Making the world a little sweeter one pastry tip at at time.
CDC recommends that U.S. consumers do not eat any commercially produced, prepackaged caramel apples. From the CDC: CDC is collaborating with public health officials in several states and with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate an outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes infections (listeriosis) …read more
Ebola has worried many, including chocolatiers. The Ivory Coast of Africa, Côte D’Ivoire, leads the world in cocoa production. While the Ebola virus has not yet traveled there, the Ivory Coast borders Liberia and Guinea, two countries ravaged by the virus. Some are worried that chocolate …read more
Interesting read in ConfectioneryNews.com today about the use of botanical or herbal ingredients inside candy. Some are used to provide energy (ginseng and guarana) and others for their antioxidant properties (green tea, acerola, and super fruits). Using these ingredients will enable some manufacturers in the EU to use health claims in their marketing. But using these different ingredients doesn’t come without its challenges. Any extra ingredient will have a profound effect on the color, flavor, and texture of the finished candy product. It will be interesting to see how many manufacturers jump on board with this to reach more consumers, especially those consumers that consider candy bad for you.
In Old School Pastry, read about courmarin and tonka beans – they were once used in creating imitation vanilla flavor.
OK – this sound interesting. Wished your daily vitamins tasted like dark chocolate, or wished you could eat a piece of dark chocolate on a regular basis? UK based Health Rack has a new product to try. Their Choco Vit supplements contain dark chocolate and freeze …read more
Here is a link to CNN Health regarding news about what researchers found at University of Rochester Medical Center. News was injecting lab rats with BBG – Brilliant Blue G – the same color used to dye the blue M&Ms we all eat (well, those who like M&Ms anyway) helped them with mobility. Seeing the pictures of the rats, it is obvious they turned a little blue from the color.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/07/28/spinal.injury.blue.dye/index.html
Scientists are looking for women for their chocolate study: to see if specially formulated Belgium chocolate can reduce the risk for heart disease. Targeted women within a certain age group are being sought to eat two bars a day, or a placebo, for a whole …read more