Halloween is known for providing some good scares, but the most frightening thing about this holiday isn’t the ghosts and ghouls—it’s the ingredient labels on most types of Halloween candy. Despite the small serving sizes, Halloween candy is far from a healthy choice. Most varieties of Halloween treats are packed with sugar and high fructose corn syrup, artificial colorings and flavorings, and questionably sourced ingredients. Here’s a closer look at what’s so scary about Halloween candy and where to find better alternatives.
Questionable Cocoa
Chocolate is a favorite among trick-or-treaters. Unfortunately, large-scale chocolate producers are not as discerning about their cocoa sourcing as smaller, specialized chocolatiers. While chocolate producers like Zotter Chocolate forge fair trade partnerships with sustainable, ethical cocoa farms around the world to ensure a high-quality product, other chocolate brands may simply purchase whichever cocoa varieties come cheapest. Those are the ones that turn a blind eye to environmentally detrimental farming practices, child labor, and other catastrophes plaguing the cocoa production industry.
Loads of Excess Sugar
Most varieties of Halloween candy have one thing in common: sugar, and lots of it. If you check the label of most Halloween candy, you’ll see that sugar—or, more commonly, high fructose corn syrup—is one of the first ingredients. While any variety of candy will have some sugar, many mass-produced confections will simply have way too much of it.
Low-Quality Ingredients
Along with an abundance of sugar, Halloween candy often features other low-quality ingredients like food coloring, carnauba wax, palm oil, mineral oil, and artificial flavors.
Find Higher Quality Treats With Zotter Chocolate
Here at Zotter Chocolate, we believe that chocolate should truly be an indulgence, which is why we utilize only fair trade cocoa, organic and sustainably sourced ingredients, and bean-to-bar production to create every variety of chocolate you’ll find in our online store. This year, skip the typical Halloween candy and treat yourself to something special from Zotter Chocolate.