CACAOGATE! A press release about the current raw cacao butter and raw cacao powder controversy.

1. PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Distribution • Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Contact: Christian Aldama 818.357.8685 www.bestofraw.net
Raw Chocolate Controversy Spawns Action
Toward Industry Standards and Recipe Contest
Famous Raw Chefs and Educators Participate in Gourmet RAW Cacao
Chef-Off at New Monthly Raw Foods Bazaar in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES—Affectionately known as the “Food of the Gods” by Mayans and Aztecs, cacao has become a
favorite in the thriving multi-million dollar raw and organic foods industry. Raw cacao is distinct from other
chocolates because it is meant to be processed at temperatures below 118°F to protect its nutritional value.
This burgeoning raw foods industry was hit by shockwaves this winter when it was discovered most if not all
Raw Cacao Powder & Butter sold at a premium worldwide was mislabeled as ‘raw’ when in fact it had been subjected
to temperatures from 200°F to 400°F. The resulting controversy has led to two radical changes in the industry: the
emergence of a new Truly RAW product (from Bali, Indonesia), and growing support for a 3rd party Raw certifier,
similar to Organic certifiers. To support awareness, Raw Foodists and fans of Raw Cacao have also banded together
to showcase the new Bali Cacao in a Gourmet Recipe Contest that culminates in Los Angeles March 7.
Three years ago after uncovering questionable claims being made in the RAW industry around cacao
processing, Big Tree Farms located in Bali, Indonesia took on a 3 year project to build custom machinery that
produces truly raw cacao powder and butter always under 118°F. The first company to bring these innovative
products to the US markets is Nevada City distributor Earth Family Foods/Earth Circle Organics, recently joined by
Santa Monica-based Essential Living Foods to increase awareness and provide Big Tree’s raw cacao powder & butter
to consumers, manufacturers and retailers who demand “truly raw” foods.
Because of the controversial information, new products and reshuffling in the industry, consumers have been
left a bit confused as to whose powder and butter is actually raw while manufacturers have been trying to make their
recipes work with this new raw cacao, which has a unique flavor, closer to the slightly-bitter taste of a raw cacao bean
than the “chocolatey” taste of roasted cacao powders. As a community service, the Best of Raw awards
(www.bestofraw.net) founder Laura Fox created a Truly Raw Cacao Recipe Contest featuring famous raw Chefs &
Judges to: (a) bring light to needs of the growing raw foods movement, (b) offer a fun way for raw chefs to explore
the properties of the Bali raw cacao butter & powder, and (c) create a community dialogue around integrity and trust
among consumers, manufacturers and distributors. Featuring renowned and “up and coming” raw chefs, the contest is
generating a buzz of expectation and enthusiasm in the raw foods world.
Online at www.bestofraw.net and live at the 2nd monthly LA Raw Bazaar Sunday, March 7, 11 am to 5 pm,
the cacao contest is hosted by Non-profit organization Katharsis, Inc. Katharsis is committed to helping people
develop skills for healthy living. Katharsis founder Baruch Inbar comments, “We hope the event will clarify the
controversy with raw cacao products and bring together those companies that have integrity and transparency.
Twenty two new recipes in four categories will be tasted and judged by raw community leaders, restaurateurs and
authors Roxanne Klein (“RAW”), Rod Rotondi (Leaf Cuisine) and Juliano (Planet Raw), plus Adidas Global
Ambassador Rainbeau Mars, L.A. musician Daniel Krieger (The Luminaries), Chris Whitcoe (Vivapura) and radio
hosts Jennifer Partridge (Our New Earth) and Steve Prussack (Raw Vegan Radio).
Cacao is not the only RAW product mired in controversy. Similar questions about accurate labeling continue
to cloud products like “Raw Cashews,” “Raw Agave Syrup,” “Cold-Pressed Olive Oil,” and many others. This
controversy has spurred a new effort to create a set of standards, similar to those used in USDA Organic certification.
This would be a tremendous boost to customers of the burgeoning Raw Foods industry, which boasts hundreds of
product lines in thousands of retail and online stores, with items ranging from dehydrated crackers, cookies and kale
chips to candy bars, nutritional bars and truffles, to refrigerated kombuchas & prepared foods. A raw vegan trade
association currently called Raw Alliance (www.rawalliance.org) is in a ‘pre-launch’ awareness campaign to address
concerns about raw standards, third party verification and more. “As a Chef it would be great to have a stamp of
approval from an official association to ensure product quality,” says Brian Lucas, Raw Vegan Chef and Educator.
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