Three Popular but Troubling Chocolate Brands Sold in Massachusetts

Massachusetts is full of chocolate lovers. After all, America's first successful chocolate mill was founded in Dorchester by Dr. James Baker and chocolate maker John Hannon in 1764. It's no surprise that Massachusetts has many chocolate shops in cities and towns across the state. We are a state of chocolate fans.

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Which Chocolate Brands Should Massachusetts Shoppers Avoid? 

24/7 Wall St. released a list of the eight chocolate brands to avoid. Today, we take a look at the top three brands on the list. Whether you live in Boston, Worcester, Springfield, etc., these brands are available to purchase in Massachusetts. It's up to you whether you want to give them a shot. Chances are, you already have.

Taking the #3 spot of chocolate brands to avoid according to 24/7 Wall St. is Hershey's. Hershey's lands on the list because Hershey uses a secret process to make their chocolate, but part of it includes lipolysis, which produces butyric acid in the chocolate, making it tangy and overpowering the flavor of the cocoa. In addition, Hershey was listed in a lawsuit in 2022 that alleged that Hershey knew about high levels of lead and cadmium in their chocolate but refused to warn their customers. These are just a couple of reasons why Hershey's is one of the top chocolate brands to avoid.

Nestle takes the #2 spot of chocolate brands to avoid, according to 24/7 Wall St. The reason for Nestle being included on this list is because the company has faced lawsuits and widespread criticism for its use of child labor and child trafficking in its chocolate production. It has consistently misled the public by promising to phase out child labor from its process, but it does not, according to the website.

Mars is the #1 chocolate brand to avoid, according to 24/7 Wall St. The site notes that Mars has faced criticism for decades about buying cocoa beans from farms in West Africa that use unpaid and underpaid child laborers. The site also notes that in 2023, Mars was listed with one other food company, PepsiCo, as an international sponsor of the war in Ukraine by continuing to do business and pay taxes in Russia. You can check out all eight chocolate brands that made the list by going here.