Chocolate Is The New Caviar
There was a time when people of a certain economic class would indulge in caviar. It was a time when environmental, economic, and social repercussions were not considered. Due to catastrophic happenings like global warming and animal and plant extinction, we are now living in a completely different reality – one where many of us are mobilizing our energies to make a paradigm shift under the umbrella of sustainability. How does one prove sustainability? Well, the easiest way to recognize it seems to be via certification methods, such as Certified Fair Trade, Canada Organic, or Ocean Wise (to name a few; see below for more). These methods provide information about how a product is grown and/or produced. One of the most controversial products is none other than chocolate. Chocolate has become the status symbol of our day and it’s fascinating.
Instead of pitting company against company, gouging the bad and heralding the good, we’ve chosen to feature the Endangered Species Chocolate company. Below they discuss their certification labels and ask you to decide which certifications are most important to you.
Ethical Trade
We buy our cacao (the beanlike seed from which chocolate is made) from small, family-owned properties. This practice helps sustain the habitats, species and communities in which these farms exist. Our ethical trade criteria ensure farmers humane working conditions and a fair price for their crop.
Rainforest Alliance
Working with the cacao farmers, Rainforest Alliance ensures that ecosystems and workers’ rights are protected. Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms have met standards that cover ecosystem conservation, workers’ rights and safety, wildlife protection, water and soil conservation, legal wages and contracts for workers.
NON-GMO
This seal verifies that our chocolate is produced according to rigorous best practices of GMO avoidance. The Non-GMO Project and Endangered Species Chocolate respects your right to know what’s in the food you’re eating and the products you’re buying.
USDA Organic
Seeing the USDA Organic symbol on Endangered Species Chocolate products shows that our chocolate is certified to be at least 95% organically grown. Organic chocolate is grown and processed according to stipulated standards which are verified annually. Chocolate bearing this certification is produced without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, or food additives. Growers and manufactures that display this symbol must pass strict certification inspections in order to be approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
OCTO Oregon Tilth
Endangered Species Chocolate’s organic products are verified annually by Oregon Tilth, a third-party certifier. Oregon Tilth is a nonprofit research and educational organization dedicated to biologically sound and socially equitable agriculture.
GF – Gluten-Free
A gluten-free diet is a diet completely free of ingredients derived from wheat, barley, rye, and triticale. Endangered Species Chocolate meets the strictest standards for gluten-free, going beyond the requirements of government law and regulations. This symbol enables people to easily identify our chocolate as a gluten-free good with confidence.
V – Vegan
Many of our dark chocolate selections are Certified Vegan® by Vegan Action. This certification provides vegans an easy-to-recognize symbol signifying that an item contains no animal products and is not tested on animals. Please note that Vegan Certification is not an allergen certification; Vegan Action accepts products that many contain dairy due to being processed on shared equipment. If you have dairy allergies, please refer to the allergen statement located on the ingredient panel of our chocolate products.
K – Kosher
Endangered Species Chocolate products are certified kosher-dairy by Orthodox Union (OU). For over 80 years, the OU has maintained the highest standard of kosher supervision and Kosher Certifications. Since our milk and dark chocolate are processed on shared equipment, all of our chocolates are certified kosher-dairy.
For more information and a reference to the above, visit the Endangered Species Chocolate website.
