I JUST wanted to thank you for the article about white chocolate. Currently I am working on opening a small pet accessories shop and it seemed like what I've been missing was all the cute cookie treats. I started making treats and although they were cute and healthy, I was missing the "flair" .... the icing! I searched all over the Internet and found recipes to make but many of them included white chocolate. Being a dog lover this didn't make sense. After reading your article it all clicked!
With your permission, I would like to print this article in a flyer format so that my customers won't be as confused as I was. Once again, thank you for all the help. - Shawn C. Adams, The Preppy Puppy, Oklahoma City.
White chocolate does contain traces of theobromine, the toxic ingredient for dogs, but in such small amounts that they have no effect. White chocolate originates from the cocoa (cacao) plant, but it is not chocolate. According to the FDA, to be called chocolate a product must contain chocolate liquor, which is what gives the bitter, intense chocolate flavour (and color) to dark and milk chocolates.
White chocolate contains cocoa butter, milk solids, sugar, lecithin and flavourings (usually including vanilla). Cocoa butter is the fat from cocoa beans, extracted from the cocoa beans during the process of making chocolate and cocoa powder. Cocoa butter has very little chocolate flavour.
Cocoa butter is one of the ingredients used to make real chocolate. It gives chocolate the ability to remain solid at room temperature, yet melt easily in the mouth.
Cocoa butter is one of the most stable fats known, containing natural antioxidants that prevent rancidity and give it a storage life of two to five years. It is used for its smooth texture in foods (including chocolate) and in cosmetics and soaps. - Ed (information from various veterinary and chocolate manufacturing internet websites)
