NEW ZEALAND—Chocolate manufacturer Cadbury, has taken note of New Zealanders’ outrage and will revert to producing bars of chocolate using its traditional recipe.
Earlier this year, the iconic chocolate manufacturer substituted some of the cocoa butter in its chocolate with palm oil which the company claimed came from certified and sustainable sources.
Environmentalists claimed that Cadbury was actually contributing toward increased palm oil production and the associated growth in plantations. This had led to the extensive destruction of rainforests in Indonesia, Borneo and Malaysia.
Greenpeace has reported that the subsequent draining and burning of peat has devastated the biodiversity in the region and orangutans, an endangered species, were threatened with extinction.
Chocoholics, on the other hand, were unimpressed with the new product that not only came with a new taste and texture, but the weight of each bar was reduced.
Cadbury has received hundreds of letters and emails from consumers who told the company they didn’t like the new recipe.
“At the time, we genuinely believed we were making the right decision, for the right reasons. But we got it wrong, said Matthew Oldham, Cadbury’s managing director in a press release. “Now we’re putting things right as soon as we possibly can, and hope Kiwis will forgive us.
“Cadbury Dairy Milk’s quality is what’s made it one of New Zealand’s most trusted brands for many years. Changing the recipe put that trust at risk and I am really sorry.”
Sue Kedgley, Green Party Member of Parliament, says that Cadbury’s decision to remove palm oil from their chocolate showed how consumer power could encourage manufacturers to incorporate ethical practices into their business.
“I am very pleased that they have listened to the consumers and I hope other companies will follow suite.”
“But ultimately we do need labelling so that consumers can work out which products have palm oil and which don’t.”
At the moment all the labelling says is that it contains vegetable oil.
“It also shows that more and more consumers are actually caring about how their product has been produced and what is in it.
“Consumers are becoming more aware of ethical issues,” says Ms Kedgley.
Earlier this year, the iconic chocolate manufacturer substituted some of the cocoa butter in its chocolate with palm oil which the company claimed came from certified and sustainable sources.
Environmentalists claimed that Cadbury was actually contributing toward increased palm oil production and the associated growth in plantations. This had led to the extensive destruction of rainforests in Indonesia, Borneo and Malaysia.
Greenpeace has reported that the subsequent draining and burning of peat has devastated the biodiversity in the region and orangutans, an endangered species, were threatened with extinction.
Chocoholics, on the other hand, were unimpressed with the new product that not only came with a new taste and texture, but the weight of each bar was reduced.
Cadbury has received hundreds of letters and emails from consumers who told the company they didn’t like the new recipe.
“At the time, we genuinely believed we were making the right decision, for the right reasons. But we got it wrong, said Matthew Oldham, Cadbury’s managing director in a press release. “Now we’re putting things right as soon as we possibly can, and hope Kiwis will forgive us.
“Cadbury Dairy Milk’s quality is what’s made it one of New Zealand’s most trusted brands for many years. Changing the recipe put that trust at risk and I am really sorry.”
Sue Kedgley, Green Party Member of Parliament, says that Cadbury’s decision to remove palm oil from their chocolate showed how consumer power could encourage manufacturers to incorporate ethical practices into their business.
“I am very pleased that they have listened to the consumers and I hope other companies will follow suite.”
“But ultimately we do need labelling so that consumers can work out which products have palm oil and which don’t.”
At the moment all the labelling says is that it contains vegetable oil.
“It also shows that more and more consumers are actually caring about how their product has been produced and what is in it.
“Consumers are becoming more aware of ethical issues,” says Ms Kedgley.
