Candy News

We've always known that chocolate was good for you, now we know why.

According to a recent study, hard to open packages are one of the biggest problems in the candy world.

Apparently science may soon release a pill to help your heat, best of all, it's made with chocolate.

This could be the strangest candy related article of the year "7 Animals That Smell Like Gourmet Jelly Beans"

So you're out in the woods, and you're craving some popcorn, but you forgot to pack a pot to pop it in, well here's your solution.

The history of candy is a pretty fascinating thing, it says a lot about who we are today, and Mental Floss has a great list of 15 such events.

According to a new study, our social conscience is driving what we want to eat.

If you want to keep up with all of the daily candy news that we come across as it happens, follow us on Twitter.

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Friday Candy Video

Now that you've collected all of your Halloween candy, it's about time you figured out how you can maximize your haul on the playground.  This video gives a pretty detailed account to the value of the treats you've brought in.  I personally think there should be some kind of official exchange rate for Halloween candy posted somewhere.  This would allow you to see what your candy is worth based on the supply and demand of your area.

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Candy News

Countries all over the world have different recipes for the same treats, and as it turns out Hershey's has decided to make the Canadian bars much better than in the American.

Did you know that you used to have to buy OREO cookies by weight only, or that it takes 59 minutes to make an OREO?  Well here's 11 more OREO  facts you may not have known.

It turns out that some government agencies are having second thoughts about how safe some blue candy dyes might be.

It turns out that Seattle is becoming a hub of ethical and fair trade chocolate.

For all of my graphic design friends that love to mix food with their love of overly organized visuals, I present this.

The topic of sugar VS sweetners has become of great interest for me, here's a little something to get you started on the subject.

A brief history of one of the greatest chips ever made, the Dorito.

Most people just say that sugar and diabetes go hand in hand, but the science is still trying to prove it.

Someone broke into a warehouse and stole 19 grand worth of Girl Scout cookies, do Girl Scout cookies have a black market value?

Apparently Zachary Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Eggs thought they had a salmonella problem, turns out they're OK.

The Bel Air Chocolate festival looks like a lot of fun, but it has one of the strangest looking mascots I've ever seen.

If you want to keep up with all of the daily candy news that we come across as it happens, follow us on Twitter.

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Friday's Candy Links

Have you ever tasted a savory soda that wasn't just a novelty drink (like the Jones Soda holiday packs)?  Serious Eats takes a look at a few of them and in turn makes me really thirsty.

So is all this cocoa certification actually benefiting cocoa growers, cocoa workers, and the cocoa eating community   A recent study say's yes.

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Wednesday's Candy Links

Did you know that Ben Affleck was an expert on the fair trade chocolate and the problems in the Congo?  No seriously he knows his stuff.

BBC food offers up some great little facts about chocolate, accompanied by some mouth watering photographs.

If you find yourself in San Diego why not check out the Natural History Museum's new exhibit called Chocolate.

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Wednesday's Candy Links

Finally some American political information I care about, Obama's favorite flavour of ice cream.

Did you know that the chocolate in chocolate chip cookies rarely turns white like chocolate bars, here's the science to prove it.

Craving some sponge toffee (or sponge candy as some call it)?  Well you're going to have to wait till it gets a little cooler.

After an audit of cocoa suppliers, Nestle has discovered that not all of their cocoa is child labor free.  So what are they going to do about it?

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Friday's Candy Links

I love it when candy companies offer treats designed for particular regions of the world, but only if I happen to be visiting that region and I can sample it.

Everything you didn't know about Russian soft drinks... that's a lot in my book because I pretty much know nothing.

Fair Trade explained, do you think it works?  Is it really "fair"?

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Thursday's Candy Links

23 fun facts about grocery store things, including a few sweet treats and snacks.

Ferrero will no longer have any slave labor in the collection of its chocolate by the year 2020.

New York, Paris or London, which city should be the chocolate capital of the world... Or is there another city with better chocolate, how about Brussels?

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Tuesday's Candy Links

The United States FDA is inspecting Belgian chocolate plants... you know that the "F" stands for federal... right?

I don't like the idea that chocolate is produced through child labour, it's an idea that keeps me up at night and makes me feel guilty about this whole site.  It appears progress is being attempted, I just hope it works.

Food trends for 2012, you know the year just started right?

CNN aired a really interesting interview about the cocoa business and child labor, well worth watching.

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Thursday's Candy Links

Did you know that Bruges is “the world’s chocolate capital”?

Not everybody agrees with Fair Trade, some believe that it doesn't work at all.

Eating candied bugs is becoming more and more trendy in Australia.  Now do you see why I don't like trends?

Just in time for Halloween, Boing Boing posted what I can only describe as the best cereal monsters fan art ever.

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Tuesday's Candy Links

Fair trade treats on Halloween, it's a good idea and getting easier to do everyday.

"Kids' Sugar Cravings Might Be Biological", what about my sugar cravings?

Controversial ice cream costume, not sure if this is real news or fake, but it's still funny.

Did you know October is "Fair Trade Month"?

Yum Sugar wants to know what's your favorite candy, it can win you a bunch of free candy and they're questions are very good at helping you pick your favorite.

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Friday's Candy Links

Check out Grandpa Bob's candy store, in Rochester.

I love pancakes, and I love sitting around doing nothings, that's why I love these pillows.

Mars goes fair trade in the UK and Ireland, I like that more big companies are going fair trade, soon it will be the norm.

If you're in Chicago this weekend, make sure you check out the Big Brothers Big Sisters fundraiser, some serious candy fun going on.

Check out Lollishop if you're in the Orange County, California area.

Worlds largest chocolate bar is debuted and it weighs 6 tonnes.

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Hershey's Facebook Page isn't all Sweet

Organic Authority pointed out a contest that went a bit awry: instead of being lavished with praise on National S'Mores Day, Hershey's was confronted by Fair Trade chocolate activists via their Facebook page. The activists were organized by Change.org to raise awareness about child labor and other unsavory practices in the cocoa industry.

Read the full article here.

Chocolate and Child Labor

The chocolate industry is really taking a beating with accounts of child labor problems.  I've read several articles on the subject and I can't deny the fact that this seems to be a real issue.  I can say however that many candy companies appear to be attempting to change this and I really think it's because people are better informed on the subject.  In many cases, the articles I read on the subject are very harsh and one sided, however it's important to read into every side on this issue to get a better understanding.

Click here to read an article on the subject of child labor in the chocolate industry.

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Hershey's In Some Hot Water

A group of people protested in front of the Hershey store in New York yesterday.  They were apparently accusing the company of using child labour in the production of the companies treats.

Click here to read more.

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Fair Is Fair, But What is "Fair"?

I'm sure you've heard the expression "Fair Trade", heck I use it on this site regularly, but do you have any idea what goes into "Fair Trade" products?  It can be a hotly debated concept and often when you read articles about it they tend to have a bias either for or against it.  Some say it's political "green washing:" others say it's a really important new way of doing business fairly.  Well the folks at Serious Eats posted a really good, simple, and fairly non-biased explanation of the whole system.

Click here to read the explanation.

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Cocoa Not Cooked

I think I see a new trend in the making.  Apparently it's not just about Fair Trade, or Bean to Bar anymore.  It's now been notched up to "raw cocoa" bars.  That's uncooked cocoa beans in a bar, rather than the toasted ones.  I'm sure it's pretty good, in fact I wouldn't mind trying it, and it saves energy from the lack of toasting so it's kind of environmentally friendly too.

Click here to read about "raw cocoa" chocolate.

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Good Conscience or Good Business

Below is an interesting article about Fair Trade chocolate and the business behind it.  The folks that certify Fair Trade products are trying to promote the idea that putting the label on your food is not just about doing the right thing as it is good business as well.  They say it's good business because the people of the world are better educated today and they feel that "Fair Trade" certification will actually sell more candy and food than not having the certification.

Click here to read more.

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Mars Is Going Green

First Cadbury started to go with more socially responsible chocolate, now it appears Mars is doing the same.  This is good news for the environment, and the kind of news I can get behind.  This is assuming that they don't lower the quality of their chocolate because they now have to pay more for the cocoa.

Click here to read more.

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Have You Ever Eaten a Guilt Free Banana?

On my trip to the Canary Islands I had myself a guilt free banana.

I define a guilt free banana as one that is produced close to where you purchased it, and the farmers producing it must have received a fair price.  The Canary Islands have a banana growers union (fair price for farmers), and the farms for these bananas are visible from the highway I took on my way into town.

So therefore I can eat this banana without any guilt at all.  I guess you're wondering if a guilt free banana tastes any different.  The answer surprisingly is yes.  The difference between a banana that ripens on the tree and one that ripens on a truck is huge, it's much creamier and much tastier.

On a second note, did you know that banana trees have flowers?

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