URGENT – TAKE ACTION BY THIS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25:

Keep Chocolate a True Food!

Is chocolate a vegetable? Is a cocoa bean the same as a soybean?

We don’t think so. But the food industry seems to think that chocolate lovers won’t object if the chocolates that they buy are made with vegetable oils (like soy oil) and milk by-products instead of real cocoa butter and real milk.

Under current FDA rules, any product sold as “chocolate” must be made with cocoa butter and (for milk chocolate) whole milk powder. If producers substitute inferior ingredients, such as vegetable oil in place of some cocoa butter, the product cannot be labeled “chocolate.” Instead, it must be sold as “chocolate-flavored” or with some other prominent, qualifying statement to alert consumers that the product is not true chocolate.

But now, a group of food industry associations, led by the Grocery Manufacturers Association/Food Products Association (GMA/FPA) has petitioned the FDA to change this rule, and to allow manufacturers to falsely label products as “chocolate” even if they use non-chocolate oils or milk by-products in their products.

FDA is considering this change even though it can serve only one purpose: to promote profits for makers of cheap, inferior fake-chocolate products. If this change is adopted, producers of real chocolates will face an enormous and unfair disadvantage, since their true chocolate will cost more to produce but will be sold alongside the now-undetectable fakes. Of course, consumers will also suffer, since finding true chocolate will become difficult and they will often be misled into buying the foul, pasty-tasting, imitation product.

Take Action Today! Stand up for True Food and truth in chocolate! FDA has a public comment period on the industry request until this Wednesday April 25 - send your letter to FDA today!

Sample Letter for Campaign

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I am writing to oppose the proposed and pending changes to chocolate (Docket # 2007P-0085), submitted by the Grocery Manufacturers Association/Food Products Association (GMA/FPA) and other organizations. I understand that as part of this petition, the groups have petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve a change in the Standard of Identity for chocolate products to allow for the use vegetable fats in chocolate and milk substitutes and to be permitted to call the product chocolate, without adequate labeling to inform consumers of these ingredients that have long been banned in true chocolate.

Consumers know by the current standard that chocolate is made with cocoa butter, and milk chocolate with real milk. If food companies are allowed to change the long-held definition of "chocolate," consumers will be misled by products made with corn, soybean, or other oils masquerading as chocolate.

The only reason for the food industry's desired change to the definition of chocolate is that the use of vegetable oils and milk by-products in place of cocoa butter and real milk would mean more profits for industry. Honorable chocolate makers who refuse to include these adulterants in their true chocolate products will face a huge and unfair disadvantage in the marketplace, as they will suddenly be competing with cheaper fake-chocolate products that will appear to consumers to be the real thing.

I strongly oppose these changes, and urge FDA to deny the food industry petition.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
April 23, 2007