this post was submitted on 09 Mar 2025

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532

Tony's chocolonely - Dutch chocolate without child slavery! (tonyschocolonely.com)

submitted 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) by fxomt@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/buyeuropean@feddit.uk

133 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Supports shipping to:

Netherlands (no shipping required)
UK (no shipping required)
Germany
Austria
Norway (no shipping required)
Finland (no shipping required)
Belgium
Romania (no shipping required)

Non EU:

US (hawaii too)
Australia,
Puerto rico

Here's their promise to never use forced labour for their cocoa.

There's also the Tony's open chain: a pledge by many companies (not just eu, also us) to use only ethically sourced cocoa. The companies are: here

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[–] haroldfinch@feddit.nl 5 points 1 day ago

I'd love to have some Tony's Chocolonely. Unfortunately, I have such a severe gluten intolerance that their cross contaminated factory produces Russian Roulette bars for me.

Even though most of their bars don't actually contain gluten based ingredients, the fact they use one big production facility that sprinkles gluten all over the place for shits and giggles ensures I will never be able to safely consume their products.

I'll stick to G'woon chocolate. They at least produce their non-glutened bars in a safe environment.

(And yes I've tried Tony's bars in the past, always resulting in issues because of it.)

[–] Wooki@lemmy.world 9 points 2 days ago

I go out of ny way to buy this chocolate (outside EU) as its simply divine compared to American chocolate.

[–] h6pw5@sh.itjust.works 11 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Everyone should watch John Oliver’s Chocolate episode (as much as is preferred not to link YouTube). Tony’s is discussed, and it seems more ethical than most. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwHMDjc7qJ8

Edit: updated comment to better reflect coverage.

[–] MissingInteger@lemm.ee 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

That short segment about Tony seems relatively positve.

[–] h6pw5@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 days ago

I hadn’t watched the segment since it aired and… you’re right. Thanks!

[–] suddenlyme@lemm.ee 2 points 1 day ago

Yum

[–] SabinStargem@lemmings.world 4 points 2 days ago

Contrary to conservative beliefs, food made of child slavery doesn't taste more delicious.

/j...?

...honestly, I wouldn't put it past rich bastards like Musk getting off on their food, due to it being seasoned with suffering.

[–] bluelander@lemmy.ml 32 points 3 days ago (5 children)

I love Tony's, but they're also reportedly higher in lead content than other brands.

https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/lead-and-cadmium-in-dark-chocolate-a8480295550/

Valrhona is a solid non-American brand pick from the list of safer chocolate and they're B-Corp certified. I believe their parents company is French.

When it comes to chocolate you're often forced to pick your poison, so to speak.

[–] Realitaetsverlust@lemmy.zip 9 points 2 days ago (3 children)

I love Tony’s, but they’re also reportedly higher in lead content than other brands.

Yes, that is because cocoa plants absorb heavy metals from the soil. Tony probably has a higher lead content because they simply use more cocoa. That's something you can also see if you compare dark chocolate with milk chocolate - dark chocolate will have more lead because more cocoa is used.

The amount of lead is also not a biggie - you'd have to eat such an insane amount of chocolate that you'd die of the sugar intake WAY earlier than from the lead exposure.

[–] DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social 5 points 2 days ago

1: It's thought to be contamination from the manufacturing and shipping process, as far as I know.

2: There is no safe level of lead intake, and it's not about lethal dosage. The numbers used are California's extra-paranoid metrics however. That doesn't make them wrong, just be aware that you're being poisoned in so many other ways as well you might as well have some chocolate now and again, it probably won't be the thing that gives you Alzheimer's. But it might! You'll never know! Or remember...

3: Tony's is still better because all the others are just as bad but with slavery.

[–] bluelander@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 days ago

I doubt anyone is getting lead poisoning exclusively from eating chocolate, but it's accumulative in the human body and worth being aware of.

[–] HotChickenFeet@sopuli.xyz 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

I mean, their 70% cocoa clocks in at 134% the mentiomed safe limit while the 80% cocoa from mast is at 14% (both reportedly for 1 oz of chocolate) according to the previously linked data. If the main determinant was the amount of cocoa, than I would have expected 80% to be higher.

Of course a company could be lying about the cocoa %, or using some type of filler, etc. But it seems plausible that there might be other causes. For example, perhaps some cocoa plantation locations have more lead in their soil, etc.

Tony's did actually respond to CR, claiming these are not food safety standards. They did not appear to mention why their chocolate had any different levels of lead than other companies, just that leaf is absorbed from the soil.

[–] piyuv@lemmy.world 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Lead and cadmium come from cocoa plants. Tony’s might have more because it has a higher cocoa percentage

[–] vegantomato@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago

It's most likely from the surrounding environment, and pollution from cars. Countries with shitty regulations are cheap to hire from and their crops are cheaper. The downside? You get lead in your food.

[–] Tetragrade@leminal.space 14 points 3 days ago (1 children)

This is for dark chocolate only, and the article has them listed as one of the lowest lead brands. Crazy that they're all so high though, WTF!

[–] bluelander@lemmy.ml 6 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

A fair point! Didn't even occur to me since I only bother with the dark stuff lol

They're the lowest listed of the "high lead content" category. So kind of the best of the worst for it, I suppose.

[–] AlecSadler@sh.itjust.works 10 points 3 days ago (1 children)

TIL chocolate can have lead...jfc

[–] Gladaed@feddit.org 4 points 2 days ago

Everything has lead.

[–] ferret36@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

What's b corp certified?

[–] marble@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 days ago

In the UK, B labs certifies companies they meet their requirements for social responsibility, environmental stuff etc. I don't know the details but the companies I've seen that have B corp status seem to care about doing nice stuff, so I consider it a plus.

[–] Lasagna@lemmy.ml 55 points 3 days ago (5 children)

I was under the impression that Tony’s is working towards a chocolate industry without child labor and forced labor. But the issue is quite complex and they’re not there yet.

Not saying they’re bad. It seems that they’re doing what they can and according to their website they “lead by example”. But I’m not sure if they make any promises about a 100% child labor / forced labor free supply chain at this moment.

The above could be outdated, maybe they’ve achieved their objectives for their own supply chain already. But I can’t find it on their website atm.

[–] Bldck@beehaw.org 45 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Previously they claimed no slave labor for many years.

They audited their supply chain every year, but eventually found that no matter the claims of their suppliers and auditors, they were finding instances of child labor.

So they’ve updated their stance and are actively working to change the industry

Here’s an article from 2022 covering the issue

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[–] YarHarSuperstar@lemmy.world 18 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (4 children)

I think it used to say "as little slavery as possible" or something like that but I don't see that written out anymore, just implied.

From the inside of one I just opened:

Also

lead by example

https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/lead-and-cadmium-in-dark-chocolate-a8480295550/

mfw

[–] tuxiqae@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 day ago

May contain nuts, child slavery, lactose

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[–] MTK@lemmy.world 24 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Fucking woke BS, ChIlD sLaVeRy. Let the childern work, we need Chocolate!

[–] fxomt@lemmy.dbzer0.com 17 points 3 days ago (3 children)

the children YEARN for the nestle mines, we NEED that chocolate

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[–] TTH4P@lemm.ee 27 points 3 days ago (8 children)

Also it's pretty good. I didn't know I liked milk chocolate, because Hershey's is disgusting. Tony's is objectively a better tasting product.

[–] Decq@lemmy.world 39 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (7 children)

Well there's your problem, in the Netherlands (and other places) Hershey milk 'chocolate' isn't legally chocolate. It needs at least 35% cacao to be called chocolate. It would be called 'Cacao fantasy' here instead. So no wonder you think it's shit chocolate, cause it isn't chocolate to begin with

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[–] durfenstein@lemmy.world 17 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Aside from the activism stuff, Tonys just tastes how good chocolate should taste.

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[–] Kualdir@feddit.nl 17 points 3 days ago (2 children)

FYI: Check if whatever brand you like also works with Tony's for their supply chain. For example Jumbo (NL supermarket) sources their chocolate from Tony's and there's quite a lot more partners.

[–] fxomt@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 3 days ago (1 children)

https://www.tonysopenchain.com/ Found the partners

I'll add them right now

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[–] TheGiantKorean@lemmy.world 15 points 3 days ago (8 children)

As an American: you guys eat American chocolate?

[–] Wooki@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Fair question! Europeans eating American chocolate when they have access to the best in the world is kind of bizarre

[–] Microw@lemm.ee 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

It's all African chocolate anyways. All cocoa used worldwide comes from West Africa.

[–] Wooki@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I'm not sure how your point is relevant.

It's certainly not just raw cocoa, it's so much more.

[–] Microw@lemm.ee 1 points 1 day ago

I was just joking around ;)

(But what one can say is that there is a problematic practice in that whole industry since they all ship cocoa to other continents to combine it with so much more stuff to make chocolate. I'd love to buy fully African-produced chocolate, but it simply doesn't exist)

[–] neo2478@sh.itjust.works 20 points 3 days ago (5 children)

I mean there is also a big difference between American brands in the US and the EU. Last time I went to the US, I brought back snickers, Twix, and KitKats. Then I bought the EU alternative and set up a double blinded taste test with my friends.

Without fail we all immediately were able to tell them apart. The American version was chalky and tasted like pure sugar. The EU version, albeit also nowhere near Tony quality and still very sweet, was much higher quality and you could taste the individual components of the candy. It was not just a sweet punch in the face.

[–] cocolowlander@feddit.nl 8 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I worked in a Nabisco factory a decade ago in the US making Oreo.

They've consistently looked for cost cutting measures to reduce the amount of cocoa powder (expensive input) put into the product. What happened when I was there was they would look for a new vendor that would offer stronger cocoa flavor profile per kg and then use that as a justification to cut the amount of cocoa powder in the product. To mask it they would amp up the sweetness.

In a blind test, a normal people can't tell the difference year to year, but if you compare it to what it was ten years ago, there would be a noticeable difference.

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[–] match@pawb.social 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Bibamba Chocolate in Denver is locally produced and grown on the owner's farm in Cameroon

[–] TheGiantKorean@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

We do have some excellent chocolate here. Just that the big brands aren't very good.

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[–] TheImpressiveX@lemm.ee 11 points 3 days ago

I discovered Tony's Chocoloney a few months ago, and I really love it. I can get it at my local supermarket as well. Great to see them on here!

[–] kora@sh.itjust.works 11 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

I love Tony's as much as the next guy. However, be aware that a test conducted in 2022 found high levels of lead in Chocolonely Dark Chocolate variant.

Consistent, long-term exposure to even small amounts of heavy metals can lead to a variety of health problems. The danger is greatest for pregnant people and young children because the metals can cause developmental problems, affect brain development, and lead to lower IQ, says Tunde Akinleye, the CR food safety researcher who led this testing project.

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