changing the rules on how to eat chocolate

changing the rules on how to eat chocolate

Let's put aside for the moment the confusion on industry definitions of various chocolate manufacturing terms (compound, flake, etc.)

The first issue here is erosion in flavor and sensory quality. Chocolate with vegetable oil won't taste as good or have the aromatics or other sensory qualities that chocolate made with cocoa butter has.

The second issue is profit for domestic chocolate manufacturers. Ironically, changing the regulation doesn’t make sense from a financial standpoint either.

The CMA and FDA seem to underestimate the American people when it comes to the single foodstuff that is liked more than any other in this country. Chocolate is a revered, craved, worshipped product, and Americans are willing to pay for a quality, sensual food experience, especially when it comes to “indulgence” items. Ben & Jerry's and Haagen-Dazs ice cream brands became popular because of their flavor and emphasis on quality ingredients.

So the proposed regulation is completely inconsistent with these purchasing behavior patterns and the current prevailing wisdom of the American people -- that raw ingredients, quality and flavor are important.

That desire for quality and flavor has already caused an explosion in sales of imported chocolate in the last five years.

Domestic chocolate is already perceived as inferior to the import brands. Any further loss of flavor resulting from the substitution of an inferior ingredient runs the risk of completely turning off American consumers to domestic chocolate and sending more of them straight to the import brands.

In an odd twist, approving the vegetable oil regulation for chocolate could actually erode, not build, the domestic chocolate market.

Which means this regulation change is the exact opposite of the direction in which the industry should be headed to satisfy American consumers and to keep domestic chocolate sales up.

If anything, the CMA and FDA should make domestic chocolate manufacturing standards more stringent and quality-oriented, so as not to lose even more sales to the import market.

I urge you to use the easy online comment form at the FDA and share your thoughts
or copy any of mine above.