If some members of the U.S. Chocolate Industry have their way, we will soon see a detrimental change in the quality of chocolate you love. Their proposal is to change the basic formula of chocolate in order to use vegetable fat substitutes in place of cocoa butter, and to use milk substitutes in the place of nutritionally superior milk.  These changes will have adverse effects on the eating, physical and nutritional quality of chocolate, and beg the question: What consumer benefit is associated with implementing these changes? The answer is none.

I like chocolate just the way it is. Made with 100% cocoa butter and real milk, not than some concocted blend of fats and other substitutes.

Without proper labeling, consumers will find it difficult and confusing to differentiate the current gold standard of real chocolate vs. this new concoction, which has substitute ingredients. This will amount to economic fraud to the consumer as the product will become cheaper with inferior ingredients.

The proposed formula contains large quantities of bad Trans fats, which are not good for your health.

Cocoa butter is unique; vegetable fats can only masquerade as cocoa butter.

The eating properties, flavor and mouth feel will all be different - they're messing with the user experience and pleasure.

All manufacturers, even those who do not want to support this, will be forced to convert to the new concoction due to the economic advantages associated with the new formula and their wanting to remain effectively competitive within the category. The net effect will be a total downgrade in the eating enjoyment and quality for chocolate.

When does it end? Sawdust and brown food color?

Come on, for the last several hundred years (if not longer) chocolate has been taken to have a particular minimum list of ingredients.

To allow something that's a bland artificial substitute simply to allow a few corportations to make an extra buck is just plain wrong.

Let them call it chocolike. or candy. or processed slurry - there are plenty of names for it, but leave chocolate alone. I know what it's doing to my body and accept the risks but this - it's playing Russian roulette with a nations sweet tooth

What next?

If this passes I shudder to think.

Act now before it's too late. Read more here, and sign the petition here. Do it now while you still know what's in that peanut butter cup....