Did you know that white chocolate isn’t real chocolate? White chocolate contains no chocolate liquor which is the main ingredient the treat would need to be considered real chocolate. What it does have is cocoa butter and the FDA says it must have at least 20% cocoa butter and no more than 55% sugar to be called white chocolate. Who other than Willy Wonka could have known that chocolate is a complicated confection?

Dark, bitter and semisweet chocolate is required to have 35% chocolate liquor while milk chocolate must contain 10% chocolate liquor.  Anything less is not up to the FDA’s standards and is likely labeled “chocolate flavored” or could be made of carob. 

Carob has a different texture and taste than chocolate but contains the same amount of calories. It is commonly used in gourmet dog treats to give them a harmless taste of chocolate.

Basically chocolate comes from trees. The cocoa tree produces beans that are harvested, cleaned, roasted and shelled. The nibs found inside the beans are ground into a paste which melts the cocoa butter inside to make chocolate liquor. Chocolate manufacturers mix cocoa butter with the liquor and sugar to make chocolate and then it’s up to producers to add the ingredients to make milk chocolate. Any time there are trees and harvesting involved there is likely to be not so earth-friendly and unethical methods being practiced and chocolate is no exception.

Child labor, deforestation, wasteful methods of production, chemical usage: the same abhorrent practices of several major industries (paper, textiles, meat, coffee) are found in the chocolate business.

Fair trade, sustainable chocolate is sold as an option for those who want to satisfy their sweet tooth guilt-free.

Ethical brands of chocolate include Theo Chocolate sold at Whole Foods but most are sold via the Internet which won’t help a last minute Valentine’s Day gift shopper.

Better yet try finding a local chocolatier in your community that can readily provide you with chocolate and answers about their supply chain specifically. 

The biggest impact you can have is with your spending power. Not buying unethical brands lets the manufacturer know you want change. Today is the perfect day to tell a company like Hershey’s through Global Exchange’s Valentine’s Day of Action that you think they could be doing more to end child-labor.

If you forgot that today is Valentine’s Day and you have to run out and buy whatever comes in your line of vision to surprise your sweetheart remember to keep it local. Local generally means faster which is good for last-minute gifts.