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Free chocolate every Friday for months

Posted May 14 2009, 12:14 PM by Joan Melcher
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Who knew chocolate could be politically correct?

Apparently, Mars Snackfood US, maker of M&Ms, Snickers, 3 Musketeers, Milky Way and other American favorites, does.

The company has launched the equivalent of a filibuster to draw attention to competitors that substitute vegetable oil for cocoa butter in their products.

So, what’s in it for you? One of the biggest chocolate giveaways in history.

Every Friday through the end of September, you stand a chance of getting a free chocolate bar or candy because of the Mars Real Chocolate Relief Act.

Mars initiated the program last week, giving out coupons for chocolate treats to the first 250,000 people who logged on at RealChocolate.com on Friday and requested a coupon. The response was so large that Mars is doubling the chance for free chocolate this week. A half-million coupons will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis and mailed to those who qualify. Coupons are redeemable for any full-size Mars chocolate product and are limited to one per person per week.

What’s the purpose? According to Mars, federal regulations stipulate that the only source of fat (except milk fat) in a chocolate product should be cocoa butter. Mars says it uses only 100% cocoa butter and urges consumers to look at labels whenever they buy chocolate to be sure they’re getting the real thing.

Of course, while bringing consumers’ attention to chocolate standards, Mars is also trying to lift spirits in a recession-plagued nation, describing the promotion as “a massive effort (that) aims to spread joy across America by giving away as many as 7 million full-size packages of Mars chocolate.”

All we can say is: Bring it on!

Related reading:

In difficult times, she craves something sweet

When a $3 candy is really worth it

Sneaking candy into the theater: Frugal or cheap?

Comments

 

The FDA is entertaining a "citizen's petition" to allow manufacturers to substitute vegetable fats and oils for cocoa butter.

The "citizens" who created this petition represent groups that would benefit most from this degradation of the current standards. They are the Chocolate Manufacturers Assn., the Grocery Manufacturers Assn., the Snack Food Assn. and the National Cattlemen's Beef Assn., along with seven other food producing associations.

James Aven

http://www.EmailCharger.com

Wow, thanks for the update!  I'll pass it on to my readers.

They'll take my Milky Way when they pry it from my cold, dead fingers!

Dear James: How can we the regular citizens notify the FDA that we the chocolate eating public object to this change? Or do we just e-mail are elected officials we think animal fat in our chocolate is bogus?

Free chocolate...woohoo

Any chocolate is good!!!!

Omigosh! Free chocolate! I need therapeutic doses of chocolate on a regular basis. This sounds great!

vegetable oil in chocolate... its an end of innocence

lets' not let this happen to chocolate, until we eatup all the good stuff first!!.

How utterly stupid. If you have to consider Cheerios a drug than why hasn't the FDA put the skids on Extenz and the other one that gives ole santa a boost of confidence ! This is so lame. The FDA has bigger companies to fry like Chicom products such as drywall that is killing people, dog food and baby formula.

The secret for Coca-Cola and real chocolate are two things that politicians and beaucrats have not messed up yet. Don't allow this to happen. Come on beaucrats stand up for something other than being a paid-for "ruber stamp" for manufactures.

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