Organic chocolate is chocolate which has been certified organic. As of 2016, it was a growing sector in the global chocolate industry. Organic chocolate is a socially desirable product for some consumers.[1] [2] Major brands, such as The Hershey Company, have begun to produce organic chocolate.[3]
Many, if not most, producers of organic chocolate source their ingredients from certified fair trade cocoa farms and cooperatives.[4] Organic chocolate comes in varieties including milk, white, and dark chocolate. Major brands of organic chocolate include Britain-based Green & Black's, Hershey-owned Dagoba Chocolate, and Equal Exchange.[5] Less-known retailers include Taza Chocolate, Pacari Chocolate, and Sacred Chocolate, a brand noted for producing raw chocolate.
The Seattle-based chocolate maker Theo Chocolate was one of the first companies that were "fair-trade certified" and produced organic chocolate. In 2006 when Theo Chocolate began their production of organic chocolate, there were no solid guidelines for chocolate manufacturing at the time and they had to get the process and ingredients in the correct measurements. The main ingredient in chocolate, cocoa is found close to the equator and the majority is grown in West Africa and South America. The organic cocoa, the main ingredient in organic chocolate, is sent to the chocolate factory, where they are thoroughly cleaned and foreign objects are removed. Organic cocoa beans are grown less than non-organic cocoa beans.[6] Beyond the cocoa, other ingredients are also organic.[7]