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Are You Getting Conned By Cheap & Toxic Chocolate?

15 dollars for 8 pieces of chocolate….?! That’s all I could think about on a recent trip to the mall while walking past the famous chocolatier, Godiva. Are you getting conned by this cheap & toxic chocolate company? I mean 15 dollars for 8 pieces of what? What is Godiva doing that make these chocolates so much more expensive than other brands of chocolate? Is it handcrafted? No. Is it made with organic milk and cream? No. What about real pure cane sugar? No. It must have real vanilla? No! (They actually use artificial vanilla made from a wood by-product!) And they obviously do not package their chocolate in a box made of real gold. So what is it?

It is marketing, marketing, marketing and trickery at its best!

Are these ingredients worth it?

Godiva chocolate has been tricking many of us for years into believing that paying a premium for chocolate means you are getting higher quality treats, but this can’t be further from the truth! Take a look at the ingredients in one of their chocolates and you’ll quickly realize what they’re selling are fancy-looking cheap ingredients wrapped up in a pretty gold box. How are they getting away with this? And what about all the other popular chocolate brands, are they selling us junk ingredients too?

Chocolate ingredients to look out for

Let’s be real here – eating chocolate on occasion is absolutely an okay treat – but there’s a lot of consideration that needs to be made when choosing how to get your fix. Unfortunately, our food system’s top priority is the bottom line so we need to pay attention to the ingredient label on every single product we buy. Chocolate can provide a daily dose of much needed antioxidants or it can be a chemistry experiment full of man-made artificial ingredients. I do not like supporting brands that try to trick me into buying questionable ingredients. Voting with your dollars is one of the only ways to voice disgust for the unhealthy chemicals in food, and it can also directly influence change by hitting the bottom line of the food companies that continue to sells us cheap, harmful, and potentially dangerous ingredients.
Just look at the ingredients in popular chocolate candy out there; they are despicable and it’s why I don’t buy these brands any longer, even for an occasional “treat”:

Popular chocolate bar ingredients - 1

Popular chocolate bar ingredients - 2

Hershey’s, Ghiradelli, Russell Stover, Godiva, Nestle and M&M/Mars all use unhealthy and harmful ingredients like:

  • High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) – Princeton University found that HFCs commonly found in candy prompts considerably more weight gain than conventional sugars and is linked to obesity. The latest statistics are startling and show that 42% of us will be obese by 2030 and obesity will be the leading preventable cause of death in America by 2019. We must do everything we can to stop this slippery slope by not consuming chemically refined sugars that make us eat more than we should.
  • Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) – We don’t know for sure how much of these candy brand products are genetically modified since they are currently not required to be labeled in this U.S.A. (Hopefully that will change soon if Prop 37 passes in California!) But we do know that the consumption of GMO foods poses a serious threat to our health and has been linked to toxicity, cancer, allergic reactions and fertility issues. It’s really hard to find a chocolate these days without the ingredient “soy lecithin,” which helps keep chocolate smooth and together. Unfortunately soy is one of the most common crops to be genetically modified. And even the sugar that chocolate contains can be from genetically modified sugar beets! When buying any chocolate (or anything in general), remember to read the label just to make sure all ingredients are listed organic or Non-GMO Project verified to avoid GMO’s.
  • Growth Hormone – Chocolate usually contains dairy, which means that unless it’s organic chocolate, you are likely consuming milk from cows that have been conventionally raised with antibiotics and growth hormones. rBGH is a GMO found in cheap conventional dairy products that many of these chocolate brands use to make their milk chocolate. That means that by simply eating a piece of chocolate you or your family could be ingesting a substance that in excess levels has been reported to cause breast, colon and prostate cancers.
  • Partially Hydrogenated Oils (a.k.a. Trans Fat) – The 4th ingredient in Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Mint is partially hydrogenated soybean oil. This is alarming because trans fat has been shown to be deadly even in small amounts. “Previous trials have linked even a 40-calorie-per-day increase in trans fat intake to a 23% higher risk of heart disease.” 40 calories is a mere 2% of a typical 2000 calorie per day diet – and could easily be the amount of trans fat found in many types of chocolate.
  • Artificial Colors – We’ve discussed artificial food coloring a lot before, but I think it needs a little more air time, considering we are talking about chocolate – a substance that is usually white, brown, or dark brown and doesn’t actually need coloring! I was floored to find coloring in Godiva’s 8 piece gold box and Russell Stover’s pecan clusters. When companies manufacture chocolates using chemical fillers and fake ingredients that don’t have natural colors, they have to add color to trick our senses into making us think we are eating something real. The most widely used dyes are contaminated with known carcinogens, linked to cancer and known to cause hyperactivity in children. Also, watch out for “caramel coloring” that may sound natural but is not. It’s often manufactured by heating ammonia and sulfites under high pressure, which creates carcinogenic compounds that are also linked to cancer.
  • Artificial Flavors – Thousands of secret food chemicals can be hidden under the label “artificial flavors.” Some of these chemicals are actually never reviewed by the FDA because they are used in such a small amount. Food company scientists develop ways to use chemically derived ingredients that turn on and off certain taste buds depending upon the end goal – changing something from bitter to sweet, and so on. Allowing artificial flavors in your diet gives these scientists the ability to mess with your senses and trick you to like, eat, and buy more fake food than you would otherwise.

Luckily for us not all chocolate is designed to trick you or have scary ingredients. There are many choices available that are delicious and actually nutritious!

Organic chocolate bars

  1. Alter Eco Organic Chocolate – This is my absolute favorite organic chocolate right now. I like to choose organic chocolate whenever possible, to lessen my exposure to pesticides. The cocoa bean, from which chocolate is produced, is one of the most heavily sprayed crops in the world. The Dark Quinoa Chocolate bar tastes just like a “Nestle Crunch,” and the Dark Coconut Toffee bar totally satisfies your “Butterfinger” craving.  I have a hard time keeping these bars in the house… my husband and I seem to always fight over the last piece.
  2. UnReal Candy – Although Unreal isn’t certified organic, they make a point to choose sustainably sourced chocolate and use no GMOs, growth hormone or antibiotics in their milk chocolate. They’ve perfectly reinvented classic candy favorites likes M&Ms, Snickers and Reese’s Peanut Butter cups without most of the junk. Now only if they could do this for all the other candies out there like candy corn! They make perfectly sized mini-treats you can find at most drug stores and some Targets, which is why they made my Non-GMO candy list.
  3. Kopali Chocolate Covered Organic Superfoods – Their organic chocolate covered goji berries are addictive and a tasty alternative to “Raisinets.” I love goji berries because they are less sweet and more chewy than raisins and have one of the highest concentrations of antioxidants of any food. Antioxidants are very important because they fight all the free radicals and toxins you can accumulate in your body that cause aging and disease.
  4. Righteously Raw – This may be one of the most health conscious organic chocolates available on the market that actually tastes good! This chocolate is completely raw and made with several types of superfoods. You are getting 100% of the benefits from eating chocolate when it is in its raw state. Righteously Raw just came out with bite size flavors that I feel great about eating everyday with no guilt because there is no refined sugar! The mint is my favorite and reminiscent of “Andes Creme De Menthe” chocolates that are full of artificial food coloring and trans fat.
  5. NibMor Organic Chocolate – I met the founders of this whimsical chocolate company recently at a fundraiser for Prop 37 in NYC. I had honestly never heard of them or tried their chocolate before. Luckily I got a few samples to take home… and let me just tell you, they did not make it home! I ate them all on the airplane and I’ve been buying little boxes of their perfectly sized squares called “daily dose” ever since! The addition of cacao nibs to their chocolates adds a nice crunch and ups the percentage of real cacao you are getting per bite.
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372 responses to “Are You Getting Conned By Cheap & Toxic Chocolate?

      1. Dove is owned by Mars so I would guess they have the same bad ingredients as the rest of their candy line.

    1. Belgian (and Swiss) chocolate is usually very high quality. However, I have seen soy listed as an ingredient in Lindt Swiss chocolate since their prices have come down, so I couldn’t say for sure as I’m not in a position to afford Neuhaus! I suspect that it will *probably* be good stuff, from the look of their site, though.

      Sorry I can’t be more exact, but I hope this helps nonetheless.

      1. Lindt 85% Cocoa Bars have no soy. A top quality treat for eating or cooking

  1. THANK YOU for this. Really fantastic to have such a great summary. And I love the “alternatives” you mention. Fake chocolate doesn’t even taste good and the candy with preservatives give me headaches!

    1. YeAH! SEES! So great, but it probably needs an expose. See’s tastes far superior to any of the brands listed above.

      1. I have a sensitivity to a lot of things. Someone gave me Cee’s candy and I called them to see what is in their candy. I don’t remember all of the ingredients because it was at least two years ago. I just remember it was junk and had high fructose corn syrup. No thanks to Cees!

    2. I used to be a huge See’s candy fan. They are still not the worst out there, but some of their ingredients are not great. They do use corn syrup in their fillings and it may be GMO. They use vanillin instead of real vanilla now and that IS a GMO and synthetic ingredient. Some of the other flavors are synthetic. One plus is the dark chocolate that they use is made by Guittard and is non-GMO. Guittard committed to be non-GMO a long time ago, but I wish they would get non-GMO verified soon. I really loved See’s but now I CAN taste the fakeness.

  2. I was wondering about Green & Black brand….some of theirs is fair trade, and some may have organic ingredients. I don’t have a label on hand to check right now (it’s too expensive for me to eat often.)

    1. Green and Black is owned by Nestle, a company not interested in the well-being of its chocolate producers/workers in the native countries, and supporter of GMO’s.

    2. G&B is owned by Nestle, a company that supports GMO’s and is not interested (enough) in the well being and treatment of the native chocolate producers and workers.

  3. Wondering if buying chocolate that says made in Germany or Switzerland (although distributed here in U.S.) is better because most of Europe doesn’t put all that harmful crap in there?
    Just curious if anyone knows 🙂

    1. Over here in Europe, GMO stuff needs to be clearly labelled. Belgian or Swiss chocolate is the best – they take their chocolate *very* seriously! German chocolate isn’t rated as highly over here. Lindt Exellence (but not their basic bars) are good – the basic range contains soya (same goes for Green and Black’s organic).

      Waitrose is a good site – you can see the ingredients listed:)
      http://www.waitrose.com/shop/DisplayProductFlyout?productId=4735

  4. Theo Chocolates, out of Seattle, has amazing chocolates!! Organic, fair trade and beyond delicious!

    1. I honestly wouldn’t recommend Hershey’s as one to separate peanuts with care from their other chocolates. Yes, they have the money for a separate plant/facility, but do they have one?

      I’d really want you to look into those facts, just for your sake.

      There are many, many companies that produce Organic Chocolate that do take very good care of their production to stay away from (or even not produce any) nut lines.

      One thing that makes me curious…peanuts aren’t really nuts. They’re Legumes, just like Lentils. Why are people allergic to peanuts, and walnuts, but not lentils?

      1. I also find that confusing. Also, I found this interesting…my young cousin is highly allergic to many types of nuts and cannot eat regular peanut butter, however, he can eat peanut butter if the only ingredients are peanuts!

      2. I do not KNOW the answer to this – but, I have a theory. I believe it is the MOLD growing on the peanuts that causes the severe allergic reactions. They are grown in the ground & stored damp – a breeding ground for mold. Just my opinions.

  5. Alter Eco 85% is my favorite chocolate! I eat it daily. A close runner up is Equal Exchange Panama 80%. And when I want something with a little extra flavor I go for Theo 70% with orange. So good!

    1. There’s a new company, I forgot what they’re called but they’re organic, usually located by Green and Black and have a really lovely Coconut blend. With a medium dark body between 65-70% cocoa the crisp coconut flavor spreads lavish waves of tropical joy throughout your entire mouth. Oh, so good it is.

      Newman’s Own is propelling themselves to be a contender in the 50-75% cocoa content range. Their flavor is more subtle and milky at first, with a gentle rise to bring out the bitter notes. Yet, it is so gentle, the bitter notes are more sweet.
      It does leave a little extra to be desired. If you prefer milk chocolate but cannot find one that is mild and still organic, Newman’s Own will provide you with serenity.

      Alter Eco? I will have to try a few blends. By looking at their ingredient list, they really do make a good combination for what I’d like to have in a chocolate bar.

      Crunchy, Crisp, Hearty. Protein, Fatty, Rich -from mild nutty/oats to strong citrus fruits and roots – where does one go wrong with that selection?

  6. What are your thoughts on Young Living’s Einkorn Nuggets or Ecuadorian Dark Chocolessence ?

  7. mm years ago I started buying all the boys Easter candy at a local candy shop. I never did care for the chocolate you put in your month and it just sits there because of the wax. Once I put their home made in my mouth and it started to melt, I never went back to the other stuff. But now I need to look more into. Will be a bummer if I cant get my 100% edible easter basket

  8. What about Taza Chocolate based out of MA? I toured their factory. Good chocolate. Different texture than typically found in America.

  9. Thank you so so sooo much for not leaving us hanging and giving us alternatives! Especially because WHO CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT CHOCOLATE, right?! Thanks so much for sharing!

  10. What about organic milk chocolate, because dark chocolate is too bitter for me to eat. I know that it is good for your heart however I can’t eat it. I looked up to see if Nibmor has any milk chocolate, didn’t see one.

  11. I’m suffering from Adrenal Fatigue and have changed to eat right because of you! I’ve started eating Dove Chocolate and I’m addicted!!! Help! What’s in it that keeps you wanting more??? This is so crazy!!!! I subscribe to you but couldn’t find my answer.
    Please advise. Thank you!

    1. Probably the sugar & HFCS. American candy makers remove most of the cocoa butter from the chocolate & replace it with sugar/HFCS. It is very UNhealthy for you, addicting & fattening. Real chocolate with a high cocoa butter &/or milkfat content is much healthier AND more satisfying – it is richer tasting & dark chocolate is more intense, also.

  12. Theo is a really good bet, organic and fair trade certified. My personal favorite is Rawmio which is hand crafted raw vegan and really yummy!

  13. Any info on Guittard chocolate? I recently switched from Giardelli chic chips to Guittard (for baking) as I noticed Guittard claims to be GMO free – altho they don’t have the official GMO free label….I emailed them to ask for specifics but never heard back!

  14. Vani – I like and dislike you all at the same time. 🙂 Let me explain: I seriously want to know what I’m eating, and I want to eat healthy. I read and learn something amazing from all your posts and articles. But everything you’re teaching me now also means I have to spend more time and effort looking around for healthy food, reading labels, buying things from new stores or online because my regular stores might not carry what’s good for me.

    But, I’m lazy. I just wish I could grab something that says “organic” off my regular store shelves, and actually know that it is organic – but now, thanks to you, I know most of these products are not organic at all (other than perhaps containing some amount of technically organic molecules).

    Thanks to you, I’m learning how to protect myself and the family from food companies who can basically say whatever they want, without any penalty, even if they’re harming their own customers. But it just takes a lot of work. And did I mention I’m really lazy? 🙂

    So, thank you, sincerely, for helping me and my family eat healthier. I’m just not happy you’re forcing me to put in more effort to find meals and snacks we should eat.

    1. Thomas, I laughed while reading your post since I one hundred percent agree with your love-hate sentiment. Being a lazy person myself, I get it. Thanks for sharing.

    2. Thomas, thank you for expressing my exact sentiments about my new found pursuit! I am way too lazy for all this stuff, too!

  15. See’s Candy?
    I LOVE this post! I will think about all of this and it will help me NOT grab the junk!
    Thank you!

  16. Consumer Lab tested various brands of cocoa powder this year and found cadmium and/or lead in most. They are in the process as of of now (October 2014) testing chocolate bars. Stay tuned. There is no labeling of these toxic heavy metals, apparently. Makes one wonder what other toxins are allowed in our food without anyone knowing? Check it out.

  17. As always, THANKS for shedding light on the unhealtful ingredients hiding in our ‘favorite’ foods!! Keep up the good work! : )

  18. I’m sorry to not see Theo chocolate on here. They make organic, fair trade chocolate. And, they are the only factory in the country that take the chocolate from beans to candy. They buy and roast the beans themselves. Seems you can’t beat that! They are, hands-down the best, by a landslide.

  19. I’m new to all this but found this gem Bonao Cacao doing a demo at my local health food store. The chocolate, tea and butter was absolutely amazing. The family has been harvesting cacao beans on their farm in Dominican republic for centuries and is family owned through generations. 100% organic and beyond delicious. It’s what chocolate should taste like. Even made a candy bar for us with cocoa nibs and real cacao beans. It was heaven !

  20. What about Lindt (swiss made) chocolate? Is that bad as well? That is like the tastiest chocolate around!

  21. I’d love for people to check out…Xocai healthy chocolate. The patented proprietary blend of XoVita & the one & only patented “healthy” choc on the market…70% dark Belgium chocolate sweetened with freezed dried blueberries from Nova Scotia & freezed dried acai berries from the Amazon. The chocolate is not heated but undergoes a patented “cold pressed” technology that allows the antioxidants /nutrients of vitamins & minerals/catechins/epicatechins/flavonoids to be retained. Third party certified-Brunswick Labs-for ORAC’s (antioxidants). Delicious to boot!

  22. Whole Foods brand chocolate bars, they contain no soy lecithin. They are the only chocolate I will buy (that I can get locally not online).

  23. I just ate Green and Black organic chocolate with almonds. How does this brand compare? I guess I just assumed it was good quality because it said organic and costs quite a bit more. Does anyone know?

  24. Thank you for this info. I switched my brand coconut water because I found out what I had been drinking had almost no nutritional value because of the way it was processed. I also switched a couple of other foods because of your posts”. Your words have opened my eyes and I’m proud to say I don’t eat any where near the junk and processed food as I used to. Thank you for all you do!

  25. Its chocolate people!! Its not good for you in high quantity, whats next…no broccoli? Its high in cancer rate!! This is all ridiculous, I will eat my chocolate, drink my lattes, and still exercise, and watch my portion control…lets not blame obese, on the food we eat, rather how much you are stuffing your face with the food, and how often…geez..!!

    1. You can choose to leave this site if you wish not to have your superior intellectual mind subjected to the “ridiculous” topic. Your negative vibes are not welcome here. Have a wonderful day drinking your toxic latte.

  26. Green and Black is owned by Nestle and uses soy lecithin in some of their bars. I LOVE Theo Chocolate bars. They are 100% Organic, Fair Trade, and non-GMO certified.

  27. Agree with Tamara that looking at how these chocolate companies treat their workers has as much to do with the quality of the chocolate as its ingredients; I dont think thats a coincidence. If a company cares about its source of cocoa, uses ethics that are above and beyond whats mandated, they probably are also invested in making a product that is free of harmful ingredients.

  28. My absolute favourite is Giddy YoYo bars. They are made of raw organic heirloom cacao and are more of a super food than a candy bar. Flavours include Maca, ginger, vanilla and mint.

  29. how about a report on Fannie Mae, Fanny Farmer and London Candy from Ohio and Chicago? I love the stuff…..especially pixies from fanny Mae!

  30. How about making your own chocolate with organic raw cacoa, coconut oil, almond butter and any other yummy healthy treats you choose to add… there are plenty of recipes out there… make them in small muffin cups and keep them in the freezer for a quick chocolate fix 🙂

  31. Check out Isadelites from Isagenix. Delicious black tea infused milk or dark chocolate. compare the ingredients. Delish

  32. We have a peanut allergy here. Any allergy families know which brands are peanut safe, as in doesn’t contain AND also doesn’t produce the peanut-free chocolate on the same equipment as the chocolate with nuts? Very difficult for us being organic which is already limiting to our options, then adding the allergy in there makes it near impossible. We have 2 children who would love to get to eat some safe chocolate sometimes 🙂

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