Industry Overview and Trends
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Chocolatiers and chocoholics contend chocolate is entering into the same realm as fine wines and cheeses, indulgences connoisseurs treasure for their subtleties. "There's more romance with dark chocolate," said Ken Cotich, vice president of corporate sales for Barry Callebaut, a chocolate-maker. "When you change from milk to dark, it's not about price. It's about the fact that your tastes have changed." Dark chocolate sales jumped 35 percent, to $829 million between February 2007 and February 2008, while all other chocolate sales inched up 1.5 percent, to $5.8 billion, according to Nielsen Co. And because dark chocolate contains a higher concentration of cocoa, the increased demand for it has sent cocoa bean prices surging by 46 percent since October, to $2,787 a ton, according to the Intercontinental Exchange.
But Nielsen data also show that the popularity of dark chocolate could be stalling in the recession, with sales off by 2.2 percent through February 2009. Some even expect American tastes to swing back to milk chocolate. "It's a bubble that's going to burst," predicts Judith Ganes-Chase, a commodities analyst. "You have a combination of recession plus high prices. I just don't see how consumption can't drop sharply."
Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-sun-chocolate-dark-apr05,0,3193159.story
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Having a healthier Halloween is not as difficult as it seems, given the growing number of health-minded treats available today. Sugar-free product releases increased 51% from 2006 to 2007 and new portion-controlled products grew 22% in 2007, according to database and analysis provider Datamonitor. That's due to new sugar alternatives as well as consumer demand for a greater variety of healthier products, says Susan Fusell, spokeswoman for the National Confectioners Association.
Source: http://www.forbes.com/2008/10/06/health-halloween-treats-forbeslife-cx_avd_1006health.html
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Premium chocolate launches have received considerable attention, and the flavor notes of premium chocolate have ranged from basics like dark, milk, caramel, and coffee, to more exotic flavors including honey and chai. Chocolatiers' imaginations can run wild as premium chocolate consumers seem up to just about any challenge: exotic flavors that have come to market include ice wine, goat cheese, and olive oil. Other trends include single origin (chocolate made with cacao exclusively from one region), organic, Fair Trade and sustainable. Chocolate with high cacao content (ranging from about 45% to about 72%) now has the cacao percentage printed on the label so consumers seeking high-cacao chocolate (for health or taste reasons) can easily find products that suit their needs. Since chocolate has become the subject of extensive medical research, it is not surprising that new "functional" chocolate is on store shelves. Products promise to be rich in antioxidants and to help with a number of health issues. Also, in an attempt to make chocolate healthier, an increasing variety of sugar-free premium chocolate is coming to market.
Source: http://www.gourmetretailer.com/gourmetretailer/content_display/trends/category-reports/e3ic1abd1883d21563708799a7a5d0f63c1
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Theo Chocolate, a relative newcomer, has been pushing the bar ever higher. Billing itself as "the first roaster of Fair Trade Certified cocoa beans" and the only roaster of organic cocoa beans in the United States, Theo might sound like "chocolate with a conscience," and I suppose it is. But it's also chocolate with an attitude that ranks with the best chocolates I've ever tasted. Unlike most commercial chocolate, which is made with a blend of beans from various sources, Theo's "Origin Bars" claim a pedigree. Each one is made with cocoa beans from a specific region. And with cocoa contents ranging from 65 to 91 percent, these are definitely not kids' stuff. Theo chocolatiers are also responsible for the avant-garde flavors under the 3400 Phinney label. Named after the street address of the Theo Chocolate factory, these chocolate bars feature whimsical additions like Chai Tea, Coconut Curry and buttered artisan bread crumbs. But our favorite Theo product might be the Chipotle Spice Sipping Chocolate. (Chocolate Box is the only place in Seattle besides Theo's headquarters to carry it.) Once Fran started adding gourmet salt to her chocolate caramels, I guess it was only a matter of time before someone — make that almost everyone — would start adding an array of spices to theirs. Chocolate and spice is hardly a new combination; the Aztecs were blending chocolate and chilies when Spanish explorers first encountered them in the early 1500s. And Italian-inspired local chocolate maker Fiori Chocolatiers makes a "Peperoncino Spicy Drinking Chocolate" with hints of cinnamon, allspice and hot pepper, which can also be found at Chocolate Box. Colorado-based "Chocolove" has recently introduced a bar called "Chilies & Cherries in Dark Chocolate." The combination is compelling.
Source: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/pacificnw/2004163209_pacificptaste10.html
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Excerpt: Thanks to increased travel and food imports, Americans are now familiar with many ingredients once foreign to them: Lentils, tortillas, tofu and dried chiles don't necessarily conjure up anything out of the ordinary. But many candies and snack foods haven't crossed international borders, making displays of foreign candies particularly intriguing… Shopping at these stores is like a treasure hunt -- you never know what exciting ingredient or food you'll discover. At Kohli's I found a trove of rose, mango and saffron-pistachio ice cream. At Vera Cruz, I went home with a box of chocolate disks for making Mexican-style drinking chocolate, as well as packets of Mexican oregano, which is stronger than the European variety. International aisles at grocery stores have been growing in recent years, but those aisles will never compare to the choices and quality of ingredients available at these small shops.
.Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08258/911520-34.stm
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