PURELY,
CHOCOLATE.
There are two big problems in the chocolate industry. On the one hand, the health claims that are given to chocolate by so called health guru’s are mainly false. On the other hand, the chocolate industry still uses child labor up until now. That is why I think it’s time for a purely honest chocolate, one that truly makes you happy and one that doesn’t lie about its origins. That’s why I’ll present to you the two chocolates of Purely, Chocolate.: A praline with the bitter aftertaste of child labor and a slave free bar which can safely be taken with a grain of salt.
The box of pralines contains 7 pieces, 1 piece a day, and is made out of cocoa paper. This paper is made out of the shells of the cocoa beans. In that way, it follows the zero waste principle.
The pralines have the shape of a cube. But it aren’t regular cubes. These cubes are designed by Thomas Willemen. Thomas tried to recreate the perfect cube in clay for about 6538 times. In the box, you find 7 of these attempts poured into chocolate. The chocolate that is being used for both the pralines and the bar is the chocolate of Tony Chocolonely.
CHOCOLATE & HAPPINESS
In the Netherlands we eat about 5 kilograms of chocolate per person per year. They say it can make us happy, but is that true? Rob Markus, Professor of neuropsychology, tells that it aren’t the substances that are inside the chocolate that make us happy, but that the feeling rather comes from the pleasant feeling we experience because we like the taste. A lot of research has been done nationally and internationally regarding these substances inside chocolate, and to the effects these substances have on our brain. As an example there is a substance called tryptophan present in chocolate. Tryptophan can increase the level of serotonin in our brain. A increased level of serotonin in it’s turn makes us feel ‘happy’. But the amount of tryptophan in chocolate is way too low to accomplish such matters. As an example a tomato can contain more tryptophan than a piece of chocolate. So aside from the fact that chocolate makes us happy, simply because we like its taste, it doesn’t make us happy in the long run. At least that’s true for regular chocolate.
Purely, chocolate. however, can make us happy on the long run. Purely, Chocolate. contains bacterial strains, also called probiotics. These probiotics, if you were to take them on a daily basis, can improve the flora in your gut. A weak gut flora can lead to infections elsewhere in your body including your brain, which can lead to symptoms of depression. At last the neurotransmitter serotonin can also be created in our gut, taking probiotics can increase this. In that way probiotics can give you a better mood, they can make you happier.
CHOCOLATE & PRODUCTION
In the chocolate industry many people work, including children, that are being forced to work on the cocoa plantations, for which they don’t get paid and from which they may not leave whenever they want. This problem is caused by the fact that we aren’t willing to pay a fair price for our chocolate. The creators of Tony Chocolonely tried to fight this problem. They have come a far way but sadly enough haven’t succeeded in creating a completely slave free of child labor free market.
It is an unfortunate fact Tony Chocolonely couldn’t accomplish this but it isn’t something we can blame them for. What we can blame them for is that for a long while they have manufactured white chocolate bars with cacao beans of untraceable origin.
* By the end of 2016 Tony Chocolonely managed to produce all their chocolate with cacao beans of traceable origin.