We recently received an email inquiry regarding substitutes for refined sugar in chocolate, such as evaporated cane juice or brown rice syrup. Here is our response:

"Cioccolato strives to educate its customers on the wide variety of products we import and sell. We primarily specialize in chocolates imported from Europe, and currently also feature a Colombian brand and a few specialty domestic chocolates.

European chocolatiers and chocolate consumers typically have different concerns than consumers in the United States. As you may already be aware, health concerns in particular that have developed here in the US have not been quite as much of a concern to Europeans, such as obesity. Imported chocolate and other food items have only recently begun to bear the now-standard Nutrition Facts label that is required on our food packaging, even though they have been providing ingredients lists on their products for some time.

A primary concern of many premier European chocolatiers is that of authentic traditional ingredients. Dark chocolate only truly needs three ingredients: cocoa mass (sometimes called cocoa powder or just cocoa), cocoa butter, and sugar. The growing demand for cocoa butter from the beauty industry has put a strain on some chocolatiers, who have turned to other vegetable fats for use as substitutes in their chocolate. This is considered a stigma among premier chocolatiers, who have begun to emphasize their use of real cocoa butter.

Pure cane sugar, or refined sugar, has been a traditional ingredient in the same way real cocoa butter has. The producers of chocolate who would never think of adding vegetable fat to replace cocoa butter in their chocolate would similarly never think of adding something like high fructose corn syrup, or even a healthier option like rice syrup, to replace cane sugar - the emphasis is placed on the recipe and the intended nuances of flavor. Some dark chocolate also contains vanilla, and again the preference would be for natural vanilla instead of vanillin, which is a substitute.

The presence of cane sugar in European chocolate is not a concern for most European consumers, who tend to eat more balanced diets and/or lead more active lifestyles. Chocolate is more likely to be enjoyed in moderation, even if this translates to a small serving of chocolate every day.

We do carry two kinds of sugar free dark chocolate intended for diabetics, with maltitol and lactitol added as sugar substitutes. These substitutes do occasionally cause stomach upset, but are included in the most popular sugar free brands available domestically.

There are also dark chocolate bars with very high cocoa content on our shelves, from 75% to 85% and even 100%. These percentages refer to the amount of the ingredients that come directly from the cocoa bean, leaving only 15% or less to sugar, and of course the 100% bar has no sugar or any sweetener whatsoever. While every chocolatier has their own unique recipe, an average three ounce bar of 70% dark chocolate will contain around 20 grams of sugar total, so a single one ounce serving would only contain around seven grams of sugar. 70% cocoa content is the recommended minimum percentage if a person wants to gain the health benefits of the antioxidants in the cocoa, so higher cocoa content translates to more antioxidants and less sugar.

Finally, to come directly to your question, all our chocolates contain either cane sugar, a diabetic sugar substitute, or no sugar at all. It is more likely that you will find the sugar substitutes you seek in domestic brands of chocolate or chocolates produced specifically for health food or organic food stores.

Our intention is to bring the chocolates of Europe to the discerning American consumer, like yourself. We sincerely hope you will contact us if you have any further questions about the products we sell, and salute your interest in making chocolate a part of a healthy lifestyle."