Study Finds Chocolate Tastes Better When You’re ‘Primed With Guilt’

It is something we probably all knew on some level already but scientists at Northwestern University have now confirmed it. In a study that was published by The Journal of Marketing Research they found that people enjoy chocolate more when they’re 'primed with guilt'.

In total six experiments were conducted to analyse the link between pleasure and guilt. One involved showing half the subjects tested the glossy covers of six different health-related magazines while the other half were shown covers unrelated to food prior to offering them all chocolate. The study found those who looked at the healthy magazine covers all said the chocolate tasted better than those who were shown the unrelated non-food or health magazine covers.

Article posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar. A true chocoholic, he also is chief editor of I Love USA Candy.


Source: Smart Company

Australian chocolate franchise outlines expansion stategy of 200 stores in China

Despite only having seven stores in its native Australia, the popular café franchise The Chocolate Room has recently confirmed the ambitious plan to open upwards of 200 outlets in China, as well as a number of stores in Europe and the Middle East.

Founded by Jim Richardson, The Chocolate Room specialises in handmade chocolates, chocolate drinks and chocolate food lines. Having opened its first store in Geelong back in 2006, The Chocolate Room now operates out of seven stores Australia wide, with another three planned to open soon. In India it has more than 50 outlets.

According to Richardson the company plans to tap in to the lucrative Chinese market by opening up an average of 50 new stores per year in China over the next four years.

'We selected China and India as these two massive nations with an emerging middle class... especially in IT in India and manufacturing in China. The growth potential is fantastic' Richardson said.

As the majority of the population of China and India don't drink alcohol, Richardson believes that cafés are increasingly being seen as the 'cool place to hang out'.

As well as growing aggressively in China, The Chocolate Room has plans to open three stores in London, within a 12 month period of each other, as well as stores in Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia and Pakistan.

Article posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar. A true chocoholic, he also is chief editor of I Love USA Candy.


Source: Smart Company

Woolworths removes chocolate eclairs from shelves

Supermarket giant Woolworths has been forced to remove packs of their chocolate eclairs from their shelves after being informed by a customer that they were incorrectly labelled and could actually harm people with allergies.

Confirming that a batch of their 300 gram homebrand packs of choc eclairs, which went on sale from July 2011, did not contain any warnings, despite potentially containing peanuts or gluten a Woolworths spokesman said:

'We were notified about the issue by a customer, however that customer did not have a significant adverse reaction to the product'.

The supermarket powerhouse has issued an immediate nationwide recall of the product as well as a stark warning to anyone with an allergy to peanuts or gluten to avoid buying them.

'Consumers who are not allergic to peanuts or gluten may safely consume this product,' the spokesman added.

Article posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar. A true chocoholic, he also is chief editor of I Love USA Candy.


Source: Canberra Times

Get your own Instagram Chocolate

From digital photo frames and mouse mats to calendars and keyrings, there are many different ways to print and share your favorite Instagram photos. Now, however, thanks to UK based company Firebox, you can add chocolate bars to that list.

Through the company’s new Instagram Chocolate Cards Firebox lets Instagram users print their favorite square lo-fi photographs onto edible chocolates bars. In addition they can also add a personalised message.

Customers receive the milk chocolate bars nicely packed in a tin and whilst you only get one chocolate per order, the bar weighs in at a hefty 210 grams, which is roughly 400% bigger than the weight of most chocolate bars.

Each chocolate card costs £14.99, plus shipping and can be ordered here.

Article posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar. A true chocoholic, he also is chief editor of I Love USA Candy.


Source: Wired.com

Kama Sutra Chocolate has a bitter taste in Kazakhstan

It is cherished by many as an ancient and Sanskrit text that educates on the most intimate aspects of love and marriage. Indeed the Kama Sutra is actually considered a sacred text to many Hindus.

However other cultures, particular in the western world, largely ignore the  pearls of wisdom it dispenses in relation to love and family life and tend to view it more in terms of its explicit promotion at the role of sex as a source of pleasure.

Tapping in to this, Obzhorka, a confectionery manufacturer in Kazakhstan has caused a bit of an uproar by producing a range of 'adult' chocolates that use moulds of eight illustrations from the venerable tome.

To say it has not been received well is a bit of an understatement as public prosecutors in the town of Rudniy, which is located in the northern Qostanai region of the country,  on the back of a public outcry have confirmed they are investigating the company for selling the sexually explicit  bars of dark and white chocolate.

For their part Obzhorka firmly dismiss any suggestion of them doing anything wrong with a spokeswoman for the company, Tatyana Kryachko, explaining the chocolate was designed as an exclusive adult gift, with the firm even going so far as to ensuring the chocolates were packaged in fancy opaque wrappers, so as not to offend anyone.

These efforts however have come to nothing as many retailers have started selling the chocolates in display cabinets 'naked' by removing their packaging. Presumably so customers can actually see what it is they would be buying.

Unfortunately the sight of these high end sexual chocolates has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many Kazakhs.

Article posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar. A true chocoholic, he also is chief editor of I Love USA Candy.


Source: Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty