Chocolate

How high demand for chocolate is wiping out Africa’s rainforests

by

– How high demand for chocolate is wiping out Africa’s rainforests:

It would take some serious searching to find someone who does not love chocolate. Who can resist a chocolate bar after a long and stressful day? Or what about some delicious chocolate ice-cream in the sweltering summer heat? Chocolate milkshake anyone? The list goes on and on, and it is true to say that the whole of the developed world is crazy about chocolate. Interestingly, statistics show that in developing countries, one of the first things people start demanding is chocolate, with increases in sales often leaping by 25 percent at a time. All things considered, chocolate seems like a delicious, affordable, innocent indulgence. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth.

The Guardian recently reported that the world’s demand for chocolate has continued to boom at the expense of West Africa’s rainforest, in particular the Ivory Coast, which got its name from the elephants that once freely roamed the area. Protected parks and forests are being denuded at an alarming rate, endangering the chimpanzees and remaining elephants who live there, all in the name of cocoa production.

The Guardian reports:

Read moreHow high demand for chocolate is wiping out Africa’s rainforests

Ebola Is Threatening Much Of The World’s Chocolate Supply

by

– Ebola Fears Sends Price Volatility Surging In… Chocolate (ZeroHedge, Oct 14, 2014):

The world’s candy-makers are worried. As Politico reports, Ivory Coast, the world’s largest producer of cacao, the raw ingredient in all your favorite candy, has shut down its borders with Liberia and Guinea, putting a major crimp on the workforce needed to pick the beans that end up in chocolate bars. While Ivory Coast (which produces around a third of the world’s total cacao beans) has yet to see a single case of Ebola yet, the price of Cocoa futures has become extremely volatile in recent weeks breaking notably higher than its normal range between $2000 and $2700 pere ton. Simply put – and not wanting to spread panic and fear – Ebola is threatening much of the world’s chocolate supply.

…

Malaysian Muslims Declare Jihad On Cadbury Over Pork-Laced Chocolate

by

H/t reader squodgy:

“Greedy insiders at Cadbury exposed their Company & its heritage to a hostile bid by GM loving food giant KRAFT, who promised jobs would be saved and the historical heritage would be saved.
Now, all production has been shifted to China and Poland, the chocolate has lost its quality, is being proactively boycotted by many previous customers, but global corporations don’t give a toss.

This time they went too far for the fruit and nutcases.”

Cadbury

– Malaysian Muslims declare jihad on Cadbury over pork-laced chocolate (RT, May 28, 2014):

Enraged Muslims in Malaysia have called for a holy war or Jihad to be waged on Cadbury after traces of pig DNA were picked up in their chocolates. As a result of the complaint, the company has pulled two of its products from Malaysian shop shelves.

A group of more than 20 Muslim organizations have condemned UK confectionary company Cadbury, saying “it has crossed the line.”

“They have betrayed us Muslims by putting ‘haram’ elements through the foods we consume in our body, to weaken us Muslims,” said Abu Bakar Yahya, chief of Muslim group, Perkasa Selangor, to press at a conference on Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur quoted by Malaymailonline.

Some of the Muslim organizations even called for a Jihad to be declared against Cadbury for its “betrayal.”

Read moreMalaysian Muslims Declare Jihad On Cadbury Over Pork-Laced Chocolate

The 8 Most Nutrient Dense Foods on Earth

by

– The 8 Most Nutrient Dense Foods on Earth (Waking Times, Nov 14, 2012):

We all know which foods we do best to avoid (right?). Despite the alluring appeal of Oreos, Mountain Dew or McAnything, processed foods provide little nutrition and a whole lot of risks. But when it comes to the good stuff—what are the best foods to put into our bodies? While experts all agree we need a variety of foods for a healthy diet, do you know which are the healthiest of the bunch? The answers may surprise and delight you.

1. Spirulina: While the thought of eating lake algae might gross you out, spirulina is actually pretty tasty, especially blended into a smoothie or hidden in a chocolate bar. It has more antioxidants than any other food on earth and is loaded with protein and minerals making it the most nutrient dense food.

Read moreThe 8 Most Nutrient Dense Foods on Earth

Health Basics: How Do You Live To Be 110?

by

In case you want to get really old:

– Li Ching-Yun lived 197 years (Inquiry Put Age At 256) (New York Times May 6, 1933)

– Health Basics: How do you live to be 110? (Natural News, Jan. 17, 2012):

Tell someone you’re over 100 years old, and they might assume the worst right away, guessing that you have a dozen medication bottles next to the bed and that your health is quickly deteriorating. How could it be that a man who’s going on 111 and taking no medication, who simply eats fresh vegetables, olive oil, honey, cinnamon, garlic and chocolate, can bounce around his kitchen like he’s half his age?

When Bernando LaPallo of Mesa, Arizona tells his secrets of longevity and vitality, your jaw drops to the ground, wondering how he avoided all of the “ABCD’s” of those “senior years” – you know, Alzheimer’s, brittle bones, cancer and/or diabetes. Could it be that Western Medicine has it all wrong, and all we ever needed were raw veggies, super-foods, raw nuts and berries, and some barley soup? Maybe Medicare and Medicaid should broker a deal with the makers of power juicers and call it “Universal Healthcare.”

This August, 2012, Bernando LaPallo will turn 111 years of age, and he still has no problem walking at least a mile daily and receiving phone calls from people all around the world who want to hear how he’s done it, and how to make their own lives better. This author and role model keeps it so simple, you don’t need a recipe book or health guide to live to be 110 or better.

Here’s the (fountain of youth) breakdown and just a few of the raw food “natural medicines” you can turn into your own daily regimen, so your mind, body, and spirit can thrive well into triple digits:

Read moreHealth Basics: How Do You Live To Be 110?

Scientists working to create genetically modified chocolate – to make you healthy (Sure!)

by

From Mars.com:

Cocoa Sustainability

Certifying Our Commitment to Sustainability

For nearly 30 years Mars has been diligently pursuing a cocoa sustainability strategy. The company’s goal is to secure responsible cocoa production and the future supply of the crop. Our aim is for cocoa to thrive in harmony with the environment and to the benefit of the communities involved throughout the cocoa supply chain.

Sure!

Scientists working to create genetically modified chocolate – to make you healthy


FORGET penicillin, space travel and the silicon chip. Science is on the verge of its greatest discovery – chocolate that’s good for you.

DNA experts are working with sweet giants Mars to create genetically modified chocolate that fights heart disease and diabetes and won’t make you fat.

They’ve already been at it for two years. And they claim that in another five, they could unlock the secret of how to make chocolate healthy.

See also:  70% of World’s Raw Chocolate Soon To Be Genetically Modified

The scientists say the secret lies in the genetic code of the cocoa bean.

The beans contain chemicals called flavonols which lower blood pressure and help keep the heart healthy.

And the scientists believe they can change the DNA of the cocoa tree so it produces beans with far higher levels of flavonols.

Read moreScientists working to create genetically modified chocolate – to make you healthy (Sure!)

70% of World’s Raw Chocolate Soon To Be Genetically Modified

by

Cocoa Consuming Countries

Source: UNCTAD based on the data from International Cocoa Organization, quaterly bulletin of cocoa statistics

With the intention of flooding 70% of the global cocoa supply with genetically modified (GMO) cocoa tree hybrids, a collaboration involving Mars, USDA and IBM is accelerating this process.

With primary funding from US chocolate producer Mars, the partnership includes scientists based at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the US Department of Agriculture and Science as well as researchers working at IBM’s Thomas J Watson Research Center.

The scientists are determined to finalize gene sequencing of the cocoa genome which they say will “benefit” the chocolate industry and cocoa growers in West Africa where 70 percent of the world’s cocoa is produced, and in other tropical zones.

According to the global head of plant science and research at the confectionery firm, Howard-Yana Shapiro, the sequence is of great importance.

“As plant breeders, we’re always looking after the golden traits: pest and disease resistant, drought tolerance, the ability to adapt to climate change, tree architecture, yield quality, etc,” said Dr Shapiro.

The researchers including ARS based molecular biologist David Kuhn and geneticist Raymond Schnell said that they released the findings of sequencing into the public domain in order to assist scientists to begin applying the findings immediately.

The results have been published on the Cacao Genome Database website.

Read more70% of World’s Raw Chocolate Soon To Be Genetically Modified