Issue 7 Volume 1 September 1999
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Belgian Chocolate Scare Update
Many chocolate lovers are concerned that they cannot safely order chocolates
from Belgium due to the dioxin issue affecting that country. Here is a
statement from Barry Callebaut, a primary supplier of the chocolate that
many Belgium chocolate-makers use---
"We are happy to confirm you the following:
Based on the analyses we initiated ourselves on all Belgian raw materials from dairy origin and that have been used for the manufacturing of all our Chocolates including Compounds and Fillings in the period of January 15, 1999 until June 4th, 1999, in our Belgian sites of Wieze and Drongen, we herewith declare that none of the obtained results exceed the legal norm on dioxins in foodstuffs. (max 310 µg total PCB/kg of milk fat as mentioned in the Dutch Regulation concerning PCB's. - GZB/VVB - 99394 of 8 February 1999)
Since June 4th, we do not use anymore any Belgian milk ingredient as a preventive action and we will continue to do so until the situation has been completely cleared by the respective authorities.
The speed with which test results were obtained, was due to the fact that we have full traceability of all ingredients used and have retain samples available of all our raw materials and finished products and already in the early stage decided to start these analysis. All results were obtained from EU- accredited laboratories.
Based on these elements, we declare that all our products are out of any suspicion and are fit for human consumption."
Did you ever wonder how they get that tiny little M on the M&M? No candy
manufacturer had ever attempted to mark such a delicate product in this
way, but Mars engineers developed a highly precise method to give the
candies their unique look and ensure they could not be counterfeited.
Picture thousands of newly candy-coated chocolates spilling onto a
conveyer equipped with tiny indentations, each the perfect cradle for a
single M&M. As the conveyor shakes, the rainbow of naked candy shells
settles in for a ride toward the printing press.
The printer's top roller is covered with the raised typeface of tiny
M's, which are coated with edible white dye. But this roller doesn't
print the M on the candy; it would crush the fragile shell. Instead it
transfers the print of the M onto a second roller with a smooth surface.
That roller passes over the centers of the speeding candies below and
transfers still-wet imprint onto the shells with just the right amount
of force- not so much it crushes the candy, but enough that the M comes
off, legs intact.
At the M&M/Mars factory in Hackettstown, New Jersey, it all happens at
the rate of 2000,000 M&M's a minute, or 100 million M&M's every eight
hours. And 99 times out of 100, this remarkable proprietary equipment
hits its target perfectly.
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Tarragon Scented Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate Cake Recipe by Pastry Chef Michael Gabriel, Aureole Restaurant Yield: 2 loaf sized cakes Ingredients: 8 oz butter 2 1/2 cups sugar 5 eggs 2 cups all purpose flour 1 cup cocoa 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 cup buttermilk 1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup finely chopped Hawaiian Vintage Royal Pahoa Chocolate 1 Tbsp finely chopped tarragon leaves In a large bowl, cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add buttermilk and vanilla extract. In separate bowl sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. On low speed, add dry ingredients slowly to the wet ingredients. Fold in the chopped Hawaiian Vintage Royal Pahoa Chocolate and tarragon leaves. Pour batter into individual buttered and greased small loaf pans. Do not fill pans more than 3/4 full. Bake at 300 degrees until cake tests done. Recipe provided courtesy of Hawaiian Vintage Chocolate More Chocolatiers Offer Discounts Use our Chocolate Locator to find the chocolate you've been craving.
These chocolatiers have recently offered some great discounts on chocolate to our Chocoholic Club members. Get the details from our Chocolate Locator:
Chocolate-Spotted Clothing Nope, we have NEVER dripped chocolate on our clothes, or wiped our chocolaty hands anywhere near fabric. But in case you don't believe that, here are some ways to remove chocolate stains. Chocolate puddings, drinks, and ice cream are the easiest to clean, since they contain the least amount of actual chocolate: use a commercial spot remover, or just add water. Then wash with regular detergent or dry cleaning fluid. To remove dark chocolate stains, add corn starch and take off as much as you can with a spatula. Then apply an oil solvent (available in most commercial spot removers) and let the fabric dry. Next, wet the stain with water and apply a laundry pre-soak (something containing pepsin or other enzyme). Use gloves or a spatula to remove the resulting paste, then wash the fabric with water. If that doesn't work, try washing first, then adding bit of ammonia, followed by a few drops of vinegar, then wash again. Repeat if necessary. BACK TO TOP Website Updates |
(Taken from "The Emperors of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of
Hershey and Mars" available through our 