"cocoavia" news and stories

The Food and Drug Administration has a thing or two to say about the heart-healthy claims made by Mars' CocoaVia chocolate, launched last year. A letter to Mars' parent company Masterfoods USA from the FDA describes CocoaVia as "misbranded," due to what the FDA believes are conflicts between the antioxidant-rich chocolate's saturated fat content and its claim to be a heart healthy product, NutraIngredients-USA.com reported. Claims of health benefits make CocoaVia more drug than food, and would, in turn, require pre-market approval and a change in how the chocolate is marketed. The FDA also takes issue with the amounts of folic acid in some CocoaVia products, citing their recommendation of 1 mg per day. Masterfoods USA must now notify the FDA of how it plans to comply with the group's complaints, according NutraIngredients-USA.

Forbes magazine recently announced their top 10 healthiest candies. Chosen for taste and nutritional benefit, some of their picks are not really candies at all. An apple, which might be considered to be a treat by many people, is not and never will be candy.  A candy is a sweet, a confection and something that should not be confused with a piece of fruit, as the Pop'ems chosen by Forbes surely are; the combination of fruit and nuts, even if called a treat, should never be confused with candy. Taste-wise, a Larabar is a better option if you are going to count fruit as candy, because at least the spicy, complex, adult-tasting Cocoa Mole flavor has a good amount of cocoa powder in it.

Forbes is not off base on all of their choices, but candy still needs to be something at least a little special. Here are Slashfood’s 8 picks for healthiest (or least unhealthy) candies:

• Cocoa Via - Formulated to promote a healthy heart and even lower cholesterol, Cocoa Via chocolate bars are also fortified with nutrients like calcium, folic acid, B6, B12, C and E. The fruits and nuts in the bars make them a little something different, too.
• Adora – Sure, it has fifty percent of your daily recommended calcium, but that doesn’t mean that Adora tastes like it’s healthy. The smooth, rich chocolate comes in dark and milk flavors and will satisfy any sweet tooth in addition to strengthening bones.