Mexican Consumer Agency Studies Chocolate Brands
All chocolate is not the same. Some chocolate brands contain more vegetable fats than cocoa, for one thing.
The Federal Consumer Protection Agency (PROFECO) of Mexico decided to take a closer look at popular brands of chocolate and has now released the results of a laboratory analysis of different brands of both powdered and bar chocolate marketed in Mexico.
The agency studied 32 different products: 12 table chocolate bars, three chocolate-flavored table bars, 10 powdered chocolates and seven powders for preparing chocolate-flavored drinks, of which 3 chocolate product brands had inaccurate labels.
Chocolate irregularities
The results revealed that all samples contained sugar, cocoa butter and coconut oil, in addition to other ingredients such as artificial flavorings or emulsifiers such as soy lecithin or palm oil derivatives.
The study found fats that are not allowed, such as coconut or palm kernel oil (edible vegetable oil); others have less product than indicated on the label, and some other brands have less sugars.
For each of the chocolate brands, PROFECO analyzed the general labeling specifications for prepackaged foods and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as the energy content of each product, the amount of protein and fat.
Chocolate: one of the world’s most popular sweets
Chocolate originated in Mesoamerica and was consumed by the Olmecs, Mayas and Aztecs. The term “chocolate” comes from the Aztec word “xocolātl”, meaning “bitter water”. In 1519, when Hernán Cortés arrived to conquer the Aztec empire, he was intrigued by this bitter drink and took it with him to Europe. However, it was not until 1765 that chocolate became widely consumed in England.
It was not until 1847 that chocolate was first commercially made with milk and sugar. The Swiss company Lindt & Sprüngli began producing high-quality chocolate after inventing a machine that could produce large quantities of chocolate at one time. In 1875, Rodolphe Lindt invented the conching machines that are used today in all commercial chocolate production.
A delicacy that most people love
However, some chocolate bars and powders contain more calories than you might think. Not only are these three brands misleading consumers by hiding excess calories in their products, but they also fail to warn consumers about this fact.
These irregularities could be detrimental to health, as excess calories can lead to obesity or other health problems if consumed regularly.
Abuelita, Don Gustavo and Choco Tavo chocolates have been named by PROFECO as “excessively caloric” brands that fail to warn consumers about the potential health risks of consuming too many calories.
The investigation also found that ABUELITA Original Nestlé Table Chocolate, La Suiza Table Chocolate and Precissimo Table Chocolate did not comply with their declared net content. In fact, in some cases, these brands had up to 11% less product than they declared.
In addition, the report revealed that Don Gustavo granulated chocolate powder, with 25% less sugar than traditional granulated chocolate / 250 g, contained up to 12.8% less net content than declared.