PediatricDigest: Latest from Food Politics: Keeping up with chocolate; the crisis and what to do about it

By Marion Nestle

March 05 2026

Keeping up with chocolate; the crisis and what to do about it

The chocolate industry, it appears, is in crisis. Here’s my collection of recent items on the topic.

Trends

The future of chocolate: An era of bold innovation and ultra indulgence: Chocolate is undergoing a dramatic transformation. From cutting‑edge cocoa‑free innovation to the rise of premium indulgence, discover how makers and brands are reinventing the world’s favourite treat… Read more
5 trends powering chocolate’s $245bn boom: Trends shaping the future of chocolate and the opportunities they create for the confectionery industry… Read more
Mars, Mondelēz, Nestlé, Hershey, and Lindt team up to transform future of cocoa: The world’s biggest chocolate makers are working together to futureproof cocoa and support growers… Read more

Challenges

Chocolate isn’t doomed, but it’s changing fast: It may be the end of chocolate as we know it… Read more
Cocoa prices collapse following record highs: Cocoa prices plunge to two‑year low as surpluses reshape the market… Read more
Are falling cocoa prices giving an edge to small choc players? Key players in chocolate already have the year’s cocoa supply locked in. But smaller players may not… Read more
Nestlé strips ‘chocolate’ from iconic bars as cocoa costs soar: Rising cocoa costs are forcing confectionery giants to rethink recipes and product labelling… Read more
Cocoa, coffee, and wine won’t survive with climate cooling alone: Climate cooling isn’t enough to save cocoa, wine, and coffee – industry needs to do more to protect these crops for the future… Read more
Is Hershey in trouble? Profits plummeting and ingredients under fire: Hershey’s rocky start to 2026 has raised questions about its long‑term direction… Read more

Addressing the crisis

Alternative cocoa: Ways confectionery’s most under-threat ingredient is being replaced: Chocolate makers has been significantly impacted by the cocoa crisis. Ingredient innovation offers a solution… Read more
The ‘untapped potential’ of functional chocolate: Functional chocolate is stepping into the spotlight. Discover the ingredients, trends and early innovators reshaping the future of indulgence… Read more
Can Chocolate Help With Asthma? Hemorrhoids? Feminine Hygiene? December 16 is National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day, which is either a celebration of culinary creativity or an excuse to use juvenile humor. Either way, chocolate has a long history of being marketed as a cure for just about everything. Let’s see what it can actually do—and what it absolutely can’t.

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