Chocolate Facts from National Confectioners Association

American's love for chocolate has been good to the economy.
According to th National Confectioners Association, approximately 65,000 jobs in the US are directly involved in the manufacture of confectionery and chocolate products. When the distribution and sale of these products is taken into consideration, the employment effect triples.

* . For every dollar of cocoa imported, between one and two dollars of domestic agricultural products are used in the making of chocolate.


*Chocolate manufacturers are the second largest users of sugar in the US most of which is domestic sugar. The value of sugar consumed in chocolate manufacture is $800 million annually.

* The value of dairy products consumed in the making of chocolate last year was $490 million.

*22 million pounds of domestic peanuts annually which means that the chocolate industry consumes 25% of the US crop.

*43 million pounds of California almonds annually valued at $67 million.

* The US chocolate industry consumes $1.4 billion of cocoa and cocoa products.

47% of the total US imports of cocoa beans come from Cote d’Ivoire. Cote d’Ivoire supplies more than 40% of the world’s cocoa; and 29% of its total export revenues come from cocoa.

A typical recipe for milk chocolate includes 30-35% cocoa material. Dark chocolate requires about 70% cocoa material.

* The US chocolate industry generated $23.5 billion in sales last year of chocolate, chocolate confectionery, and sugar confectionery products.

* In 2002 the industry exported more than $726 million in chocolate, chocolate confectionery, and sugar confectionery products to more than 50 countries around the world.

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Chocolate Covered Grapes

Here is a new twist to chocolate covered fruit.

INGREDIENTS

* 2 cups white chocolate chips
* 2 teaspoons shortening
* 1 pound seedless grapes
* 1 cup finely chopped salted peanuts



DIRECTIONS

1. Combine chocolate chips and shortening in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth.
2.Spread the chopped peanuts out on a piece of waxed paper .
3. Dip clean, dry grapes into the chocolate, then roll in the peanuts.
4.Set on waxed paper until dry.

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80 chocolate price fixing cases to be combined

A federal judge and many lawyers began the process of figuring out how to consolidate nearly 80 lawsuits that claim chocolate manufacturers conspired to artificially boost prices.The manufacturers are being sued by companies that purchased chocolate directly, those that purchased chocolate indirectly, and consumers.

Hershey lawyers argued that Hershey and the other defendants - units of Mars Inc., Nestle SA and Cadbury Schweppes , as well as a Canadian distributor - deserve the right to seek dismissal before having to start turning over documents that might be used against them.

Investigations into price-fixing allegations in the chocolate industry have been launched by U.S., Canadian and European authorities. About 50 attorneys, representing various clients, attended the hearing.

The defendants filed court papers last week that said parallel pricing behavior is allowed as long as there is no agreement among the companies. They said they planned to seek dismissal because no one has asserted a valid claim under U.S. antitrust law.

The defendants said it was not surprising that chocolate prices rose along with overall food prices.

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