Organic Chocolate’s Origins:

Let’s explore the world of organic chocolate. Chocolate can be raw and organic, or it may have been processed or roasted. In order to retain the natural health properties of the cocoa beans, we choose to keep our bars raw and full of nutrients.

Cacao comes from large pods that come directly off trees in places like Peru. After they’ve been fermented (no need for pesticides!), they’re then dried naturally before being turned into what we love… the UK’s favourite sweet treat. Chocolate!

Here at Mr Popple’s Chocolate we only use organic cacao beans when making our bars.

The good news? No harmful pesticides are used on any crops that can be passed along to you if you eat them. The best thing about organic chocolate, in our opinion, is that there is no unethical aftertaste!

Want to know what makes chocolate certified organic? Keep reading to find out…

So what do we mean by “certified organic”?

It means that we have carefully carried out certain steps with an agency to verify how everything was grown and processed. This ensures organic standards were met, regardless of where or how the chocolate was made.

Why Organic?

Our organic cacao beans grow in tropical climates where organic farming practices are tricky to carry out. Organic farms are developed over time to meet the growing demand for organic products. Chocolate still remains one of the most challenging items when it comes to being certified organic.

Here at Mr Popple’s Chocolate we pride ourselves on sourcing the best ingredients for our chocolate bars, for your enjoyment.

Organic chocolate is made without the use of chemical fertilisers or pesticides. Organically certified products are not allowed to contain any artificial ingredients, preservatives or GMO’s (genetically modified organisms).

These types of chocolates often have a more distinctive taste than non-organic ones because they retain the natural flavors that would otherwise be lost during processing. This is due to the lack of chemicals and additives inside organic chocolate bars which would otherwise mask the refreshingly raw flavours!

Organic Chocolate & You:

If chocolate is certified organic it also means that it has been produced by farmers who have used sustainable agricultural practices for many generations on their land. This allows them to produce better quality food products, free from contamination with toxic chemicals or heavy metal residues that can often be found in non-organic food stuffs.

Organic chocolates are admittedly sometimes a little pricier than your average super market brand chocolate bars. That being said, they’re well worth the extra cost, knowing you’ve purchased organic chocolate that’s not only better for you, but also tastes great!

When buying chocolate, it is important to consider buying organic when possible, as it’s not only better for the environment, but better for your health too. At the end of the day, you can’t put a price on good health!

Being good to the planet whilst also producing chocolate that is good to you is something we whole-heartedly believe in at Mr Popple’s Chocolate.

Quality Over Quantity?

Because organic ingredients go through a more careful selection process, the quality of said ingredients tends to be higher. Corners aren’t able to be cut and extra care is taken in the selection process of the ingredients, both by those involved in organic certification and organic chocolate makers.

The quality and characteristics of the raw cacao and other accompanying ingredients can shine through and show you a whole new perspective of chocolate. All of this is possible because organic certifications protect the wellbeing of the crops and produce and in turn; the wellbeing of our bodies!

Make the switch – get certified:

So now that we know what organic means in the food industry… let’s talk about why your regular everyday bars of chocolate aren’t actually organic.

Usually when something is printed with the label “organic” on it – it can be misleading. If a product isn’t certified organic, then this label may just be an inaccurate marketing claim. Some products may be partially organic, meaning only ONE ingredient has been produced organically out of many ingredients within the product itself.

This is why the process of certification is so important when you are purchasing organic chocolate.

A certified organic food has been produced following strict guidelines and rules set by an independent third party who checks up on farms, facilities, fields – EVERYTHING that goes into producing food stuffs before it even reaches our shelves or plates.

There are several organisations globally that certify organic products but they ALL use the same standards for what qualifies as organic, no matter where you’re located. So whether someone says their product is USDA Certified Organic (United States) , EcoCert Certified Organic (Europe) or Australian Certified Organic etc… rest assured that if they’ve got the logo on their packaging then yes, it’s truly organic!

To get organic certification there are several steps that need to be followed.

These include:

• Site visits and assessment by a third party organic certifier
• Meeting organic production standards which ensure the highest level of food safety while protecting and improving the environment. This includes how crops should be grown, what animal feed is allowed or not.
• The use of natural substances in growing produces (no synthetic pesticides allowed!)

As you can see – it’s a pretty rigorous process.

So for all our chocolate lovers out there – let’s support organic chocolate together!

Keep in mind: it is important to recognise that just because organic chocolate may contain organic cane sugar, this doesn’t always mean that it’s healthy.

We all deserve better, so why not organic naturally sweetened chocolate? If you’re craving an organic treat that is not only healthy but also delicious then you should try our amazing range of organic raw chocolate bars.

Our organic chocolates are easy to find at mrpoppleschocolate.co.uk/shop

We have a deliciously wide variety of organic chocolate bars! It’s all raw organic chocolate that is unprocessed and vegan-friendly. Our organic vegan chocolate bars have no dairy added so they’re perfect for vegans who want a tasty treat too!

It’s all about feeling good for doing the right thing – how could you resist?!

#livingthebean