Dark Chocolate Gets Sweeter Every Day

Call it a 'super-fruit,' researchers say

(NEWSER) - Chocolate lovers, rejoice: Your beloved treat may actually be healthier than fruit juice. A comparison of cocoa products to fruit juice powders suggests dark chocolate has more antioxidant power than juices, as well as more of certain chemicals that are good for your heart, the New York Daily News reports. But take note: The study was conducted by Hershey. More»

Many see right through US bars, actually made by Hershey

(NEWSER) - Serious chocolate fans responded warily to the news of Kraft's bid for Cadbury—especially in the US, where aficionados reject the domestic brand anyway. It’s made by Hershey, not the British firm itself, and that just won’t cut it for hardcore devotees of the British brand, the Wall Street Journal reports. "If you were to hold a gun to my head, and say, 'Eat this Hershey bar!' I'd say: 'Shoot me,'" vows one fan. More»

(NEWSER) - Heart attack survivors who eat chocolate after recovering are much less likely to suffer a recurrence than people who abstain, AFP reports. People who eat at least two servings a week are three times less likely to die from heart disease than those who don’t consume chocolate. And the more chocolate, the greater the benefit. “It seems that antioxidants in cocoa are a likely candidate,” the co-author of a recent study says. More»

(NEWSER) - A mistake in the labs of the world's largest chocolate producer inadvertently led researchers to the ultimate in confectionery: a recipe that's not only heat-resistant, but that contains 90% fewer calories than normal chocolate. Food engineers fooling around at Barry Callebaut, which makes products for Nestlé and Cadbury, ended up creating a crispy bar with a light consistency that doesn't melt below 131°F. More»

FDA still has no idea how bacteria made its way into Nestle dough

(NEWSER) - The FDA has confirmed the presence of E. coli in cookie dough from Nestle's Virginia plant, reports the Washington Post. The plant's refrigerated cookie dough was the prime suspect in an outbreak of E. coli-related illness that sickened 69 people in 29 states. But investigators remain confounded as to how the bacteria, commonly found in cow intestines, ended up in cookie dough. More»