Imitation chocolate?
By catdla1
@catdla1 (6005)
United States
October 31, 2008 2:07am CST
I just read a report that some companies are substituting palm (and other) oils for the cocoa butter when making their chocolate. It was bad enough when a lot of companies started using imitation vanilla. Palm oil is really bad for you, I know I'm going to start reading labels carefully. How about you?
2 people like this
8 responses
@bjcyrix (6901)
• Philippines
31 Oct 08
Wha..? Chocolates have imitations?? I have not heard of this one yet. I know that there are those low class chocolates which does the trick of satisfying a craving on a really low budget but at least they are still real chocolates. So you mean to say that there are products which I think Im getting all the richness of chocolate when in fact its just fake??
Hmm, that would really change my perspective on what I buy but that wont hinder my love for chocolates. Best be careful in buying them now, else I might be fooled.
Thanks for this post.
Hmm, that would really change my perspective on what I buy but that wont hinder my love for chocolates. Best be careful in buying them now, else I might be fooled.
Thanks for this post.@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
31 Oct 08
That information was a shock to me too. It makes me angry that companies can do this, without having to add the word 'imitation' to their labels. Here is the link to the story I read:
http://cbs4.com/health/chocolate.hershey.vegetable.2.852310.htm
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (157546)
• United States
3 Nov 08
Thanks for that Heads up Ms. Tickle. I thought it was only one kind of candy coin that was affected. I guess I was mistaken. I am sure there has been more in the news, and I have just not seen it.
1 person likes this
@jwfarrimond (4473)
•
28 Jul 09
Having read this I has to go and check to see if my favorite dark Dove chocolate is one of those using palm oil. Pleased to say that the list says cocoa butter. 
Of course, having the bag in my hand, I just had to have a piece to celebrate this discovery! 
Of course, having the bag in my hand, I just had to have a piece to celebrate this discovery! 1 person likes this
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
28 Jul 09
i must be living in the dark ages. i didnt know this either. nor did i know it was bad for you. i had heard that we shouldnt have palm oil because of them killing arangatangs, or gorrillas or something over the plants/trees. whatever. i cant remember but i did hear we wasnt to be eating it. then that might be why hershey bars dont seem to taste as good as they used to. but i do still love them.
.
@unfathomablesisa (250)
• Philippines
1 Nov 08
me too. well, it can't be helped. companies are running short, since economic crises struck globally. guess we should just be more careful and attentive with what we eat
2 people like this
@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
1 Nov 08
I remember when chocolate makers started swapping to vanillan, instead of vanilla. In the beginning, it was only the cheap ones too. Then they all did it. I never personally noticed the difference, but the vanillan would trigger blood pressure spikes in my mother, so I had to be very careful.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (157546)
• United States
3 Nov 08
I saw this on the news. They are using all kinds of vegetable oils as well. It is a cost cutting measure. Certain ones, however are still really chocolate. Like the Hershey bar. Too many people complained about the flavor and consistency of the substitute.
@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
3 Nov 08
The good chocolate manufacturers are not trying to stop the production of chocolate using various vegetable oils. What they are try to do is to require special labeling for these products, and to have them called something besides real chocolate. I'm all for that. For those of us that want the real thing, it would be easier to identify. And for those that don't care, they can pick whichever one they want, milk chocolate or oily chocolate (solidified chocolate oil?). What I have a real problem with, is companies that are using cost-cutting measures to increase their profit margins without passing that savings on. It's like charging the same price for real vanilla extract, as for the imitation one. Wouldn't we be upset about that?
