Organic Chocolate

To be labeled organic, chocolate must be made from cocoa grown in plantations that have been free from chemicals and artificial fertilizers for at least five years. The manufacturing process itself must be certified organic, which means that no conventionally, produced cocoa can be processed with the same machinery, unless it is thoroughly cleaned beforehand. Also, no unnatural additives can be used to make the organic chocolate.

One of the drawbacks of organic cocoa is that many of the varieties that have been cultivated over the years to produce the highest quality beans don’t grow well without chemicals. Therefore the flavor and texture of the organic varieties can be variable. However, things are improving and there is now some very good organic chocolate available.