Chocolate

Chocolateis a food made from roasted and groundcocoa beansthat can be a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as aflavoringin other foods. The cacao tree has been used as a source of food for at least 5,300 years, starting with theMayo-Chinchipeculture in what is present-day Ecuador. Later,Mesoamericancivilizations consumed cacao beverages, of which one, chocolate, was introduced to Europe in the 16th century.
The seeds of the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao) have an intense bitter taste and must be fermented to develop the flavor. Afterfermentation, the seeds are dried, cleaned, and roasted. The shell is removed to produce nibs, which are then ground tococoa mass, unadulterated chocolate in rough form. Once the cocoa mass is liquefied by heating, it is calledchocolate liquor. The liquor may also be cooled and processed into its two components:cocoa solidsandcocoa butter.Baking chocolate, also called bitter chocolate, contains cocoa solids and cocoa butter in varying proportions without anyadded sugar. Powdered baking cocoa, which contains more fiber than cocoa butter, can be processed withalkalito produceDutch cocoa. Much of the chocolate consumed today is in the form of sweet chocolate, a combination of cocoa solids, cocoa butter, and added vegetable oils and sugar.Milk chocolateis sweet chocolate that additionally containsmilk powder.White chocolatecontains cocoa butter, sugar, and milk, but no cocoa solids.
Chocolate is one of the most popular food types and flavors in the world, and many foodstuffs involving chocolate exist, particularlydesserts, includingcakes,pudding,mousse,brownies, andchocolate chip cookies. Manycandiesare filled with or coated with sweetened chocolate.Chocolate bars, either made of solid chocolate or other ingredients coated in chocolate, are eaten as snacks. Gifts of chocolate molded into different shapes (such as eggs, hearts, and coins) are traditional on certain Western holidays, including Christmas,Easter, Valentine's Day, andHanukkah. Chocolate is also used in cold and hot beverages, such aschocolate milkandhot chocolate, and in some alcoholic drinks, such ascrème de cacao.
Although cocoa originated in the Americas, West African countries, particularlyIvory CoastandGhana, are the leading producers of cocoa in the 21st century, accounting for some 60% of the world cocoa supply. A 2020 report estimated that more than 1.5 millionchildren are involved in the farming of cocoain Ivory Coast and Ghana.Child slavery and trafficking associated with the cocoa trade remain major concerns. A 2018 report argued that international attempts to improve conditions for children were doomed to failure because of persistent poverty, the absence of schools, increasing world cocoa demand, moreintensive farmingof cocoa, and continued exploitation of child labor.
Cocoa is a variant of cacao, likely arising from a confusion with the wordcoco.Through cacao, it is ultimately derived fromkakaw(a), but whether that word originates inNahuatlor aMixe-Zoqueanlanguage is the subject of substantial linguistic debate.Chocolate is a Spanish loanword, first recorded in English in 1604,and first recorded in Spanish in 1579.The word for chocolate drink in early Nahuatl texts iscacahuatlmeaning "cacao water", which chocolate does not immediately derive from.
Despite theories that chocolate is derived fromxocoatlmeaning "bitter drink" orchocolatlmeaning "hot water"and uncertainty around the Nahuatl origin, there is a consensus that it likely derives fromchicolatl.Whetherchicolatlmeans "cacao beater", however, is contested, due to difficulty knowing what chico means.
The term "chocolatier", for a chocolate confection maker, is recorded from 1859.
Evidence for the domestication of thecacao treeexists as early as 5300BPinSouth America, in present-day southeastEcuadorby theMayo-Chinchipeculture, before it was introduced toMesoamerica.It is unknown when chocolate was first consumed as opposed to other cacao-based drinks, and there is evidence theOlmecs, the earliest known major Mesoamerican civilization, fermented the sweet pulp surrounding the cacao beans into analcoholic beverage.Chocolate was extremely important to several Mesoamerican societies,and cacao was considered a gift from the gods by theMayansand theAztecs.Thecocoa beanwas used as acurrencyacross civilizations and was used in ceremonies, as a tribute to leaders and gods and as a medicine.Chocolate in Mesoamerica was a bitter drink, flavored with additives such asvanilla,earflowerandchili, and was capped with a dark brown foam created by pouring the liquid from a height between containers.
While SpanishconquistadorHernán Cortésmay have been the first European to encounter chocolate when he observed it in the court ofMoctezuma IIin 1520,it proved to be an acquired taste,and it took until 1585 for the first official recording of a shipment of cocoa beans to Europe.Chocolate was believed to be anaphrodisiacand medicine, and spread across Europe in the 17th century, sweetened, served warm and flavored with familiar spices.It was initially primarily consumed by the elite, with expensive cocoa supplied by colonial plantations in the Americas.In the 18th century, it was considered southern European,aristocraticandCatholicand was still produced in a similar way to the way it had been produced by the Aztecs.
Starting in the 18th century, chocolate production was improved. In the 19th century, engine-poweredmillingwas developed,and in 1828,Coenraad Johannes van Houtenreceived a patent for a process makingDutch cocoa. This removed cocoa butter fromchocolate liquor(the product of milling), and permitted large scale production of chocolate.Other developments in the 19th century, including themelanger(a mixing machine), modernmilk chocolate, theconchingprocess to make chocolate smoother and change the flavor meant a worker in 1890 could produce fifty times more chocolate with the same labor than they could before theIndustrial Revolution, and chocolate became a food to be eaten rather than drunk.As production moved from the Americas to Asia and Africa, mass markets in Western nations for chocolate opened up.
In the early 20th century, British chocolate producers includingCadburyandFry'sfaced controversy over the labor conditions in the Portuguese cacao industry in Africa. A 1908 report by a Cadbury agent described conditions as "de facto slavery."While conditions somewhat improved with a boycott by chocolate makers,slave labor among African cacao growers again gained public attention in the early 21st century.During the 20th century, chocolate production further developed, with development of thetempering techniqueto improve the snap and gloss of chocolate and the addition oflecithinto improve texture and consistency.Whiteandcouverture chocolatewere developed in the 20th century and thebean-to-bartrade model began.
Several types of chocolate can be distinguished. Pure, unsweetened chocolate, often called "baking chocolate", contains primarilycocoa solidsand cocoa butter in varying proportions. Much of the chocolate consumed today is in the form of sweet chocolate, which combines chocolate withsugar.
The traditional types of chocolate aredark,milkandwhite. All of them containcocoa butter, which is the ingredient defining the physical properties of chocolate (consistency and melting temperature). Plain (or dark) chocolate, as it name suggests, is a form of chocolate that is similar to purecocoa liquor, although is usually made with a slightly higher proportion of cocoa butter.It is simply defined by its cocoa percentage. In milk chocolate, the non-fat cocoa solids are partly or mostly replaced bymilk solids.In white chocolate, they are all replaced by milk solids, hence its ivory color.
Other forms of eating chocolate exist, these includeraw chocolate(made with unroasted beans) andruby chocolate. An additional popular form of eating chocolate,gianduja, is made by incorporatingnut paste(typically hazelnut) to the chocolate paste.
Other types of chocolate are used in baking and confectionery. These includebaking chocolate(often unsweetened),couverture chocolate(used for coating),compound chocolate(a lower-cost alternative) andmodeling chocolate. Modeling chocolate is a chocolate paste made by melting chocolate and combining it withcorn syrup,glucose syrup, orgolden syrup.
Chocolate is made from cocoa beans, the dried and fermented seeds of the cacao tree (Theobroma cacao), a small, 4–8 m tall (15–26 ft tall)evergreentree native to the deep tropical region of the Americas.
Recent genetic studies suggest the most commongenotypeof the plant originated in theAmazon basinand was gradually transported by humans throughout South and Central America. Early forms of another genotype have also been found in what is now Venezuela. The scientific name,Theobroma, means "food of the gods".The fruit, called a cocoa pod, is ovoid, 15–30 cm (6–12 in) long and 8–10 cm (3–4 in) wide, ripening yellow to orange, and weighing about 500 g (1.1 lb) when ripe.
Cacao trees are small, understory trees that need rich, well-drained soils. They naturally grow within 20° of either side of the equator because they need about 2000 mm of rainfall a year, and temperatures in the range of 21 to 32 °C (70 to 90 °F). Cacao trees cannot tolerate a temperature lower than 15 °C (59 °F).
The sequencing in 2010 of the genome of the cacao tree may allow yields to be improved.Due to concerns aboutglobal warmingeffects on lowland climate in the narrow band of latitudes where cocoa is grown (20 degrees north and south of theequator), the commercial companyMars, Incorporatedand theUniversity of California, Berkeley, are conducting genomic research in 2017–18 to improve the survivability of cacao plants in hot climates.
The three main varieties of cocoa beans used in chocolate arecriollo, forastero, and trinitario.
Cocoa pods are harvested by cutting them from the tree using amachete, or by knocking them off the tree using a stick. It is important to harvest the pods when they are fully ripe, because if the pod is unripe, the beans will have a low cocoa butter content, or low sugar content, reducing the ultimate flavor.
The beans (which aresterilewithin their pods) and their surrounding pulp are removed from the pods and placed in piles or bins to ferment.Micro-organisms, present  naturally in the environment, ferment thepectin-containing material.Yeastsproduceethanol,lactic acid bacteriaproducelactic acid, andacetic acid bacteriaproduceacetic acid. In some cocoa-producing regions an association betweenfilamentous fungiand bacteria (called "cocobiota") acts to producemetabolitesbeneficial to human health when consumed.The fermentation process, which takes up to seven days, also produces several flavor precursors, that eventually provide the chocolate taste.
After fermentation, the beans must be dried to prevent mold growth. Climate and weather permitting, this is done by spreading the beans out in the sun from five to seven days.In some growing regions (for example,Tobago), the dried beans are then polished for sale by "dancing the cocoa": spreading the beans onto a floor, adding oil or water, and shuffling the beans against each other using bare feet.
In an alternative process known as moist incubation, the beans are dried without fermentation. The nibs are then removed and hydrated in an acidic solution. They are heated for 72 hours and dried again.Gas chromatography/mass spectrometryshowed that the incubated chocolate had higher levels of Streckeraldehydes, and lower levels ofpyrazines.
The dried beans are then transported to a chocolate manufacturing facility. The beans are cleaned (removing twigs, stones, and other debris),roasted, and graded. Next, the shell of each bean is removed to extract the nib. The nibs are ground and liquefied, resulting in purechocolate liquor.The liquor can be further processed into cocoa solids and cocoa butter.
Producers of high-quality, small-batch chocolate argue that mass production produces bad-quality chocolate.Some mass-produced chocolate contains much less cocoa (as low as 7% in many cases), and fats other than cocoa butter. Vegetable oils andartificialvanilla flavor are often used in cheaper chocolate to mask poorly fermented and/or roasted beans.
The penultimate process is called conching. A conche is a container filled with metal beads, which act as grinders. The refined and blended chocolate mass is kept in a liquid state by frictional heat. Chocolate before conching has an uneven and gritty texture. The conching process produces cocoa and sugar particles smaller than the tongue can detect (typically around 20μm) and reduces rough edges, hence the smooth feel in the mouth. The length of the conching process determines the final smoothness and quality of the chocolate. High-quality chocolate is conched for about 72 hours, and lesser grades about four to six hours. After the process is complete, the chocolate mass is stored in tanks heated to about 45 to 50 °C (113 to 122 °F) until final processing.
After conching, chocolate is tempered. This process aims to create a crystallize a small amount of fat in a particularly stable formation. Around this small amount of crystals, the rest of the fats crystallize, creating a glossy chocolate, with a crisp break.
Chocolate is molded in different shapes for different uses:
Chocolate is very sensitive to temperature and humidity. Ideal storage temperatures are between 15 and 17 °C (59 and 63 °F), with a relative humidity of less than 50%. If refrigerated or frozen without containment, chocolate can absorb enough moisture to cause a whitish discoloration, the result of fat or sugar crystals rising to the surface. Various types of "blooming" effects can occur if chocolate is stored or served improperly.
Chocolate bloomis caused by storage temperature fluctuating or exceeding 24 °C (75 °F), while sugar bloom is caused by temperature below 15 °C (59 °F) or excess humidity. To distinguish between different types of bloom, one can rub the surface of the chocolate lightly, and if the bloom disappears, it is fat bloom. Moving chocolate between temperature extremes, can result in an oily texture. Although visually unappealing, chocolate suffering from bloom is safe for consumption and taste is unaffected.Bloom can be reversed by retempering the chocolate or using it for any use that requires melting the chocolate.
Chocolate is generally stored away from other foods, as it can absorb different aromas. Ideally, chocolates are packed or wrapped, and placed in proper storage with the correct humidity and temperature. Additionally, chocolate is frequently stored in a dark place or protected from light by wrapping paper. The glossy shine, snap, aroma, texture, and taste of the chocolate can show the quality and whether it was stored well.
One hundred grams of milk chocolate supplies 540calories. It is 59%carbohydrates(52% assugarand 3% asdietary fiber), 30% fat and 8%protein(table). Approximately 65% of the fat in milk chocolate issaturated, mainlypalmitic acidandstearic acid, while the predominantunsaturated fatisoleic acid(table).
One hundred grams of milk chocolate is anexcellent source(over 19% of theDaily Value, DV) ofriboflavin,vitamin B12and thedietary mineralsmanganese,phosphorusandzinc. Chocolate is agood source(10–19% DV) ofcalcium,magnesiumandiron.
Chocolate containspolyphenols, especiallyflavan-3-ols(catechins) and smaller amounts of otherflavonoids.It also containsalkaloids, such astheobromine,phenethylamine, andcaffeine,which are under study for their potential effects in the body.
It is unlikely that chocolate consumption in small amounts causeslead poisoning. Some studies have shown that lead may bind to cocoa shells, and contamination may occur during the manufacturing process.One study showed the mean lead level in milk chocolate candy bars was 0.027 μg lead per gram of candy;another study found that some chocolate purchased at U.S.supermarketscontained up to 0.965 μg per gram, close to the international (voluntary) standard limit for lead in cocoa powder or beans, which is 1 μg of lead per gram.In 2006, the U.S. FDA lowered by one-fifth the amount of lead permissible in candy, but compliance is only voluntary.Studies concluded that "children, who are big consumers of chocolates, may be at risk of exceeding the daily limit of lead, [as] one 10 g cube of dark chocolate may contain as much as 20% of the daily lead oral limit. Moreover chocolate may not be the only source of lead in their nutrition"and "chocolate might be a significant source ofcadmiumand lead ingestion, particularly for children."According to a 2005 study, the averageleadconcentration of cocoa beans is ≤ 0.5 ng/g, which is one of the lowest reported values for a natural food.However, during cultivation and production, chocolate may absorb lead from the environment (such as in atmospheric emissions of now unused leaded gasoline).
TheEuropean Food Safety Authorityrecommended a tolerable weekly intake for cadmium of 2.5microgramsper kg of body weight for Europeans, indicating that consuming chocolate products caused exposure of about 4% among all foods eaten.Maximum levels for baby foods and chocolate/cocoa products were established under Commission Regulation (EU) No 488/2014.1986 California Proposition 65requires a warning label on chocolate products having more than 4.1 mg of cadmium per daily serving of a single product.
One tablespoonful (5 grams) of dry unsweetenedcocoa powderhas 12.1 mg of caffeineand a 25-g single serving of dark chocolate has 22.4 mg of caffeine.Although a single 7 oz. (200 ml) serving of coffee may contain 80–175 mg,studies have shown psychoactive effects in caffeine doses as low as 9 mg, and a dose as low as 12.5 mg was shown to have effects on cognitive performance.
Chocolate may be a factor forheartburnin some people because one of its constituents, theobromine, may affect theesophageal sphinctermuscle in a way that permits stomach acids to enter theesophagus.Theobromine poisoningis an overdosage reaction to the bitter alkaloid, which happens more frequently indomestic animalsthan humans. However, daily intake of 50–100 g cocoa (0.8–1.5 g theobromine) by humans has been associated with sweating, trembling, and severe headache.
Chocolate and cocoa contain moderate to high amounts ofoxalate,which may increase the risk ofkidney stones.
In sufficient amounts, the theobromine found in chocolate istoxicto animals such as cats, dogs, horses, parrots, and small rodents because they are unable tometabolizethe chemical effectively.If animals are fed chocolate, the theobromine may remain in the circulation for up to 20 hours, possibly causingepileptic seizures,heart attacks,internal bleeding, and eventually death. Medical treatment performed by aveterinarianinvolves inducingvomitingwithin two hours of ingestion and administration ofbenzodiazepinesorbarbituratesfor seizures,antiarrhythmicsforheart arrhythmias, andfluid diuresis.
A typical 20-kilogram (44 lb) dog will normally experience great intestinal distress after eating less than 240 grams (8.5 oz) of dark chocolate, but will not necessarily experiencebradycardiaortachycardiaunless it eats at least a half a kilogram (1.1 lb) of milk chocolate. Dark chocolate has 2 to 5 times more theobromine and thus is more dangerous to dogs. According to theMerck Veterinary Manual, approximately 1.3 grams of baker's chocolate per kilogram of a dog's body weight (0.02 oz/lb) is sufficient to cause symptoms of toxicity. For example, a typical 25-gram (0.88 oz) baker's chocolate bar would be enough to bring about symptoms in a 20-kilogram (44 lb) dog.  In the 20th century, there were reports thatmulchmade from cocoa bean shells is dangerous to dogs and livestock.
Commonly consumed chocolate is high infatandsugar, which are associated with an increased risk forobesitywhen chocolate is consumed in excess.
Overall evidence is insufficient to determine the relationship between chocolate consumption andacne.Various studies point not to chocolate, but to the highglycemicnature of certain foods, like sugar, corn syrup, and other simple carbohydrates, as potential causes of acne,along with other possible dietary factors.
Food, including chocolate, is not typically viewed asaddictive.Some people, however, may want or crave chocolate,leading to a self-described term,chocoholic.
By somepopular myths, chocolate is considered to be amood enhancer, such as by increasingsex driveor stimulatingcognition, but there is little scientific evidence that such effects are consistent among all chocolate consumers.If mood improvement from eating chocolate occurs, there is not enough research to indicate whether it results from the favorable flavor or from thestimulanteffects of its constituents, such as caffeine, theobromine, or their parent molecule,methylxanthine.A 2019 review reported that chocolate consumption does not improvedepressive mood.
Reviews support a short-term effect of lowering blood pressure by consuming cocoa products, but there is no evidence of long-term cardiovascular health benefit.Chocolate and cocoa are under preliminary research to determine if consumption affects the risk of certaincardiovascular diseasesor enhancescognitive abilities.While daily consumption of cocoa flavanols (minimum dose of 200 mg) appears to benefitplateletand vascular function,there is no good evidence to indicate an effect onheart attacksorstrokes.Research has also shown that consuming dark chocolate does not substantially affectblood pressure.
Some manufacturers provide the percentage of chocolate in a finished chocolate confection as a label quoting percentage of "cocoa" or "cacao". This refers to the combined percentage of both cocoa solids and cocoa butter in the bar, not just the percentage of cocoa solids.The BelgianAMBAOcertification mark indicates that no non-cocoa vegetable fats have been used in making the chocolate.A long-standing dispute between Britain on the one hand and Belgium and France over British use of vegetable fats in chocolate ended in 2000 with the adoption of new standards which permitted the use of up to five percent vegetable fats in clearly labelled products.This British style of chocolate has sometimes been pejoratively referred to as "vegelate".
Chocolates that areorganicorfair trade certifiedcarry labels accordingly.
In 2007, the Chocolate Manufacturers Association in the United States, whose members includeHershey,Nestlé, andArcher Daniels Midland,lobbiedtheFood and Drug Administration(FDA) to change the legal definition of chocolate to let them substitutepartially hydrogenated vegetable oilsfor cocoa butter, in addition to using artificial sweeteners and milk substitutes.Currently, the FDA does not allow a product to be referred to as "chocolate" if the product contains any of these ingredients.
In the United States, some large chocolate manufacturers lobbied the federal government to permit confections containing cheaperhydrogenated vegetable oilin place of cocoa butter to be sold as "chocolate". In June 2007, in response to consumer concern about the proposal, the FDA reiterated "Cacao fat, as one of the signature characteristics of the product, will remain a principal component of standardized chocolate."
In the EU a product can be sold as chocolate if it contains up to 5% vegetable oil, and must be labeled as "family milk chocolate" rather than "milk chocolate" if it contains 20% milk.
According to Canadian Food and Drug Regulations, a "chocolate product" is a food product that is sourced from at least one "cocoa product" and contains at least one of the following: "chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, dark chocolate, sweet chocolate, milk chocolate, or white chocolate". A "cocoa product" is defined as a food product that is sourced from cocoa beans and contains "cocoa nibs, cocoa liquor, cocoa mass, unsweetened chocolate, bitter chocolate, chocolate liquor, cocoa, low-fat cocoa, cocoa powder, or low-fat cocoa powder".
Chocolate, prevalent throughout the world, is a steadily growing,US$50 billion-a-year worldwide business as of 2009.As of 2006, Europe accounted for 45% of the world's chocolate revenue,and the US spent $20 billion in 2013.Big Chocolateis a grouping of major international chocolate companies in Europe and the US. In 2004, Mars and Hershey's alone accounted for two-thirds of US production.
As of 2007, roughly two-thirds of the world's cocoa was produced in West Africa, with 43% sourced from Ivory Coast,which commonly used child labor.That year some 50 million people around the world depended on cocoa as a source of livelihood.As of 2007in the UK, most chocolatiers purchase their chocolate from them, to melt, mold and package to their own design.As of 2012, theIvory Coastis the largest producer of cocoa in the world.
The two main jobs associated with creating chocolate candy are chocolate makers and chocolatiers. Chocolate makers use harvested cocoa beans and other ingredients to producecouverture chocolate(covering). Chocolatiers use the finished couverture to make chocolate candies (bars,truffles, etc.).
Production costs can be decreased by reducing cocoa solids content or by substituting cocoa butter with another fat. Cocoa growers object to allowing the resulting food to be called "chocolate", due to the risk of lower demand for their crops.
Chocolate manufacturers produce a range of products from chocolate bars tofudge. Large manufacturers of chocolate products includeCadbury(the world's largest confectionery manufacturer),Ferrero,Guylian,The Hershey Company,Lindt & Sprüngli,Mars, Incorporated,Milka,NeuhausandSuchard.
Guylian is best known for its chocolate sea shells; Cadbury for itsDairy MilkandCreme Egg. The Hershey Company, the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America, produces theHershey BarandHershey's Kisses.Mars Incorporated, a large privately owned U.S. corporation, producesMars Bar,Milky Way,M&M's,Twix, andSnickers.Lindtis known for itstruffle ballsand gold foil-wrapped Easter bunnies.
Food conglomeratesNestléSA andKraft Foodsboth have chocolate brands. Nestlé acquiredRowntree'sin 1988 and now markets chocolates under their brand, includingSmarties(a chocolate candy) andKit Kat(a chocolate bar); Kraft Foods through its 1990 acquisition of Jacobs Suchard, now owns Milka and Suchard. In February 2010, Kraft also acquired British-based Cadbury;Fry's, Trebor Basset and thefair tradebrandGreen & Black'salso belongs to the group.
The widespread use of children in cocoa production is controversial, not only for the concerns aboutchild laborand exploitation, but also because according to a 2002 estimate, up to 12,000 of the 200,000 children then working in theIvory Coastcocoa industrymay have been victims oftraffickingorslavery.Most attention on this subject has focused onWest Africa, which collectively supplies 69 percent of the world's cocoa,and the Ivory Coast in particular, which supplies 35 percent of the world's cocoa.Thirty percent of children under age 15 insub-Saharan Africaare child laborers, mostly in agricultural activities including cocoa farming.Major chocolate producers, such asNestlé, buy cocoa atcommodities exchangeswhere Ivorian cocoa is mixed with other cocoa.
As of 2017, approximately 2.1 million children in Ghana and Ivory Coast were involved in farming cocoa, carrying heavy loads, clearing forests, and being exposed to pesticides.According to the former secretary-general of the Alliance of Cocoa Producing Countries: "I think child labor cannot be just the responsibility of industry to solve. I think it's the proverbial all-hands-on-deck: government, civil society, the private sector. And there, you need leadership."Reported in 2018, a 3-yearpilot program– conducted by Nestlé with 26,000 farmers mostly located in Ivory Coast – observed a 51% decrease in the number of children doing hazardous jobs in cocoa farming.TheUS Department of Laborformed the Child Labor Cocoa Coordinating Group as a public-private partnership with the governments of Ghana and Ivory Coast to address child labor practices in the cocoa industry.The International Cocoa Initiative involving major cocoa manufacturers established the Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System intended to monitor thousands of farms in Ghana and Ivory Coast for child labor conditions,but the program reached less than 20% of the child laborers.Despite these efforts, goals to reduce child labor in West Africa by 70% before 2020 are frustrated by persistent poverty, absence of schools, expansion of cocoa farmland, and increased demand for cocoa.
In April 2018, the Cocoa Barometer report stated: "Not a single company or government is anywhere near reaching the sector-wide objective of the elimination of child labor, and not even near their commitments of a 70% reduction of child labor by 2020". They cited persistent poverty, the absence of schools, increasing world cocoa demand, moreintensive farmingof cocoa, and continued exploitation of child labor.
In the 2000s, some chocolate producers began to engage infair tradeinitiatives, to address concerns about the marginalization of cocoa laborers in developing countries. Traditionally, Africa and other developing countries received low prices for their exported commodities such as cocoa, which caused poverty to abound. Fairtrade seeks to establish a system of direct trade from developing countries to counteract this system.One solution for fair labor practices is for farmers to become part of anAgricultural cooperative. Cooperatives pay farmers a fair price for their cocoa so farmers have enough money for food, clothes, and school fees.One of the main tenets of fair trade is that farmers receive a fair price, but this does not mean that the larger amount of money paid for fair trade cocoa goes directly to the farmers. The effectiveness of fair trade has been questioned. In a 2014 article,The Economiststated that workers on fair trade farms have a lower standard of living than on similar farms outside the fair trade systembased on a study of tea and coffee farmers in Uganda and Ethiopia.
Chocolate is sold in chocolate bars, which come indark chocolate,milk chocolateandwhite chocolatevarieties. Some bars that are mostly chocolate have other ingredients blended into the chocolate, such as nuts, raisins, or crisped rice. Chocolate is used as an ingredient in a huge variety of bars, which typically contain various confectionary ingredients (e.g.,nougat,wafers,caramel,nuts, etc.) which are coated in chocolate.
Chocolate is used as a flavoring product in manydesserts, such aschocolate cakes,chocolate brownies,chocolate mousseandchocolate chip cookies. Numerous types ofcandyandsnackscontain chocolate, either as a filling (e.g.,M&M's) or as a coating (e.g.,chocolate-coated raisinsorchocolate-coated peanuts).
Some non-alcoholic beverages contain chocolate, such aschocolate milk,hot chocolate, chocolatemilkshakesandtejate. Some alcoholic liqueurs are flavored with chocolate, such aschocolate liqueurandcrème de cacao. Chocolate is a popular flavor ofice creamandpudding, andchocolate sauceis a commonly added as a topping on ice creamsundaes. Thecaffè mochais anespressobeverage containing chocolate.
Chocolate is perceived to be different things at different times, including a sweet treat, a luxury product, a consumer good and a mood enhancer.Its reputation as a mood enhancer is driven in part by marketing.Chocolate is a popular metaphor for the black racial category,and has connotations of transgression and sexuality.It is gendered as feminineand in the US there is a cultural practice of women consuming chocolate in secret; alone and with other women.Among children, chocolate is used as a euphemism for feces.Chocolate is popularly understood to have "exotic" origins,In China, chocolate is considered "heaty", and avoided in hot weather.
Chocolate is associated with festivals such asEaster, when molded chocolate rabbits and eggs are traditionally given in Christian communities, andHanukkah, when chocolate coins are given in Jewish communities. Chocolateheartsand chocolate in heart-shaped boxes are popular onValentine's Dayand are often presented along with flowers and agreeting card. In 1868,Cadburycreated a decorated box of chocolates in the shape of a heart for Valentine's Day.Boxes of filled chocolates quickly became associated with the holiday.Chocolate is an acceptable gift on other holidays and on occasions such as birthdays.
Many confectioners make holiday-specific chocolate candies. ChocolateEaster eggsor rabbits andSanta Clausfigures are two examples. Such confections can be solid, hollow, or filled with sweets or fondant.
Chocolate has been the center of several successful book and film adaptations.
In 1964,Roald Dahlpublished a children's novel titledCharlie and the Chocolate Factory. The novel centers on a poor boy named Charlie Bucket who takes a tour through the greatest chocolate factory in the world, owned by the eccentricWilly Wonka.Two film adaptations of the novel were produced:Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory(1971) andCharlie and the Chocolate Factory(2005). A third adaptation, an origin prequel film titledWonka, was released in 2023.
Chocolat, a 1999 novel byJoanne Harris, was adapted for film inChocolatwhich was released a year later.