Posted on 10/30/2014 8:34:53 AM PDT by Citizen Zed
The current Ebola outbreak is the largest in history, but the disease has not effected cocoa supply according to experts and featured in the November issue of Food Nutrition & Science.
West Africa is the world's largest producer of cocoa beans with an estimated 73% of the world's beans coming from the area, according to the International Cocoa Association. To date, the disease has not affected cocoa production and cocoa operations continue uninterrupted even as cocoa farmers on the Ivory Coast ramp up exports as a preventative measure.
"The good news is that while harvesting and shipping of cocoa in Ebola affected areas of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone has been seriously curtailed, the combined cocoa production of those three countries is minor," says Phil Lempert, founder of Food Nutrition & Science and CEO of The Lempert Report. "The Ivory Coast produces 40% of African cocoa it's Ebola-free."
According to Susan Smith, senior vice president of Communications at the National Confectioners Association, the main fall cocoa harvest is being harvested right now without disruption.
Also in this month's Food Nutrition & Science, the majority of U.S. children, including preschoolers, consume caffeine, although intake is on the decline, according to a recent report published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The report looked at caffeine intake in children aged 2 to 19 years old and found that 71% of U.S. children consumed caffeine on a given day.
(Excerpt) Read more at vendingmarketwatch.com ...
Then what’s all the fuss about?!
Whew, that was close.
Exactly!
Because my first thought when faced with a deadly global pandemic is “Like, ErMahGerd, where will I get my chocolate FRUMZ?”
I’m KOO-KOO for Cocoa Puffs! At least until rumors start that you can ‘get Ebola’ by eating chocolate.
Cocoa is cheaper. Buy it, while it’s cheap.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.