cocoa – News Stories About cocoa - Page 1

Halloween May Not Be
as Chocolatey This Year

Oct 29, 2024 10:10 AM CDT

Halloween May Not Be as Chocolatey This Year

Cocoa prices remain high, with no immediate end in sight

(Newser) - You might see more candy corn and caramels than chocolate bars this Halloween, thanks to what NPR calls "scary-high" cocoa prices that have been rising all year . Poor crops for multiple seasons in West Africa, where the majority of the world's cocoa originates, have forced chocolate manufacturers to...

Soon, Your Chocolate May Not Come From a Tree

This Could Be the
Future of Your Chocolate

Sep 7, 2024 2:00 PM CDT

This Could Be the Future of Your Chocolate

As climate change wreaks havoc on traditional crops, companies race to find alternatives

(Newser) - Climate change is stressing rainforests where the highly sensitive cocoa bean grows, but chocolate lovers need not despair, per the AP . Cocoa trees grow about 20 degrees north and south of the equator in regions with warm weather and abundant rain, including West Africa and South America. Climate change is...

The King of Easter
Candy Is No Bunny

The King of Easter Candy Is No Bunny

Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs are most popular, according to Instacart and DoorDash

(Newser) - Think Easter candy, and marshmallow Peeps and chocolate bunnies likely come to mind. But that's not primarily what ends up in shoppers' carts. Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs were the top-selling Easter candy in 2023, according to data from both Instacart and DoorDash . The eggs were the top seller...

Not-So-Sweet News
for Chocoholics

Feb 14, 2024 12:21 PM CST

Not-So-Sweet News for Chocoholics

Cocoa prices have skyrocketed, so get ready to open that wallet a little wider

(Newser) - It's the day for chocolate and roses, and at least one of those things is looking to set you back more this year. As NPR reports, the cost of cocoa, which is kind of a key ingredient in the aforementioned chocolate, has been skyrocketing—and basically doubled in the...

Like Pepsi? Like
Hot Chocolate?
You're in Luck

Dec 19, 2020 9:00 AM CST

Like Pepsi? Like Hot Chocolate? You're in Luck

Soft drink giant is launching Cocoa Cola

(Newser) - On Thursday, the Pepsi Twitter feed put up a rather intriguing call to action. In honor of bidding adieu to the "worst year ever" and welcoming 2021, the soft drink giant asked for 2,021 retweets of a picture of its latest potential offering: Cocoa Cola, a soda described...

Thanks to Glitch, It Started Snowing Cocoa

Like Something Out of
Willy Wonka: Cocoa Snow

Aug 18, 2020 1:37 PM CDT

Like Something Out of Willy Wonka: Cocoa Snow

It came down around a Swiss factory after a glitch

(Newser) - Residents of a Swiss town got a bit of a shock when it started snowing particles of a fine cocoa powder after the ventilation system at a chocolate factory malfunctioned. The Lindt & Spruengli company confirmed local reports Tuesday that there was a minor defect in the cooling ventilation for...

Chocolate So Cheap You're
Almost Obligated to Binge

Dec 12, 2016 4:43 PM CST

Chocolate So Cheap You're Almost Obligated to Binge

Cocoa futures are at 3-year lows

(Newser) - Packing on the holiday pounds just got cheaper, reports Bloomberg , with cocoa futures at a three-year low driven by a suddenly abundant supply and waning demand in what one portfolio manager calls "a double punch for cocoa." The former is due to rains in West Africa, which produces...

Behind Grandma's
Criminal Charges:
25-Year-Old
Hot Chocolate

Apr 1, 2015 8:33 AM CDT

Behind Grandma's Criminal Charges: 25-Year-Old Hot Chocolate

Woman reportedly served family drink that expired in 1990

(Newser) - What should have been a sweet treat has reportedly resulted in charges for a 77-year-old grandmother in Italy. Three kids and at least two adults—one of whom was the woman herself—got sick after they drank the stuff, which came from a bag that expired 25 years ago, UPI...

Thousands to Take
'Chocolate Pills' in
Huge 4-Year Test

Mar 17, 2014 7:32 AM CDT

Thousands to Take 'Chocolate Pills' in Huge 4-Year Test

Study to see whether high concentrations of cocoa flavanols promote heart health

(Newser) - Surely you've heard that chocolate can be good for you : Now researchers are aiming to take all of dark chocolate's healthy components and pack them into pill form, in an attempt to prevent heart attacks, strokes, and heart disease. In previous studies, cocoa flavanols have been found to...

New Alzheimer's
Treatment:
Hot Cocoa?

Aug 8, 2013 1:22 PM CDT

New Alzheimer's Treatment: Hot Cocoa?

Study indicates that it can improve patients with impaired neurological coupling

(Newser) - Here's some medicine that will go down easy: A new study suggests that drinking hot cocoa can help seniors sharpen their memories, at least if their brains already suffer some impairment. Researchers had a group of 60 seniors drink two cups of hot cocoa a day, with half getting...

Is War on Drugs
Bad for Chocolate?

Apr 26, 2012 9:06 AM CDT

Is War on Drugs Bad for Chocolate?

Gourmands fight for native Peruvian cocoa

(Newser) - To cut down on production of the coca plants behind cocaine, the US has pushed an alternative crop to Peruvian farmers: a high-yielding cocoa hybrid. And while CCN-51 has had commercial benefits, there's one problem, chocolate experts say—it just doesn't taste that good. Instead, these connoisseurs say,...

Dark Chocolate
Healthier Than Juice
...Says Hershey

Feb 7, 2011 2:10 PM CST

Dark Chocolate Healthier Than Juice ...Says Hershey

Call it a 'super-fruit,' researchers say

(Newser) - Chocolate lovers, rejoice: Your beloved treat may actually be healthier than fruit juice. A comparison of cocoa products to fruit juice powders suggests dark chocolate has more antioxidant power than juices, as well as more of certain chemicals that are good for your heart, the New York Daily News reports....

Mystery Investor Buys Every
Cocoa Bean in Europe

Jul 19, 2010 5:30 AM CDT

Mystery Investor Buys Every Cocoa Bean in Europe

Who's hoarding all that cocoa, and why?

(Newser) - The supply of cocoa beans sitting in warehouses across Europe could fill more than 5 Titanics, and as of last week it all belongs to one mysterious figure. An anonymous investor sparked intrigue last week when he, she, or they bought 241,000 tons of cocoa—essentially, every cocoa bean...

Binge Now: Chocolate
Prices May Spike

Feb 13, 2009 10:52 AM CST

Binge Now: Chocolate Prices May Spike

Soaring cocoa prices slim down candy makers' profit margins

(Newser) - Soaring cocoa prices have left chocolate makers wondering how far they can hike prices without souring business, the Wall Street Journal reports. Crop woes in Africa have kept cocoa pricey despite the global commodities slump. Chocolate companies are mostly holding prices steady for now but many are expected to fatten...

Quest on for Chocolate Genome

Jun 26, 2008 6:44 AM CDT

Quest on for Chocolate Genome

Mars aims to unlock genetic code to develop hardier cacao trees

(Newser) - Candy giant Mars is investing $10 million in a 5-year research project to unlock the secrets of chocolate's genetic code—the cocoa genome—as the first stage in developing cacao trees that can produce more, survive droughts, and combat disease. Mars intends to make the results public to stop key...