HOUSTON, Texas — With the recent news reports of melamine-tainted chocolate coins coming out of China, there has been some public question regarding the safety of chocolate coins sold in the United States. Images in Chocolate, LLC, a 15-year-old Houston, TX-based chocolate manufacturer marketing their chocolate coins online at ChocolateCoinStore.com spoke about the recent scare. “This is an isolated case with chocolate coins manufactured in China,” said Tim Dugan, CEO. “Our chocolate coins are made with 100% Belgian Callebaut chocolate and contain absolutely no melamine whatsoever…never have, never will.” On October 8, 2008, Canada’s food inspection agency issued a consumer advisory warning the public not to eat Sherwood Brands’ Pirate’s Gold milk chocolate coins imported from China.
“The chocolate coins we produce are of the highest Belgian quality,” stated Dugan, “Only the purest ingredients are included in order to make our chocolate coins with the highest standards possible.”
Melamine is an industrial chemical compound that some Chinese milk-based product manufacturers have added to their products in an attempt to artificially inflate the reading for protein levels. Chronic exposure to melamine can cause a number of severe health issues including bladder or kidney stones, acute kidney failure, reproductive damage, respiratory irritation and bladder cancer. Melamine has been discovered in a number of Chinese manufactured products that are formulated with milk, including baby formula, ice cream, and chocolate coins.
Chocolate coins exported from China have been the only ones linked to the melamine scandal. For U.S. consumers, knowing that your chocolate coins are made with 100% Belgian chocolate should allay any fears regarding its safety. “Our corporate mission has always been to emphasize quality above all else,” said Dugan. “Our decision to use Callebaut chocolate, a 150-year manufacturer and the choice of world-renowned chefs and specialty chocolatiers was an easy one for us. Their commitment to the highest standards in chocolate production is unrivaled.”
About Images in Chocolate, LLC
Based in Houston Texas, Images in Chocolate (www.gocandy.com) has been serving the corporate and retail markets for custom chocolate products since 1994. Specializing in 100% Belgian chocolate coins, the company also operates online under the name The Chocolate Coin Store.
