Chocolate Affairs Magazine https://chocolateaffairsmagazine.com Chocolate Affairs Magazine Mon, 11 Mar 2024 05:39:15 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 Milkboy Swiss Chocolates: White Chocolate with Bourbon Vanilla and Respberries https://chocolateaffairsmagazine.com/milkboy-swiss-chocolates-white-chocolate-with-bourbon-vanilla-and-respberries/ https://chocolateaffairsmagazine.com/milkboy-swiss-chocolates-white-chocolate-with-bourbon-vanilla-and-respberries/#respond Sat, 02 Mar 2024 04:31:54 +0000 https://chocolateaffairsmagazine.com/?p=6984 Milkboy Swiss Chocolates will showcase its newest White Chocolate with Bourbon Vanilla and Raspberries bar at Natural Products Expo West from March 13-15 at the Anaheim Convention Center. From their Swiss Chalet-themed booth #N247 in the North Hall, Milkboy will also preview other upcoming seasonal chocolate flavors.The new White Chocolate bar joins a product line that includes other flavors like Finest Alpine Milk, Alpine Milk with Roasted Almonds, Alpine Milk with Crunchy Caramel and Sea Salt, White Chocolate with Bourbon Vanilla, Extra Dark 85% Cocoa, Finest 72% Dark Chocolate with Fresh Roasted Coffee, and Finest 72% Dark Chocolate with Crispy Mint. All bars have a suggested retail price of $4.99.

“After seeing the incredible feedback for our original white chocolate bar, we were inspired to make the new White Chocolate with Bourbon Vanilla and Raspberries bar. It pairs bourbon vanilla with all-natural cocoa butter and raspberries for a decadent taste experience,” said Milkboy founder Emanuel Schmerling. “We use 100% all-natural Madagascan vanilla, Swiss Alpine milk and sustainably-sourced cocoa beans to produce this exceptional bar and we invite everyone to stop by our booth for a taste.”

Milkboy Swiss Chocolates are sold at many specialty food retailers, including Whole Foods Market and Sprouts Farmers Market locations. Milkboy Chocolates are also available online at https://milkboy.com/ and on Amazon.

About Milkboy Swiss Chocolates

Milkboy Swiss Chocolates is on a mission to source the finest quality, natural and sustainable ingredients in order to create extraordinary chocolate and practice traditional Swiss chocolate manufacturing without compromise or shortcuts. Chocolates are produced in Switzerland from milk sourced from the Swiss Alpine region. Milkboy Swiss Chocolates is a 5-time sofi Award winner for Best Chocolates, including a 2021 sofi Gold Award for the Best Milk Chocolate, and 5-time Great Taste Award winner. The chocolates are gluten-free, non-GMO, soy-free and certified Kosher. Milkboy chocolate uses only Rainforest Alliance-certified cocoa in its chocolate products and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper for its packaging. For more information, please visit https://milkboy.com/. Follow Milkboy on Instagram or Facebook @milkboychocolate

]]>
https://chocolateaffairsmagazine.com/milkboy-swiss-chocolates-white-chocolate-with-bourbon-vanilla-and-respberries/feed/ 0
CHOCOLATE AFFAIRS MAGAZINE LAUNCHES INTERNATIONAL WEBSITE https://chocolateaffairsmagazine.com/chocolate-affairs-magazine-launches-international-website/ Thu, 04 Oct 2018 04:50:06 +0000 http://chocolateaffairsmagazine.com/?p=5095 Chocoholics rejoice! Finally, after several years of development and countless product introductions and turnovers, the new CHOCOLATE AFFAIRS MAGAZINE is officially launched and unleashed on the world of chocolate – powered by chocolate lovers – like you!

This long awaited site is a central international hub designed to bring together every chocolate discipline available into one active and entertaining website. The chocolate industry is growing and changing rapidly and we are here to help you stay on top of developments and issues.

The content generated culminates from many years of meeting and forging relationships with chocolate manufacturers, artisans, associations and yes other magazines, writers, bloggers, shop owners, event producers, pastry chefs and a variety of chocolate professionals. This is a TRADE and CONSUMER site – telling both sides of the stories – from the inside out.

Over the years we have not only visited many trade shows and met with active participants from all over the world. We have been active as publishers and chocolate event producers for more than a decade. With this in mind, we have a good idea as to what the consumer is looking for and how we can help the industry at large in disseminating valuable information.

As you will note, there is a lot going on at CHOCOLATE AFFAIRS Magazine. More features will be added as we grow. Readers and users of this site are welcome to provide videos, chef profiles, press releases, photos, recipes and of course new product. We are about EVERYTHING CHOCOLATE!

If you have a chocolate shop, a show or special event ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD you would like us to list, you can provide us with the information by contacting us online. We would be happy to list it. Please allow 4 weeks.

We welcome you to this site and invite you to share it with your friends and associates. It’s just a taste of what other deliciousness is coming your way.

]]>
Salon du Chocolat https://chocolateaffairsmagazine.com/salon-du-chocolat/ Sat, 29 Sep 2018 05:20:57 +0000 http://chocolateaffairsmagazine.com/?p=5060

NATURE OFFERS SOMETHING TO SUIT ALL TASTES
Wednesday, October 31 – Sunday, November 4
Porte de Versailles, Hall 4, Paris, France

Attention chocolate lovers! Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the amazing world of cocoa at France’s 24thInternational Chocolate Expo.

The five-day trend-setting festive and educational trade show, for bothindustry professionals and consumers,once again celebrates the wealth and diversity of chocolate products.

Join the 500 participants from 60 countries, including 230 exhibitors from five continents, at this huge, must-attend delectable event.

Meet the master chocolatiers and star pastry-makers who will share their passion, experience, recipes, and production secrets.

Treat your eyes to awe-inspiring chocolate and pastry creations.Indulge your palate with a gourmet feast born of nature.

EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS

 

Photo courtesy of Salon du Chocolat

The Chocolate Fashion Show

A very entertaining daily event that features “chocolatey celebrities”.

The Pastry Show

Celebrity chefs reveal their creations and attendees get to taste them.

The Junior Salon du Chocolat

Thisdesignatedfun area for children from the age of 3 allows them to experience and learn about chocolate.

The Chocosphère
Attendees participate in public discussions on a wide range of chocolate-based themes.

 

Photo courtesy of Salon du Chocolat

L’Atelier des Papilles by Rosières
Cooking demonstrations led by top chefs produce remarkable and unexpected results.

The Workshops
These are open to all attendees with the Atelier des Sens.

The Cacao Shows
Sponsored by producer countries, the shows this year explore chocolate in all its flavours.

 


Photo courtesy of Salon du Chocolat

The World Chocolate Masters Championship Final
Futropolis,” this year’s competition theme, challenges finalists to imagine the direction of chocolate gastronomy between now and 2025

2018 Relais Desserts Charles Proust Final
Showcases the work of young pastry chefs from around the world.

Trophée de la PâtisserieFrançaise
Professionals and amateurs defend their “Religieuse”-themed pastry creations before a jury of experts and the public.

 

You can find the complete Salon du Chocolat programme at:

www.salon-du-chocolat.com

www.facebook.com/salonduchocolat

www.instagram/salonduchocolat

Twitter: @salonchocolat

ATTENTION

A limited number of tickets are being sold to generous chocolate lovers who want to attend the Salon’s exciting Opening Evening on Tuesday, October 30th, while simultaneously doing a good deed! Proceeds from these ticket sales will be going to the Association MécénatChirurgieCardiaque to make it possible for a sick child to receive a new heart.

]]>
CHOCOLATE HISTORY + FACTS https://chocolateaffairsmagazine.com/chocolate-history-facts/ Fri, 28 Sep 2018 11:57:31 +0000 http://chocolateaffairsmagazine.com/?p=5036 While cocoa can now be enjoyed in an endless array of products around the world, this delicacy has history that’s equally rich and compelling.

Origins in the New World

The Latin name for cocoa—Theobroma—literally means, “food of the gods.” This valuable crop played an important role in many ancient South American cultures.

In its earliest forms, the Mayans used cocoa to create a ritual beverage that was shared during betrothal and marriage ceremonies, providing one of the first known links between chocolate and romance.

For nearly 100 years after the Spaniards were introduced to chocolate, the coveted drink of New World inhabitants, they kept the secret of its production to themselves. In the same years as Shakespeare wrote his final plays, the missionary and theologian José de Acosta wrote about cocoa from Lima, Peru, saying, “It is so much esteemed among the Indians that it is one of the richest and the greatest traffics of New Spain.”

Chocolate Goes Mainstream

After a century, Spain lost its monopoly on the European chocolate market. By the mid-1600s, the drink made from the little brown beans had gained widespread popularity in France. It was praised as a delicious, health-giving food enjoyed by the wealthy. One enterprising Frenchman opened the first hot chocolate shop in London and by the 1700s, these “chocolate houses” were a common sight in England.

By the 18th century, every country, from England to Austria, was producing confections from the fruit of the cocoa tree. During this period, the introduction of the steam engine mechanized cocoa bean grinding, reducing production costs and making chocolate affordable to all.

Chocolate Today

From German chocolate cake to Swiss cocoa, today, people around the world enjoy chocolate in thousands of different forms, consuming more than 3 million tons of cocoa beans annually. Throughout its evolution, one thing has remained constant—chocolate has never lacked an avid following of people who love the “food of the gods.”

 

CHOCOLATE FACTS

 

The cocoa value chain faces a number of challenges in growing and selling this delicate crop.

Low Productivity

Farmers often have limited knowledge of modern farming techniques and farm management skills as well as limited access to finance that would allow the purchase of input supplies and quality planting material. Other challenges that impede productivity include aging trees that are past their peak cocoa pod production, decline in soil fertility and pests and disease that attack cocoa trees.

Marketing Challenges

The percentage of the world price that farmers receive varies significantly across regions. This is due to a number of factors, including, regulatory environment, access to market information, the use of individual sales versus leveraging the power of group buying, understanding of cocoa quality requirements; and transportation costs.

Pests & Disease

In all three major growing regions, an estimated 30-40% of the crop is lost to pests and disease.

Environmental Concerns

Soil fertility levels degrade over time. Improving productivity through composting and application of fertilizer rejuvenates cocoa lands. Promoting agroforestry techniques, to sustain a diversity of shade trees, food crops, cocoa and other cash crops, encourages productive, healthy, and sustainable farms for cocoa-growing communities.

Access to Education

In some areas, a lack of quality basic education is a critical issue, affecting everything from farmer labor practices and business decisions to youth migrating to urban areas and hindering the future growth of cocoa farming. Functional literacy, agricultural livelihoods training, youth leadership, and teacher training programs that improve access to a quality and relevant education are essential to sustain cocoa-growing communities in the long-term.

 

DID YOU KNOW?

 

  • The shelf life for most chocolate is one year.
  • 65% of all Americans choose milk prefer milk chocolate over the other types of chocolate.
  • Chocolate contains high quality antioxidants that can protect you from developing cancer and heart disease.
  • Aztecs Indians believed chocolate to be an aphrodisiac.
  • Europe was introduced to chocolate when Christopher Columbus brought back cocoa beans from the Caribbean Islands from his 1502 voyage.
  • There is an average of 230 calories in a 1.5 to 1.6 chocolate bar – more than half of the calories come from fat.
  • 63% of Americans can’t resist buying themselves a chocolate treat when they are buying chocolate for someone else.
  • Eating chocolate began in 1674 when the first chocolate cake was baked.
  • An average of 60% of Americans give boxed chocolates as a winter holiday gift.
  • Over 13 billion dollars was spend on chocolate last year.
  • The melting point of chocolate is just below 98.6 degrees F, which is why chocolate melts so nicely in your mouth.
  • It takes about 400 cacao beans to create 1 pound of chocolate.
  • Several studies conducted over the past three decades have failed to find a link between chocolate and acne.
  • British people are second only to Swiss when it comes to eating chocolate.
  • 40% of the women regularly crave chocolate while 15% of the men crave chocolate.
  • The Hershey Chocolate Factory was founded in Pennsylvania in 1871.
  • There is 7 milligrams of caffeine in 1 ounce of milk chocolate – about the same as in a cup of decaffinated coffee.
  • America produces more chocolate than any other country.
  • 3.3 billion pounds of chocolate is eaten in the US each year.
  • In the US, 25% of all peanuts, and 40% of all almonds are used in chocolate making.
  • Chocolate is a natural antidepressant. It contains tryptophan which helps you create serotonin, your body’s own antidepressant. Also phenylethylamine, found in chocolate has been shown to release serotonin and endorphins two chemicals known to make us feel happy.
  • The largest chocolate bar ever made, according to Guinness World Book of Records was made in March of 2000 by Elah-Dufour United Food Companies in Turin, Italy.
  • According to research conducted in 2010 eating chocolate is more stimulating to the heart and to the head than kissing.
]]>
Reducing Child Labor is a Shared Responsibility https://chocolateaffairsmagazine.com/reducing-child-labor-is-a-shared-responsibility/ Fri, 28 Sep 2018 11:26:05 +0000 http://chocolateaffairsmagazine.com/?p=5032

Statement from the World Cocoa Foundation about the 2013/14 Survey Research on Child Labor 

in West African Cocoa-Growing Areas Report

In response to the 2013/2014 Survey Research on Child Labor in West African Cocoa- Growing Areas Report, the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) issued the following statement, which underscores that reducing child labor is a shared responsibility:

The World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) is deeply concerned that the collective efforts undertaken thus far by the cocoa and chocolateindustry, the United States government, the governments of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, and others, have not been sufficient to achieve significant reductions in the number of children working in unacceptable conditions in West Africa, often in circumstances defined as child labor. Reducing the number of children participating in child labor is a shared responsibility of industry, governments, NGOs, civil society, communities and families, among others, and remains a top priority for WCF and our member companies.

We know that achieving reductions in child labor will take a sustained collaborative effort by public and private stakeholders, including through collective platforms such as the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI). Child labor is both a symptom of and contributing factor to poverty, and any approach that aims to eliminate child labor must include a focus on alleviating poverty. The 2013/14 Survey Research on Child Labor in West African Cocoa-Growing Areas Report highlights some promising signs of progress and illustrates the challenges that remain. The research was commissioned by the U.S. government and conducted by Tulane University.

WCF believes that several core interventions are needed to dramatically accelerate progress toward achieving reductions in child labor, and the organization and its members are actively advancing programs in each of the following intervention areas:

  •  Improving farmer incomes, especially considering the vast majority of cocoa in West Africa is grown on small, family-owned farms
  •  Involving local communities in the effort, including awareness-raising and training of farmers and communities
  •  Establishing child labor monitoring and remediation systems in the cocoa supply chain
  • Improving labor efficiency and developing a more formalized adult labor market in cocoa-growing
  • communities that are reinforced by strong regulatory and legal systems
  • Expanding access to quality primary education for all children

The Tulane survey data collected during the 2013/14 cocoa harvest seasons are used to identify children’s exposure to child labor and hazardous work, and the estimates provided are representative of agricultural households in cocoa- growing areas of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. According to the recent data collection, and in comparison to the data collection during the 2008/09 harvest season, there was a more than 20 percent reduction in the number of Ivorian children who were exposed to many types of hazardous work, and in Ghana a 14 percent reduction in the number of children exposed to multiple hazards. In Côte d’Ivoire, a smaller percentage of children were found in child labor based on working hours. Most notably, the number of children in child labor in Ghana decreased by nearly 30,000, with a 9 percent decrease in the number of children in hazardous work. Results in both countries were impacted by strong growth in both cocoa production and population.

According to the Tulane survey, substantial gains in education are continuing in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. More children are attending school in both countries – in Ghana, 96 percent of children in cocoa production attended school during the 2013/14 school year. In Côte d’Ivoire, 71 percent of children in cocoa production attended school during the same period of time, a 12 percent increase since the data collection of 2008/09. The governments of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire have implemented several initiatives to address child labor. In Ghana, the government has created the National Steering Committee on Child Labor, District Child Protection Committees coordinated by the Child Labor Unit, and the National Program for the Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labor in Cocoa. The Ivorian government is moving quickly toward making education compulsory for children ages 6 to 16 for the first time, beginning September 2015. First Lady Dominique Ouattara has been a tireless champion for the children of Côte d’Ivoire, including her leadership role on the National Monitoring Committee for Actions to Fight against Trafficking,

Exploitation and Child Labor (CNS). WCF and its members are investing in a variety of formal and informal education initiatives. It is widely accepted that when access to education increases, there are reductions in child labor.

In addition to substantial obligations made by the Ivorian and Ghanaian governments, the cocoa and chocolate industry is investing more than $500 million in cocoa sustainability. Industry is determined to accelerate its collective efforts to achieve reductions in child labor in a number of ways. CocoaAction was established in May 2014 by WCF and the world’s leading chocolate and cocoa companies, in close consultation with the governments of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, to advance sustainability and improve the livelihoods of cocoa farmers in both countries, with plans to work in 1,200 cocoa-growing communities in the years ahead, reaching more than 300,000 farmers and their families.
CocoaAction, existing WCF programs, other industry-led initiatives, and ICI-led interventions seek to reduce the occurrence of farm-level practices that, in the past, have too frequently involved the use of children. These efforts include:

  •  Programs to support education activities in Côte d’Ivoire that are reaching tens of thousands of children in cocoa-growing areas
  •  Programs to strengthen child protection in cocoa-growing communities, such as those implemented by ICI, whose work in more than 500 communities since 2007 has led to improved access to quality education for more than 50,000 children
  •  Organizing farmer field schools and increasing farmers’ awareness about the risks and dangers of child labor
  •  Training teams of professionals to safely apply agrochemicals to cocoa farms in areas where children have previously been involved in this task
  •  Leading informational child labor awareness sessions, which, in 2014 alone, were attended by more than 12,000 farmers and 35,000 community members
  •  Within farmer field schools, demonstrating best practices regarding pesticide spraying, reaching 24 cooperatives and 11,000 farmers
  •  Training cocoa farmers to open cocoa pods with wooden mallets rather than machetes, a practice that is not only safer for the farmer but improves cocoa quality and yields

Helping to train and certify nearly 400,000 farmers in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, with external studies showing that children of certified farmers attend school 30 percent more than children of farmers who are not certified.

CocoaAction’s strength lies in combining community development and productivity with the intention of raising farm level incomes, an approach that’s an important driver for change in cocoa-growing communities. WCF is confident that continued close collaboration among those who share responsibility in reducing child labor in West Africa, including the governments of cocoa-producing countries and continued involvement by the U.S. Department of Labor as well as Congressional participation, will lead to increased sustainability in the cocoa sector and necessary reductions in child labor.

ABOUT COCOA FARMING IN WEST AFRICA

Cocoa is a way of life and chief source of income for at least 3 million farmers in West Africa. By some estimates, nearly 20 million people in the region depend on the crop by virtue of support provided to them by the farmers who grow cocoa and/or by the involvement with other parts of the cocoa supply chain including trading, transportation, and processing. The vast majority of the crop is grown on small, family-owned farms (of 5 hectares or less), located in isolated and underdeveloped areas of some of the world’s poorest countries. Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana account for approximately 55 percent of global production.

Cocoa is a tree crop, and methods for growing and harvesting remain virtually unchanged since cocoa was introduced to West Africa in the 19th century. For a variety of reasons, including how cocoa tress grow and produce large pods that contain the sought-after beans, there is little mechanization involved in the growing, harvest, and initial post-harvest processing of cocoa. Hiring outside labor to help with harvests is often not an option because of its relative high costs. This means that, as is often the case on small family-owned farms around the world, West African cocoa farmers turn first to family members to assist in a wide range of farm tasks. This approach was likely inherited as a way of life from previous generations of cocoa farmers.

]]>
CARAMEL APPLE CRUSH BAR https://chocolateaffairsmagazine.com/caramel-apple-crush-bar/ Fri, 28 Sep 2018 11:16:13 +0000 http://chocolateaffairsmagazine.com/?p=5027 Tangy green apple flirts with buttery caramel in milk chocolate. (1) 80 g/ 2.8…

]]>
CHOCOLATE WITH STYLE FROM MONTREAL’S CHOCOSTYLE CHOCOLATE WITH STYLE FROM MONTREAL’S CHOCOSTYLE https://chocolateaffairsmagazine.com/chocolate-with-style-from-montreals-chocostyle-chocolate-with-style-from-montreals-chocostyle/ Fri, 28 Sep 2018 11:14:12 +0000 http://chocolateaffairsmagazine.com/?p=5024 From truffles to shoes, there is nothing stopping the genius minds at…

]]>
SCHO-KO-LADE – ONE HIT AFTER ANOTHER! https://chocolateaffairsmagazine.com/scho-ko-lade-one-hit-after-another/ Fri, 28 Sep 2018 11:12:12 +0000 http://chocolateaffairsmagazine.com/?p=5021 Forget your energy drinks. Here’s a delicious alternative. A hit of Scho-ko-lade should set you up for a boost you’re looking for and in a delicious chocolate.

Packaged in a retro looking round tin with a unique clam open design, you can gauge the level of deliciousness and energy you require. Divided in two layers of pie shaped portions with a  total of 16 bittersweet chocolate nuggets made of 50% cocoa.

The unique chocolate recipe of Scho-ko-lade is a blend of natural caffeine from cocoa, coffee and cola nut powder. Six pieces of Scho-ko-lade contain about as much caffeine as an 8 oz. cup of coffee. This product, made in Germany is now available in the U.S. through Pascale’s – The Delray Beach Jam Company in Delray Beach, Florida. – J.Cee

Available from

http://hstrial-pascales.homestead.com

]]>
THE IMAGINE CHOCOLATE EXPERIENCE GOURMET CHOCOLATE THAT ROCKS! https://chocolateaffairsmagazine.com/the-imagine-chocolate-experience-gourmet-chocolate-that-rocks/ Fri, 28 Sep 2018 11:09:53 +0000 http://chocolateaffairsmagazine.com/?p=5018 Before we get to the chocolate, the ultimate and deliciously appointed flavours locked inside each box of Imagine Chocolate, let’s reminisce.

As a record producer (not a chocolatier) myself, I have always believed that you have to get passed the album cover to get to the music inside and once you’ve plut the vinyl on your turntable, you are either hooked… or not.

This new product hails from San Fransisco where chocolate and pop culture live harmoniously.

Imagine Chocolate is a HIT! It’s a pop culture music inspired line of chocolates that are also interactive and entertaining – and that’s before you get to the inside of each bright, colourful package. Supported by iconic images each box in the Imagine Chocolate catalogue salutes the greatest albums in recorded music history complete with liner notes. These inserts are a pop culture history lesson on the artists and songs that inspired the flavours. Each box contains little known facts and trivia takeaways.

As for the chocolate itself, Imagine Chocolate doesn’t get lost in its unique packaging. It is all natural, kosher and made from a propriety blend of cacao from Ghana and Ecuador. You will find four different pieces in each box – also available as box sets of 12 unique 4-piece assortments.

Here’s a select sample of titles currently available:

“Blurred Lines” , “Dark Side of The Moon”, “Love At First Sight”, “Motor City”, “Physchedelic 60’s”, “Rock Classics”, “The White Album”, “Christmas Classics”, “Black-in-Black”, “Girl Power” and more. All contain an assortment of Dark or Milk Chocolate. – J.Cee

Available from

www.ImagineChocolate.net

]]>
ILLEGALLY GOOD CHOCOLATE MOONSHINE https://chocolateaffairsmagazine.com/illegally-good-chocolate-moonshine/ Fri, 28 Sep 2018 11:07:54 +0000 http://chocolateaffairsmagazine.com/?p=5015 This is so good it should be illegal. After you’ve seen and tasted their…

]]>