Worldwide cocoa production has been tainted by child slave labour over the course of the past decade, but an Australian company is now one of an increasing number worldwide who are looking to eradicate slave labour from the industry. On a visit to Cocoa Australia’s cocoa plantation and processing centre at Mossman Central Mill last week, Opposition Spokesman for Northern Australia, Senator Ian Macdonald, indicated that this Australian first would help to reduce the use of child labour to produce... ...Read more »

The United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS), Mars, Incorporated, and IBM are combining their scientific resources to sequence and analyze the entire cocoa genome. Sequencing the cocoa genome is viewed by the organizations as a significant scientific step that may allow more directed breeding of cocoa plants and potentially enhance the quality of cocoa - the key ingredient in chocolate. The collaboration hopes to enable farmers to plant better quality... ...Read more »

A report published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests that cocoa flavanols, which are naturally occurring plant compounds, may provide benefits to people with Type 2 Diabetes. The study concluded that the daily consumption of a beverage rich in cocoa flavanols can positively impact blood vessel dysfunction. Study participants who regularly drank a beverage rich in cocoa flavanols, made using the Mars, Incorporated Cocoapro process, experienced a 30 per cent improvement... ...Read more »