Mars U.S. Reaffirms Commitment to Pure, Authentic Chocolate

Chocolate leader refuses to 'Lower the Bar' on chocolate, will continue to use 100% cocoa butter.

19/09/08 Mars Snackfood U.S. announced that it is reaffirming its industry-leading announcement made last year to use only 100% cocoa butter. The company said that it refuses to "lower the bar" on chocolate and pledged to continue to make pure, authentic chocolate with 100% cocoa butter for its U.S. chocolate products.

The chocolate leader took a firm stand last year by opposing changes to the standard of identity for chocolate that would allow manufacturers to make chocolate with cocoa butter substitutes and still call it "chocolate."

"Mars U.S. chocolate products are pure, authentic chocolate and they're going to stay that way," said Todd R. Lachman, president, Mars Snackfood U.S. "We simply won't compromise the purity and authenticity of our chocolate by diluting it with a cocoa butter substitute. This company was built on quality -- it's one of our core principles -- and we will not lower the bar on chocolate quality."

Cocoa butter is one of the key defining ingredients in chocolate, providing the signature creamy taste and melt-in-your-mouth texture.

"At Mars, the consumer is our boss, and American consumers are passionate about chocolate. They don't want anyone to change the chocolate they've enjoyed for generations," said Lachman.

Mars has 100 years of expertise making high quality, real chocolate and with the success and growth of its DOVE Chocolate brand, it has recently invested more than $70 million to expand the capacity of its Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania plant. The plant is responsible for making pure chocolate from the cocoa bean that is used in the company's various snack products. On September 29, Mars celebrates this expansion with the opening of its newly created DOVE Chocolate Center of Excellence, furthering its commitment of keeping the integrity and authenticity of pure chocolate manufactured in America.