abcnews.go.com — Changes to the formulations of several candy bars has chocolate lovers buzzing, and not in a good way. Cocoa butter is fat derived from cocoa beans. Like other commodities, cocoa prices have skyrocketed in recent years. In 2006, one metric ton of African cocoa butter cost less than $4,000. Today, it costs more than $8,100.
Sep 3, 2008 View in Crawl 4
altotusSep 4, 2008
I don't think that "chocolate lovers" care. Chocolate lovers aren't apt to consider Hershey anything more than the poor-man's chocolate. Now that it's chocolate-flavored candy instead of low-end chocolate, I'm not sure that it'll make a difference. Now, if the higher low-end like Lindt starts to go out of the real chocolate business, then they'll start to worry. I doubt the mid-to-high end chocolatiers are apt to ever change. You'll see Valrhona close its doors before they ever put corn oil in their chocolate, for example.
revaradiaSep 4, 2008
I don't care for Hershey's never did. Now Godiva and (thinking) what the heck is that chocolate from San Francisco??? Anybody know? (confused look) anywho THAT one isn't half bad but Hershey's is way too hard and waxy.
swaxhogSep 4, 2008
I used to really like Crispy Crunch (which is a Cadbury brand) but now it has this awful metallic taste. I wasn't like that years ago, and I suspect it's due to some artificial additive to make it cheaper.
mchoffaSep 4, 2008
i lived on ramen, crackers, fudge rounds and peanut butter on a spoon in college... and I weighed the least I ever weighed in my high school or adult life... it must be healthy!
citiraeSep 4, 2008
May I suggest Sharfen Berger chocolate: <a class="user" href="http://www.scharffenberger.com/.">http://www.scharffenberger.com/.</a> The woman leading the factory tour, "ingredient choice is important, if you mix enough sugar and oil with the soles of my leather shoe it'll taste ok..."
fantasticjonSep 4, 2008
That reminds me of another one big industry has put over on the American consumer. Did you know that most bars of "soap" in the grocery store soap section are not soap at all. They cannot call them soap, so they call them "bath bars" or "beauty bars" . They are actually bars of detergent or other synthetic mixes. Not as bad as the chocolate thing, because a detergent bar works as well as a soap bar for most people, but its still misleading.
bshockSep 4, 2008
I'm amazed that it's taken so long for people to notice this. The admission that cocoa butter was being replaced by cheaper oils was made within the last year or two. I strongly suspect, however, that the practice has been going on to some degree for over a decade. Perhaps I'm just getting older and losing my sense of taste, but I remember a very different flavor to the chocolate candies of the pre-90s.
davidlowSep 5, 2008
They'd better not substitute the cocoa butter in my ramen with some cheapo oil. Back off, man!
scottd2608Mar 14, 2010
It is sad to think they would do that just to make a little more money.