Gone Chocco

As some of you may know, Cadbury Australia has reacted to consumer complaints and removed palm oil from their chocolate, effective immediately. 

Whilst this means it might take a couple of months before it disappears from our shelves, they’ve at least been able to step down from their Corporate high-horse and admit they’ve made a mistake; not many multi-nationals are going to do that, are they?

You can click here to see the story about Cadbury, Orangutans, angry chocoholics and yours truly featured on A Current Affair.    

Zoos Victoria is calling on all Australians to exercise their power and rights as consumers to prevent the endangerment of Orangutans. Currently, more than 1000 Orangutans die every year because of land clearance for palm-oil plantations.

They are asking Food Standards Australia and New Zealand to change the food labeling standards so that palm oil is labeled in food products.  Currently it is hidden under the catch-all phrase ‘vegetable oil’.  It has been estimated that around 40% of processed foods sold in Aussie supermarkets contain palm oil, but how can you make a decision to avoid it if it’s not labelled?

If you are concerned, visit the zoo’s campaign website at www.zoo.org.au/palmoil and sign their online petition.  More than a thousand Orang-utans die every year because their habitat is destroyed for palm oil.

Or click here to watch a video – only about 90 seconds, that sums up the importance of the issue.

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