But the government says it is making progress and “rescued” 6,100 children from cocoa farms in the past year and supported them to return to school.

Efforts to curb child labor on cocoa farms began in 2001 with the Harkin-Engel Protocol – an agreement, signed by cocoa and chocolate companies, to source cocoa grown and processed according to ILO child labor standards. While progress was initially criticized as too slow, the government and NGOs say tangible success can now be seen in Ghana.

A national program for the elimination of the worst forms of child labor in cocoa production was launched in 2006, with results now apparent, according to Sam Atoquaye Quaye, Ghana’s child labor monitoring system coordinator with the program. He said under this program 12,000 children have been taken off cocoa farms, enrolled in school and provided with school supplies – over half of them in the last year. “Ghana is still not child labor free… But we have come far.”

The program also educates parents and communities about appropriate tasks for children and the importance of schooling. “Community child protection committees” – teams of people who travel to cocoa-producing areas – are employed to spread the message, Quaye said. As 84 percent of children working on cocoa farms in Ghana live with their parents and another 14 percent with relatives, working with families is necessary.

Pressure exerted through international cocoa buyers appears to have been a factor in encouraging the government to take action. “Ghana’s cocoa is exported and so it is important to establish that cocoa produced from Ghana is not from child labor,” Quaye said, adding there were still permissible activities children could undertake on farms outside of school hours and that a framework had been established to distinguish between these activities and dangerous work which is not allowed.

Read more of the story here at the IRIN news service:
GHANA: Efforts to reduce child labour on cocoa plantations beginning to pay off

World’s Finest Chocolate, a leader in providing chocolate fundraising products, announced that it will feature the record-breaking bar in a nationwide tour of schools called “Think Big. Eat Smart.”

“We purposely made this bar to be an example of ‘portion distortion,’” said Eddie Opler, chief executive officer of World’s Finest Chocolate. “We’re committed to educating families about eating right and staying active and doing it in a fun and engaging way.”

Nelda Mercer, a registered dietitian and former spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, said using the larger-than-life chocolate bar to discuss portion control is a great way to capture the kids’ attention. “When you’re trying to teach children about things like moderation and how to have a healthy relationship with food, having something that really makes them sit up and take notice helps make the message memorable.”

“The tour of the chocolate bar also will include an educational video of “kids talking to kids” and original music to communicate the importance of active lifestyles and healthy eating,” said Opler. The messages make exercise and portion control synonymous with “the good life” and stress that chocolate and other treats should be eaten only in moderation. To learn more about the tour, visit www.ThinkBigEatSmart.com.

About the Bar

An official of Guinness World Records verified the record after the bar was hoisted on a warehouse beam and weighed on a scale provided by Abacus Scales. The previous record was held by an Armenian company for a bar that weighed 9,722 pounds.

To make the world’s largest chocolate bar, World’s Finest Chocolate used:

1,200 pounds of almonds
5,500 pounds of sugar
2,000 pounds of milk powder
1,700 pounds of cocoa butter
1,400 pounds of chocolate liquor

SOURCE World’s Finest Chocolate

NetNewsPublisher.com for World News

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The ambassador said Nigeria would receive €30 million out of the €100 million to support federal government’s efforts to build a viable cocoa sector.

The envoy told journalists that the fund disbursed on the auspices of Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), would help to increase the current yields of cocoa in Nigeria from the current 400 kilos per hectare to over 1,000 kilos per hectare through increased investment in the cocoa value chain system.

Under the initiative, the ambassador said, farmers in these African countries would be trained on the use of modern technology for cultivating cocoa.

Ronahaar said the initiative was aimed at enhancing cocoa yield, improvement in the quality of cocoa beans, professionalization of cocoa farmers to enable them obtain access to farm inputs.

He said IDH was being implemented by the Dutch government in collaboration with UNDP and World Cocoa Foundation (WCF).

Source African Press Agency

African News from NetNewsPublisher.com

The cocoa farm gate prices fluctuated between 500 and 1,470 CFA francs per kilogram for this corresponding period, the CICC said, revealing that over 232.9 million tons of cocoa have been harvested during the just-ended campaign.

This production boost that has been increasing for four years, results from the return to better farming practices.

According to the CICC, there is also some boost in the “robusta” coffee production with a positive 10.01 million kg, though the coffee “Arabica” production decreases up to a negative 1.22 million kg.

The cocoa and coffee council deplored the great number of middlemen in these industries.

Cameroon targeted 200,000 tons of cocoa in 2010, from its 600,000 farmers scattered in seven of the ten regions on an estimated 400,000 hectare area.

However, the CICC also deplored the slow implementation of the cocoa and coffee development fund (FODECC) created in March 2006 by a presidential decree and mainly aimed at supporting this industry through the financing of projects meant to ensure and increase the good quality production of these crops.

Source African Press Agency

African News from NetNewsPublisher.com

Cargill is active in the international production and marketing of food, agricultural and risk management products and services.

KVB produces, sells and distributes various semi-finished cocoa products (cocoa liquor, cocoa powder and cocoa butter) and industrial chocolate.

The Commission examined the competitive effects of the proposed acquisition in the markets for the procurement of cocoa beans, semi-finished cocoa products (cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, cocoa powder) and industrial chocolate, where both parties are active. The Commission’s investigation confirmed that the merged entity would continue to face competition from a number of other strong competitors. After the transaction, customers would still have sufficient alternative suppliers available on all markets concerned.

The Commission therefore concluded that the proposed acquisition would not raise competition concerns.

The transaction was notified to the Commission on March 22nd 2011.

Source: Europa.eu

European News from NetNewsPublisher

Addressing farmers during the end of the cocoa marketing campaign, Maboundou said “the 4000 to 5000 tons of cocoa produced in the northern district of Likouala could help boost domestic cocoa farming”, Congo state radio quoted the minister as saying.

He enlisted traders interested in the mobility of this product both on the domestic and on international markets.

After meeting farmers who agreed to set the kilogram of higher quality cocoa to 650 CFA francs, the minister further raised youths’ awareness so that they take over from aging farmers and extend the product to the world market.

He also recalled the government’s decision to boost the cocoa industry with the support of foreign investors.

He commended the efforts by three big farmers in the locality of Likouala and gave them financial assistance without revealing the amount.

Source African Press Agency

African News from NetNewsPublisher.com

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• Cocoa Ban Latest Worry for Growers in Côte D’Ivoire (netnewspublisher.com)

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Presidential claimant Alassane Ouattara on January 23rd called for a month-long ban on cocoa exports, one of several tactics being deployed by his internationally recognized government to increase pressure on Laurent Gbagbo, who refuses to quit office.

Analysts say most of the estimated $120 million needed to run a skeleton economy – paying salaries at the expense of infrastructure and development – usually comes from the key sectors of cocoa and petroleum. Cocoa brought in $1 billion in foreign exchange receipts in 2006, versus $1.3 billion from oil and other refined products, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

About six million Ivoirians rely on cocoa production to survive. The country exported 1.2 million tons last year, roughly 40 percent of global supply, according to the International Cocoa Organization (ICC). But as the Ivoirian economy continues to be hit by political turbulence, any targeted financial measures will require a delicate balancing act to avoid squeezing vulnerable farmers.

Many growers said they support the ban, but remained anxious about how long it would last. Although the main cocoa harvest is collected from September to March, another smaller crop is gathered between March and August.

“The majority of us are smallholders from the north or center of the country. These are the people who feel the ban is all part of the process of a revolution,” Maurice Savadogo, a cocoa farmer in the eastern town of Abengourou, told IRIN.

Read more of the story here at the IRIN news service:
COTE D’IVOIRE: Cocoa ban latest worry for growers

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Grand Candy

To present a certificate for the first industrial record in Armenia, legal representative of the Guinness Book of World Records Elizabeth Smith arrived in Armenia.

The bitter chocolate bar measuring 5600x2750x250 millimeters was manufactured in accordance to traditional technology, using Ghana-imported cocoa beans.

The previous record was set in Italy in 2007 where a chocolate bar that weighed 3580kg was made.

At certificate award ceremony, head of Grand Candy Company Karen Vardanyan invited everyone to participate in chocolate tasting event due October 16 in Republic Square.
Source: PanARMENIAN.Net under a Creative Commons License

Net News Publisher for Armenian News

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The South Bend Chocolate Company, South Bend, Indiana, is recalling 174 1-lb bags of Bountiful Blend, a blend of chocolate covered mixed nuts and dried fruits, because it contains undeclared cashews, almonds, pecans, and Brazil nuts. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to cashews, pecans, almonds or Brazil nuts run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product.

Bountiful Blend was sold via internet sales, mail order and may have been sold nationwide through our distributors to retail stores.

The Bountiful Blend product impacted by the recall is sold under The South Bend Chocolate Company brand name and was produced on or after March 18, 2010. The product under recall is: Bountiful Blend in 1-lb Bags. Products with labels reading Item #154,UPC #644823001549 are subject to this recall.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

This recall was initiated after it was discovered that Bountiful Blend containing cashews, pecans, almonds or Brazil nuts were not listed on the product’s labeling. Subsequent investigation indicates the problem was caused by the printing of ingredient statements and was cut off before the listing of nuts printed.

Consumers who have purchased 1-lb bags of Bountiful Blend are urged to contact The South Bend Chocolate Company at 574-233-2577 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time or return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.

Source: FDA
Recall Insider for Recalls

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Following three days of abstinence, 25 regular chocolate eaters were asked to either complete a 15-minute brisk walk or rest, in a random order. They then engaged in tasks that would normally induce chocolate cravings, including a mental challenge and opening a chocolate bar.

After exercise participants reported lower cravings than after rest. Cravings were not only reduced during the walk, but for at least ten minutes afterwards. The exercise also limited increases in cravings in response to the two tasks.

Professor Adrian Taylor comments: “Our ongoing work consistently shows that brief bouts of physical activity reduce cigarette cravings, but this is the first study to link exercise to reduced chocolate cravings. Neuroscientists have suggested common processes in the reward centers of the brain between drug and food addictions, and it may be that exercise effects brain chemicals that help to regulate mood and cravings. This could be good news for people who struggle to manage their cravings for sugary snacks and want to lose weight.”

Previous research has suggested that 97% of women and 68% of men experience food cravings. Craved foods tend to be calorie-dense, fatty or sugary foods, with chocolate being the most commonly reported. Chocolate has a number of biologically active constituents that temporarily enhance our mood with a result that eating it can become a habit, particularly when we are under stress and when it is readily available, and perhaps when we are least active.

Professor Taylor concludes: “While enjoying the occasional chocolate bar is fine, in time, regular eating may lead to stronger cravings during stress and when it is readily available. Recognizing what causes us to eat high energy snacks, even if we have plans to not do so, can be helpful.”

“Short bouts of physical activity can help to regulate how energized and pleasant we feel, and with a sedentary lifestyle we may naturally turn to mood regulating behaviors such as eating chocolate. Accumulating 30 minutes of daily physical activity, with two 15 minute brisk walks, for example, not only provides general physical and mental health benefits but also may help to regulate our energy intake. This research furthers our understanding of the complex physical, psychological and emotional relationship we have with food.”

The research is now published online in the journal Appetite.

Source: University of Exeter

Net News Publisher for World News

Bryant Park in midtown Manhattan served as the ultimate style platform for Longoria Parker and Ms. Green to introduce new M&M’S(R) Premiums to the fashionable crowd with a colorful launch event. Models showcased the upscale M&M’S(R) while dressed in vibrantly colored gowns inspired by the rich jewel-tones of the new product. The gowns were created by red carpet designer Pamella Roland, known for her elegantly feminine and luxurious designs.

Roland specifically selected Longoria Parker’s premium gown for the event, which will be auctioned via “Clothes Off Our Back” to benefit children’s charities.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the launch of M&M’S(R) Premiums with such a chic, revered style backdrop as Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week,” said Michele Kessler, vice president, marketing, Mars Snackfood US. “The opportunity for the brand to partner with a star the caliber of Eva Longoria Parker emphasizes the fashionable, sophistication of the product. We are certain our new ‘gems’ will add a splash of style and fun to the premium chocolate category.”

“M&M’S(R) Premiums offer a little bit of luxury with each tantalizing bite,” said Longoria Parker. “The flavors and chic colors make them a delicious treat that I can’t wait to share with my girlfriends.”

Each variety of M&M’S(R) Premiums is housed in an eye-catching, curvy box with resealable packaging for convenience and freshness, ensuring that these gems are sure to make a sparkling first impression.

Source: Mars Snackfood US

Net News Publisher for World News

“The Hershey Company is continuously looking for opportunities to offer products that support the balanced lifestyles of today’s health-conscious consumers,” said Debra Miller, Ph.D., Director of Nutrition, The Hershey Company. “This one-two punch of the Yale-Griffin research confirming chocolate’s vascular health benefits, combined with Bob Greene’s Best Life seal, makes Hershey’s Extra Dark Chocolate a sensible option for people looking for small indulgences.”

The Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center study is the largest study of its kind to research the short-term benefits of solid dark chocolate and cocoa containing beverages on blood pressure and endothelial function (blood vessel function). The results of the study, recently published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that consuming Hershey’s Extra Dark Chocolate (75g) as well as Hershey’s Natural Cocoa (22g) lowered blood pressure and improved endothelial function in 45 participants 2 hours after consumption.

“Our study demonstrated impressive enhancement of endothelial function following the acute consumption of dark chocolate and cocoa,” said David L. Katz, MD, MPH, principal investigator of the study and director of the Prevention Research Center. “The results are exciting because they show that dark chocolate, a highly-popular treat long associated with pleasure, has health promoting properties as well.”

In addition, The Hershey Company announced that Hershey’s Extra Dark Chocolate is the first chocolate bar to earn the respected Best Life seal of approval. Designed by Bob Greene, respected exercise physiologist and famed trainer, the Best Life seal appears on select grocery products and is intended to help consumers make healthier food and lifestyle decisions. Hershey’s Extra Dark Chocolate’s naturally occurring antioxidants and proven vascular health benefits helped the product to earn this distinction. Bob Greene will utilize Hershey’s Extra Dark Chocolate and Hershey’s Natural Cocoa as he helps consumers to develop balanced, healthy lifestyles through his book, The Best Life Diet, the companion website TheBestLife.com, appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show and other national television and radio shows, and national tours.

Hershey’s Extra Dark Chocolate is available wherever candy is sold. The Best Life seal of approval will begin appearing on packaging later this year.

Source: Hershey Company

Net News Publisher for World News

The ruins, which are about 36 feet (11 meters) high, were found in the Mexican capital’s Tlatelolco area, once a major religious and political center for the Aztec empire. The pyramid is believed to have been built in 1100 or 1200.

Archaeologists also uncovered five skulls and a number of rooms near the pyramid which could date back to 1430s.

The finding signals that the Aztecs, known as the inventors of chocolate, began to develop their civilization earlier than believed.

Mexico’s capital is filled with pre-Hispanic ruins. In October 2006, archaeologists found a 15th-century Aztec altar and a stone idol in Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec empire.

The Aztecs, who lived in central Mexico between 14th- 16th centuries AD, were a warlike and deeply religious people, who ruled an empire stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean.

Source RIA Novosti

Net News Publisher