Organic Dark Chocolate

Photo by John Loo, under license

There are plenty of organic dark chocolate products out there.  What does "organic" really mean?  Is it healthier?  Is it worth the extra expense?

Organic Options

Many manufacturers offer organic options.  Others produce exclusively organic products.  If you want organic, you can find plenty of it.

What is Organic?

Photo by Travis Crawford, under license

Exact standards and requirements vary throughout the world, but generally involve standards for the preparation, growing, production, packaging, shipping, and storage of food.  These standards usually include most of these restrictions:

• Use of farmland that had been chemical free for several years
• Avoidance of all synthetic chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, growth hormones, and antibiotics
• Avoidance of genetic modification
• Avoidance of irradiation
• Avoidance of the use of sewage
• Meets specified documentation and inspection standards

Healthier?

Photo by Fiona Wilkinson, under license

Organic food could be healthier, especially, for example, if you are looking at food that is more absorbant of chemicals and you have allergies to them.  It seems this benefit would not be very pronounced in dark chocolate products, but if you have health concerns about the organic nature of the milk products used, or of the cocoa process, or of shipping, handling, or packaging, then you may decide that organic is somewhat healthier.

Is It Worth the Extra Cost?

Most people would be interested in organic chocolate either for the potential health benefits just described, or for a personal concern for the environment.  Organic food takes more time and effort to prepare, grow, package, certify, etc.  The supply is relatively low, so the price is higher.  Only you can decide if the extra expense is worth the potential benefits.

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