tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3218420107347864680.post4124789185719667239..comments2009-04-06T22:09:25.963-07:00Food Crusaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17902666235615849140noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3218420107347864680.post-78947427398398103322009-04-06T22:09:00.000-07:002009-04-06T22:09:00.000-07:00I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Ruth<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://fendisite.com" REL="nofollow">http://fendisite.com</A>Conradhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13558980669481586204noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3218420107347864680.post-34153620938946515242008-03-03T14:07:00.000-08:002008-03-03T14:07:00.000-08:00Laura --<BR/><BR/>I humbly recognize that I made a critical error when researching this issue. Guittard is indeed opposed to this FDA change, and I certainly got my facts wrong. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.<BR/><BR/>Having said that, I will reiterate my opposition to Fazal's original suggestion. I strongly believe that boycotting a small firm that is doing good work is an irresponsible and excessively harmful way to punish a larger corporate benefactor. Fazal's conclusion that Scharffen Berger be boycotted is too simplistic a solution to what is an issue worthy of attention. Honest food categorization and labeling is a noble cause, but not one for which I would want to see a good artisanal producer made a martyr.Food Crusaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17902666235615849140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3218420107347864680.post-29570976696048563442008-03-02T20:28:00.000-08:002008-03-02T20:28:00.000-08:00Someone previously stated the facts wrong. <BR/><BR/>So let it be perfectly clear ~ <BR/>Guittard does NOT support Docket 2007p-0085.<BR/>Guittard does NOT support the proposed FDA changes. <BR/><BR/>Please see Guittard's website to see where they stand on this iusse:<BR/><BR/>Guittard's website:<BR/>http://dontmesswithourchocolate.guittard.com/theissue.asp<BR/><BR/>Chicago Reader / The Food Chain: <BR/>http://blogs.chicagoreader.com/food/tag/Guittard/<BR/><BR/>San Francisco Examiner article – <BR/>interviewing Gary Guttard, owner of Guittard Chocolate Co: <BR/>http://www.examiner.com/a-676026~It_looks_like_chocolate___but_is_it_.html <BR/><BR/>Docket 2207p-0085<BR/>http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dockets/07p0085/07p-0085-cp00001-02-vol1.pdfLauraBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02583489032643496704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3218420107347864680.post-63539099021943596172008-03-02T20:25:00.000-08:002008-03-02T20:25:00.000-08:00Someone has their 'facts wrong"...<BR/><BR/>Let it be perfectly clear ~ <BR/>Guittard does NOT support Docket 2007p-0085.<BR/>Guittard does NOT support the proposed FDA changes. <BR/><BR/>Please see Guittard's website to see where they stand on this iusse:<BR/><BR/>Guittard's website:<BR/>http://dontmesswithourchocolate.guittard.com/theissue.asp<BR/><BR/>Chicago Reader / The Food Chain: <BR/>http://blogs.chicagoreader.com/food/tag/Guittard/<BR/><BR/>San Francisco Examiner article – <BR/>interviewing Gary Guttard, owner of Guittard Chocolate Co: <BR/>http://www.examiner.com/a-676026~It_looks_like_chocolate___but_is_it_.html <BR/><BR/>Docket 2207p-0085<BR/>http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dockets/07p0085/07p-0085-cp00001-02-vol1.pdfLauraBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02583489032643496704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3218420107347864680.post-7665818967453663162008-02-19T13:00:00.000-08:002008-02-19T13:00:00.000-08:00Fazal –<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the interest and the comments. Without delving into my personal views on the merits of boycotts, I will reiterate that I am firmly committed to the principles of fairly traded, honestly produced, and additive-free foods. It’s the reason I started this blog, and the reason that I’ve written about Scharffen Berger here. It’s good honest chocolate, and deserves support.<BR/><BR/>In response to the FDA chocolate classification issue to which you refer, I should point out that Guittard, the revered Bay Area institution and a large chocolate maker which you propose as an alternative, is, along with Hershey and Mars and Nestle, one of the nine members of the Chocolate Manufacturer’s Association, supporting the classification change you oppose. <BR/><BR/>A point of clarification -- in my original post, I mistakenly referred to Scharffen Berger as a chocolatier, which Charles Chocolates and Michael Recchiuti are. In fact, I meant to call Scharffen Berger a “chocolate maker”, as they, along with Guittard, are one of the few in the US. This point further weakens your argument that choosing these products has any impact on the issue, because the Charles Chocolates and Michael Recchiuti people aren’t making their own chocolate in the first place – they’re confectioners! (And damned fine ones, I may add…)<BR/><BR/>Please learn more about this issue before you call for boycotts. Thanks.<BR/><BR/>http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2007/4/20/15517/3113<BR/>http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dockets/07p0085/07p-0085-cp00001-01-coverletter-vol1.pdf<BR/>http://www.chocolateusa.org/About-Us/our-members.aspFood Crusaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17902666235615849140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3218420107347864680.post-13995185004084679512008-02-19T10:24:00.000-08:002008-02-19T10:24:00.000-08:00Unfortunately Scharffen-Berger is part of Hershey, a company that is lobbying the FDA to weaken standards so they can adulterate chocolate with vegetable fat other than cocoa butter (i.e. margarine) yet still legally be able to call it "chocolate" rather than "mockolate". If you buy from Scharffen-Berger, excellent as they may be, you are financially supporting the scum at Hershey.<BR/><BR/>That's the reason why I boycott Hershey affiliates like Scharffen-Berger, Joseph Schmidt and Dagoba.<BR/><BR/>There are plenty of other chocolatiers in the Bay Area like Guittard, Charles Chocolatier or Michael Rechiuti, so it's not a big sacrifice to boycott Hershey. Guittard is much better than Scharffen-Berger anyway.Fazal Majidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11835052457887138059noreply@blogger.com