDA last October to change the candy. Members believe ''now is an appropriate time for FDA to update the standards of identity for all foods,'' group President Lynn Bragg said. The proposal was drafted by the Grocery Manu- facturers/Food Products Association urging the FDA to ''modernize food standards.''

Cocoa slump causes Ivory Coast budget cut26-APR-07, Business in Africa, South AfricaAbidjan - Ivory Coast has set its 2007 budget at €2.9bn ($3.9bn), down three percent year-on-year, due to a fall in cocoa production in the world's top grower, a minister said on Wednesday. Economy and Finance Minister Charles Diby Koffi said that the three-billion-euro budget in 2006, a 13.3 percent increase over the previous year, had been spurred by a rise in petroleum revenues. But he blamed the cut in this year's budget to a 6.1 percent fall in cocoa production last year, which stood at 1.3 million tonnes.

Ivory Coast's newly-found petrol wealth has earned more money with production jumping 50.7 percent to 21.9 million barrels, he said. Koffi said the government was borrowing €45.8mn from the market to make up the budget shortfall.

Ivory Coast, France's former star colony in Africa and the world's top cocoa producer, was a beacon of stability and prosperity in restive west Africa until it split in half in 2002 following a failed coup which led to a low-intensity war. AFP

Hershey and Barry Callebaut Announce Strategic Supply and Innovation PartnershipApril 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Barry Callebaut to supply a minimum of 80,000 tonnes of chocolate and chocolate products per year to Hershey under long-term global agreementHERSHEY, Pa., and ZURICH, Switzerland, The Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) , North America's leading manufacturer of quality consumer chocolate and confectionery products, and Barry Callebaut, the world's largest manufacturer of high-quality cocoa, industrial chocolate and confectionery products, today announced a strategic supply and innovation partnership. The alliance will enable the companies to work together to accelerate long-term growth in the global chocolate market.

The companies will partner on a wide range of research and development activities with a focus on driving innovation in new chocolate taste experiences, premium chocolate, health and wellness, ingredient research and optimization.

Under the agreement, Barry Callebaut will construct and operate a facility to provide chocolate for Hershey's new plant in Monterrey, Mexico. Barry Callebaut will also lease a portion of Hershey's Robinson, Ill., plant and operate chocolate-making equipment at the facility. The partnership includes a long-term global agreement under which Barry Callebaut will supply Hershey with a minimum of 80,000 tonnes per year of chocolate and chocolate products.

The agreement will significantly increase Barry Callebaut's production capacity in the Americas. Over the next three years, production capacities will increase by 130,000 tonnes per year, with a significant portion of this




production dedicated to supplying Hershey. The total investment by Barry Callebaut will amount to USD 50 million (CHF 65 million).

The two companies also will work together on efforts aimed at building a sustainable cocoa supply, including the World Cocoa Foundation's Sustainable Tree Crops Program, the International Cocoa Initiative Foundation and industry efforts to implement a certification system in West Africa. Hershey will also participate in Barry Callebaut's proprietary corporate social responsibility and sustainable cocoa-bean sourcing programs.

Richard H. Lenny, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Hershey Company, said, "Barry Callebaut is a global leader in high-quality chocolate, and we're pleased with this opportunity to expand our relationship. This partnership provides Hershey with immediate access to broad expertise in premium chocolate and builds on our strong research and development capabilities. We will work together on research involving unique cocoa flavors and formats to enable superior new product innovation. Barry Callebaut and Hershey will also work together on corporate social responsibility efforts, with an emphasis on bringing about sustainable, positive change benefiting cocoa farmers and their families."

Patrick De Maeseneire, Chief Executive Officer of Barry Callebaut, said, "This long-term agreement with Hershey marks a milestone for Barry Callebaut. The transaction will transform our business in the Americas by doubling our production capacities of chocolate in the region. On a group level, it will increase our volumes by 10 percent over three years. We will be able to significantly strengthen our factory network, bringing us closer to our customers and making us more competitive in North America. Thanks to our innovative strength and cost leadership, we have succeeded in firmly establishing ourselves as a partner of choice on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean." The two parties expect the final agreements to be signed by the end of May 2007.

The Hershey CompanyThe Hershey Company (NYSE: HSY) is the largest North American manufacturer of quality chocolate and sugar confectionery products. With revenues of nearly $5 billion and more than 13,000 employees worldwide, The Hershey Company markets such iconic brands as Hershey's, Reese's, Hershey's Kisses, and Ice Breakers. Hershey is the leader in the fast-growing dark and premium chocolate segment, with such brands as Hershey's Special Dark, Hershey's Extra Dark and Cacao Reserve by Hershey's. Hershey's Ice Breakers franchise delivers refreshment across a variety of mint and gum flavors and formats. In addition, Hershey leverages its iconic brands, marketplace scale and confectionery and nut expertise to develop and deliver substantial snacks, including Hershey's and Reese's single-serve cookies and brownies, and value-added snack nuts, including Hershey's Milk Chocolate Covered Almonds and Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds. Hershey also offers a range of products to address the health and well-being needs of today's consumer. Hershey's and Reese's Snacksters offer consumers great-tasting snacks in portion-controlled servings, while Hershey's dark chocolate offerings provide the benefits of flavanol antioxidants. In addition, Artisan Confections Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Hershey Company, markets such premium chocolate offerings as Scharffen Berger, known for its high-cacao dark chocolate products, Joseph Schmidt, recognized for its fine, handcrafted chocolate gifts, and Dagoba, known for its high-quality natural and organic chocolate bars. Visit us at http://www.hersheynewsroom.com/.

With annual sales of more than CHF 4 billion (USD 3.4 billion) for fiscal year 2005/06, Zurich-based Barry Callebaut is the world's leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa, chocolate and confectionery products - from the cocoa bean to the finished product on the store shelf. Barry Callebaut operates more than 30 production facilities in 24 countries and employs approximately 7,500 people. The company serves the entire food industry, from food manufacturers to professional users of chocolate (such as chocolatiers, pastry chefs or bakers), to global retailers. It also provides a comprehensive range of services in the fields of product development, processing, training and marketing.

Contacts at Hershey: Financial: Media: Mark Pogharian Kirk Saville The Hershey Company The Hershey Company (717) 534-7556 (717) 534-7641 Barry Callebaut (http://www.barry-callebaut.com)/

Child labour is widespread on cocoa farms By Orla Ryan, BBC News, UKIvory Coast Friday, 27 April 2007




Saturday afternoon in the heart of the Ivorian cocoa belt and farmer Cheba Ouattara is at work on his cocoa farm, his four children beside him. Mr Ouattara is one of about two million cocoa farmers who work across West Africa, producing the bean used to make one of the world's most delectable sweets, chocolate. Mr Ouattara's children all attend school. The eldest, 18-year-old Issouf, hopes one day to be a scientist. But many children on cocoa farms don't get to school, some exchange their childhood for work, a roof over their head and a meal a day. Others have been sent by their parents into virtual slavery, suffering beatings and abuse.

Eight years since reports of child labour and slavery in Ivory Coast - the world's largest cocoa producer - first emerged, progress in eradicating child labour has been slow. In the time that has passed, war, cultural differences and the importance of cocoa revenues to West African economies have all served to obscure the debate.

Scepticism Ivory Coast, for long one of the Africa's most prosperous countries, is the world's biggest cocoa producer. Many parents say they cannot afford to send their children to school For decades, it has been a destination for migrant workers from the Sahelian countries to its north, countries such as Burkina Faso and Mali.

Scepticism initially greeted the 1999 news reports out of Abidjan that children were being trafficked from these countries into Ivory Coast to work on farms.

This scepticism was put to rest when a 2002 report by the industry body, the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture, put the number of children working in dangerous conditions in cocoa in West Africa at 284,000 in 2002, 200,000 of them in Ivory Coast. Many of these were working on their parents' farms, but others were working far from their homes, without any relative in sight.

Bad PR There can be no worse PR for a chocolate company than news that children in West Africa - the source for the bulk of the world's cocoa - are picking beans used to make chocolate for children in the West. We are in a state of war. We cannot make such guarantees Mme Amouan Acquah, the government official responsible for child labour issues in Ivory Coast

Pushed by US legislators and campaigners, chocolate firms signed a voluntary industry initiative, called the Harkin-Engel protocol, in 2001. Its initial aim was to have a system in place to monitor labour conditions on cocoa farms by July 2005.

That deadline shifted. Now chocolate firms are working towards a 2008 deadline to monitor labour conditions in 50% of farms in Ghana, the world's number two producer, and neighbouring Ivory Coast. Ghana is set to release its first cocoa certification report in 2007, which will account for more than 10% of the country's total cocoa production.

This puts it on track to meet the 2008 deadline, a deadline which will be more difficult for war-torn Ivory Coast to achieve. "These beans come from small farms in villages," says Mme Amouan Acquah, the government official responsible for child labour issues in Ivory Coast. "We are in a state of war. We cannot make such guarantees."

Slaves Since the 2002-03 civil war split Ivory Coast in two, the country has remained prone to outbreaks of violence which can, at least for a day or two, push the world cocoa price higher.

With or without war, Ivory Coast's cocoa has always made it to the world market, a fact that reflects the reality that it is in everyone's interest for the cocoa to be sold. Critics say that if the cocoa can get to market even in times of conflict, then it should also be possible to monitor labour conditions on the farm.

Even as this cocoa is shipped out of Ivory Coast, farmers still complain of low prices. Farmers in Ghana's state-run system earn about $1 (50p) per kilo, or about 70% of the world market price. In Ivory Coast's free market, prices can be as much as 20% lower than the Ghanaian price. Campaigners say chocolate firms should pay farmers more so they can hire labourers and send their children to school.




Others say the responsibility lies with the Ivorian government to use its revenues from cocoa to provide schools and opportunities for their farmers so that they do not keep their children at home.

Family training For some farmers, the best way to secure their child's future is to take them to the cocoa farm. There children can learn the trade that has sustained thousands of farmers for generations. Underneath his mango tree, next to scattered mud dwellings, cocoa farmer Eugene Djedje, whose children are now grown up, says it is clear why a farmer would take his child to the farm with him.

"No one is obliged to send a child to school," he says. "If you don't have money you don't go.

"You can't leave a child in the village. If you go to the farm and leave him behind, he will pick up bad habits. It is part of his education and also he can learn the technique of growing."

Likewise, the families in neighbouring countries who send their children to Ivory Coast often believe they are doing what is best for their children, even though the reality is a life often worse than the one they left behind. Points out Mme Acquah: "The issue at the heart of this is poverty."

Chocolate Purists Alarmed by Proposal To Fudge StandardsLines Drawn Over Cocoa ButterBy Michael S. RosenwaldWashington PostFriday, April 27, 2007; Accompanying a 35-page petition signed by a diverse set of culinary groups -- juice producers, meat canners and the chocolate lobby -- the appendix charts proposed changes to food standard definitions set by the Food and Drug Administration, including this one: "use a vegetable fat in place of another vegetable fat named in the standard (e.g., cacao fat)."

Chocolate lovers read that as a direct assault on their palates. That's because the current FDA standard for chocolate says it must contain cacao fat -- a.k.a. cocoa butter -- and this proposal would make it possible to call something chocolate even if it had vegetable oil instead of that defining ingredient. Whoppers malted milk balls, for instance, do not have cocoa butter.

Chocolate purists, of which there are apparently many, have undertaken a grassroots letter-writing campaign to the FDA to inform the agency that such a change to the standards is just not okay with them. More than 225 comments to the petition have been processed so far by the agency, and chocolate bloggers are pressing for more. In the annals of bureaucratic Washington battles, this is a sweet one.

"If this puts a smile on people's faces even though it's a serious matter, that's what chocolate is meant to do," said California chocolate maker and traditionalist Gary Guittard, whose Web site, http://DontMessWithOurChocolate.com, has led the counterassault.

Other proposals in the petition -- e.g., to market cartoon character-shaped pasta as macaroni -- have not caused as much heartburn. That's because chocolate isn't just food. It symbolizes passion, and for its lovers, it borders on religion. They buy chocolate based on cacao content -- some desire 70 percent, others will go higher. The most demanding examine labels to make sure it is from one region, not a blend, focusing on production methods much the same way that coffee lovers home in on where beans are grown. Even mass chocolate producers are trying to tap into this spirit. There's now a Limited Edition Dark Snickers bar.

The industry has also been touting chocolate's health benefits -- it contains flavonoids, which may benefit the heart and arteries; cocoa butter doesn't raise cholesterol levels; and chocolate doesn't contain trans fats. Mars has even launched a division called Mars Nutrition for Health & Well-Being, which markets chocolate products with explicit health claims.

Guittard, whose family has been making chocolate since 1868, said some big chocolate manufacturers favor the proposed change in regulations because they want to keep prices down on key ingredients by using less expensive vegetable fat, which can contain trans fats, instead of cocoa butter. That scares him. Cybele May, a playwright, whale-watching enthusiast and Web editor in California, has been encouraging people to write the




FDA with posts on her blog at http://candyblog.net. "Suddenly, we are worried that the chocolate bar isn't the same anymore and we don't know why," May said.

If the change is approved, products would still need to contain chocolate liquor, the ground-up center of the cocoa bean. But a confection such as PayDay Chocolatey Avalanche -- which doesn't contain cocoa butter -- would be able to call itself PayDay Chocolate Avalanche. It seems like a small distinction, but to people like Guittard and May, it is not.

An FDA spokeswoman said if -- stressing, if -- the agency decides to consider changing the standards as requested in the petition, the process would take several years.

For their part, chocolate makers aren't saying much. Kirk Saville, a Hershey's spokesman, said it was "premature to speculate on any changes before the process is complete." He was more expansive in speaking to the Harrisburg Patriot-News, in the company's back yard, saying, "There are high-quality oils available which are equal to or better than cocoa butter in taste, nutrition, texture and function, and are preferred by consumers."Officials from the Chocolate Manufacturers Association declined an interview request. In a statement, the association said now is an appropriate time to update standards of identity for all foods and added, "We want to emphasize that by co-signing the food industry petition, CMA has not endorsed any particular changes to the standards of identity for chocolate products."From the department of cooler heads comes Nick Malgieri, the director of the baking program at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York. "I think a lot of people don't realize that this would be optional," Malgieri said. "No one is going to force a high-class chocolate maker to add vegetable fat to chocolate." Asked if fine chocolate would just melt away, he said, "Absolutely not."

Unfair Labor Practices Using West African Children To Produce Cocoa Beans For World's Chocolate Still Going OnLinda Young - AHNApril 27, 2007 Yamoussoukro, Ivory Coast (AHN) - The republic of Ivory Coast is one of many countries in west Africa where 2 million farmers raise crops of cocoa beans used to make chocolate. It is estimated that 280,000 children work in the cocoa fields with 200,000 of them working in the Ivory Coast. Although some farmers use their own children to help raise cocoa, many other farmers use children that they hire for very low pay, or who work as slaves in the field. And despite recent efforts to stop the practice and to verify that cocoa is not produced using unfair labor practices involving children, the deadline for certifying cocoa crops has been pushed back.

No cocoa is produced in the U.S. It is grown in Africa, South America and Asia. In the U.S., the Chocolate Manufacturers Association's members represent about 90 percent of the chocolate manufactured from in the U.S., where chocolate provides 65,000 jobs, or 66 percent of the U.S. jobs in domestic oil and natural gas extraction, according to the CMA Web site.

Also according to a statement on the CMA Web site, "Ghana has taken a major step forward in its commitment to eliminate child labor," said Bill Guyton, President of the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF). "This report highlights important issues, and confirms the direction we are taking to help children, families and communities in the West African cocoa sector." However, Ghana has been delayed in monitoring up to 50 percent of its cocoa farms to certify that cocoa is not produced by unfair child labor practices.

And the Ivory Coast, which is torn by war, is also having problems trying to monitor cocoa farms, which are often only one to four acres. Even where farmers are only using their own children on the farm they are too poor to send their children to school, BBC news reported Friday. "No one is obliged to send a child to school," cocoa farmer Eugene Djedje told BBC news. "If you don't have money you don't go."

And farmers aren't the only ones who often can't afford to send their own children to school. Often parents send their children to work on cocoa farms because they can't afford to feed them at home. Mme Acquah told BBC, "The issue at the heart of this is poverty."

Hershey and Barry Callebaut join forcesBy Catherine Boal, CEE-foodindustry.com, France




27/04/2007 - Chocolate giants, Hershey and Barry Callebaut, have teamed up for a landmark partnership which will see the Swiss cocoa producer providing the raw material for Hershey's chocolate products and expanding facilities in South America. The alliance will further consolidate the fiercely competitive global chocolate market and boost growth at both businesses. It is expected to be completed by the end of May.

Under the terms of the agreement, Hershey and Barry Callebaut will not just be entering into a supply deal but actively teaming up on research and development into health and wellness trends, ingredients-based research, market innovation and promoting a sustainable supply chain.

In terms of production, Barry Callebaut has signed up to provide Hershey with at least 80,000 tonnes of chocolate and chocolate products each year. In addition, the Swiss company will lease some of Hershey's facilities in the US and transfer chocolate-making machinery into Hershey-owned plants.

The increased US activity is set to boost Barry Callebaut's production capacity by 130,000 tonnes per annum. Total investment into the project will cost the cocoa processor CHF 65 million (€39.5m). In a statement released yesterday, Barry Callebaut chief executive Patrick De Maeseneire said: "The transaction will transform our business in the Americas by doubling our production capacities of chocolate in the region. On a group level, it will increase our volumes by 10 per cent over three years. "We will be able to significantly strengthen our factory network, bringing us closer to our customers and making us more competitive in North America."Hershey, which has been advancing into more trend-driven niches such as premium, dark and ethically-sourced chocolate, is set to benefit from Barry Callebaut's reputation as a responsible producer as well as its experience in the manufacture of luxury chocolate items.

Hershey chief executive Richard H Lenny said: "This partnership provides Hershey with immediate access to broad expertise in premium chocolate and builds on our strong research and development capabilities. We will work together on research involving unique cocoa flavours and formats to enable superior new product innovation.

"Barry Callebaut and Hershey will also work together on corporate social responsibility efforts, with an emphasis on bringing about sustainable, positive change benefiting cocoa farmers and their families." The two companies are backing industry moves for a certification system in West Africa to monitor how cocoa is grown and ensure labour standards are met.

Chocoholics in a tizzy over proposed cocoa standardsThe Washington PostFriday April 27, 2007Rarely do documents making their way through federal agencies cause chocolate lovers to totally melt down. Then came Appendix C. Accompanying a 35-page petition signed by a diverse set of culinary groups -- juice producers, meat canners and the chocolate lobby -- the appendix charts proposed changes to food standard definitions set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including this one: "use a vegetable fat in place of another vegetable fat named in the standard (e.g., cacao fat).''

Chocolate lovers read that as a direct assault on their palates. That's because the current FDA standard for chocolate says it must contain cacao fat -- a.k.a. cocoa butter -- and this proposal would make it possible to call something chocolate even if it had vegetable oil instead of that defining ingredient. Whoppers malted milk balls, for instance, do not have cocoa butter.

Chocolate purists, of which there are apparently many, have undertaken a grassroots letter-writing campaign to the FDA to inform the agency that such a change to the standards is just not OK with them. More than 225 comments to the petition have been processed so far by the agency, and chocolate bloggers are pressing for more. In the annals of bureaucratic Washington battles, this is a sweet one. "If this puts a smile on people's faces even though it's a serious matter, that's what chocolate is meant to do,'' said California chocolate maker and traditionalist Gary Guittard, whose Web site, DontMessWithOurChocolate.com, has led the counterassault.

Other proposals in the petition -- e.g., to market cartoon character-shaped pasta as macaroni -- have not caused as much heartburn. That's because chocolate isn't just food. It symbolizes passion, and for its lovers, it borders on religion. They buy chocolate based on cacao content -- some desire 70 percent, others will go higher. The most demanding examine labels to make sure it is from one region, not a blend, focusing on production methods much




the same way that coffee lovers home in on where beans are grown. Even mass chocolate producers are trying to tap into this spirit. There's now a Limited Edition Dark Snickers bar.

The industry has also been touting chocolate's health benefits -- it contains flavonoids, which may benefit the heart and arteries; cocoa butter doesn't raise cholesterol levels; and chocolate doesn't contain trans fats. Mars has even launched a division called Mars Nutrition for Health & Well-Being, which markets chocolate products with explicit health claims.

Guittard, whose family has been making chocolate since 1868, said some big chocolate manufacturers favor the proposed change in regulations because they want to keep prices down on key ingredients by using less expensive vegetable fat, which can contain trans fats, instead of cocoa butter. That scares him. Cybele May, a playwright, whale-watching enthusiast and Web editor in California, has been encouraging people to write the FDA with posts on her blog at candyblog.net. "Suddenly, we are worried that the chocolate bar isn't the same anymore and we don't know why,'' May said.

If the change is approved, products would still need to contain chocolate liquor, the ground-up center of the cocoa bean. But a confection such as PayDay Chocolatey Avalanche -- which doesn't contain cocoa butter -- would be able to call itself PayDay Chocolate Avalanche. It seems like a small distinction, but to people like Guittard and May, it is not.

An FDA spokeswoman said if -- stressing, if -- the agency decides to consider changing the standards as requested in the petition, the process would take several years. For their part, chocolate makers aren't saying much. Kirk Saville, a Hershey's spokesman, said it was "premature to speculate on any changes before the process is complete.'' He was more expansive in speaking to the Harrisburg Patriot-News, in the company's back yard, saying, "There are high-quality oils available which are equal to or better than cocoa butter in taste, nutrition, texture and function, and are preferred by consumers.''

Officials from the Chocolate Manufacturers Association (CMA) declined an interview request. In a statement, the association said now is an appropriate time to update standards of identity for all foods and added, "We want to emphasize that by co-signing the food industry petition, CMA has not endorsed any particular changes to the standards of identity for chocolate products.''

From the department of cooler heads comes Nick Malgieri, the director of the baking program at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York. "I think a lot of people don't realize that this would be optional,'' Malgieri said. "No one is going to force a high-class chocolate maker to add vegetable fat to chocolate.'' Asked if fine chocolate would just melt away, he said, "Absolutely not.''




TIT BITS (Source: Business Recorder – www.brecord.com)

New York cocoa fallsNEW YORK (April 26, 2007): US cocoa futures fell to a lower close for the second straight day on Tuesday, slipping further away from a recent near-four-year peak on light volume and as system funds liquidated long positions, traders said. "The market's just dragging lower.

New York cocoa rises modestlyNEW YORK (April 27, 2007): US cocoa futures closed a shade higher in quiet trade on Wednesday, but held well below the recent near-four-year high, while July-December position rolling represented a significant amount of the volume, traders said.

New York cocoa hits six-week lowNEW YORK (April 28, 2007): US cocoa futures closed lower on Thursday, after hitting a 6-week low, in a volatile session of speculative dealing, traders said. "The arrival numbers (in Ivory Coast) were better than expected, which can happen consistently, and I think that sort of took some of the edge off the market," Judy Ganes-Chase of J Ganes Consulting said.

New York cocoa ends mixedNEW YORK (April 29, 2007): US cocoa futures finished mixed on Friday, after trading in a tight band at the lower end of the previous day's range on two-sided local dealings amid continued fund and speculative long liquidation, traders said.




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