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“Mockolate” is a term used for candy made without cocoa butter, which cannot be labeled as “chocolate”. It is made with vegetable oil and lacks the nutritional profile and mouthfeel of real chocolate. Companies often use misleading labeling to sell mockolate as real chocolate.
The term “mockolate” is used derisively to describe candy products made with cocoa solids, but no cocoa butter. Legally, such products cannot be labeled “chocolate,” but must instead be called “chocolate candy,” “chocolate coating,” or a variation thereof, so consumers understand that cocoa butter is not present. Mockolate is typically made by companies looking to cut costs, as lip balm can be extremely expensive, and many companies find that keeping the familiar candy size the same is very important, even if the ingredients must change to accommodate the costs.
Real chocolate includes both cocoa solids and cocoa butter, the two components extracted from the cocoa bean when it is crushed in preparation for making chocolate. Making chocolate is actually a very complicated process, as the components are first separated and then carefully blended together in varying amounts, along with other ingredients, to produce the desired chocolate product. The cocoa solids contribute much of the flavor, while the cocoa butter adds the rich, creamy mouthfeel that people associate with chocolate.
When mockolate is made, the cocoa solids are blended with another source of fat, usually vegetable oil. According to the manufacturers, mockolate tastes the same as real chocolate in blind taste tests, but some foodies disagree. They claim that mockolate tastes flat and greasy and lacks the mouthfeel of real chocolate. Many have also pointed out that mockolate doesn’t have the same nutritional profile as real chocolate and that it can contain harmful fats and oils.
The battle between mockolate and real chocolate has led to attempts by the chocolate and candy industry to attempt to twist labeling rules that force them to clearly identify mockolate. Consumers and high-end chocolate companies have reacted poorly to these proposals, arguing that this could infringe on consumer choice. Whether or not mockolate and chocolate are identical, opponents argue, consumers should be able to select whichever version they like best. This labeling argument reflects a larger food labeling dispute that is raging in many countries as people struggle with issues such as genetically modified organisms, country of origin labeling, and humane labeling.
Because many people have a negative perception of mockery, companies often use misleading labeling so that consumers believe they are buying real chocolate. When companies switch from chocolate to mockolate, for example, their product packaging can stay the same. Claims that a product contains mockolate include the use of very small letters describing “chocolate cream”, “chocolate coating”, or “chocolate candy” in the product, rather than large characters boasting “chocolate” or “chocolate with milk”.
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