Is Bournville Vegan?
Cadbury Bournville chocolate contains milk. It is not vegan but can be considered vegetarian.
In a bid to be more environmentally friendly, Cadbury Bournville has started using non-vegan ingredients such as palm oil, soya, and honey in its products.
The company’s website states that the cocoa used in their chocolates comes from plantations where the farmers are paid fairly for their produce. The company also claims that it uses no animal by-products or derivatives in its products.
What is Bournville?
Bournville chocolate, created by Cadbury in 1919, was the first mass-produced chocolate.
The recipe was designed to be more economical and easier to produce than the original chocolate from Belgium.
The recipe was based on a bar of Belgian chocolate called “Cocoa au Beurre”, which is similar to the modern recipe for milk chocolate.
Bournville chocolate was produced by blending cocoa butter and cocoa solids with milk, sugar, vanilla and cocoa powder. The result was chocolate with a smooth, rich flavour and a low percentage of sugar.
Bournville was initially made in a factory in Birmingham, England. Today, the factory is located in Hertfordshire, UK.
Why the confusion over whether Bournville is vegan?
The confusion arises because there is another place called Bournville in the United Kingdom. This other Bournville is owned by Kraft Foods and is located in Bournville, West Midlands.
Kraft Foods’ Bournville produces a range of dairy-free products, including ice cream, yoghurt, cheese and cakes. These products do not contain eggs, meat, fish, shellfish, nuts, or dairy.
Kraft Foods’ Bournville does not use any animal products, unlike Cadbury Bournville.
Both places have been selling their versions of chocolate since they were founded. However, only one of them is now producing vegan chocolate.
Is Cadbury chocolate palm oil sustainable?
Cadbury’s chocolate is produced in Ghana, West Africa. The cocoa beans are picked by hand and then processed into cocoa nibs before being pressed into a dark liquor.
This liquor is then fermented and blended with milk and sugar to make chocolate. Palm oil is used as a processing agent to make the cocoa darker and the chocolate smoother.
The chocolate is then packaged into bars or sold as a powder. Cadbury is one of the few chocolate companies that use palm oil.
Although this chocolate is certified sustainable by Rainforest Alliance, it still uses unsustainable practices in its production.
The company has been using palm oil since 1980s and continued to use the same sourcing company for the past 20 years. This company has not been audited since 2008.
If you are concerned about the sustainability of Cadbury’s chocolate, please ask them to disclose how they source their palm oil.
What is Palm Oil?
Palm oil is extracted from the fruit of the oil palm tree (Elaeis guineensis). It is the most widely grown vegetable oil in the world.
It can also be found in many food items such as margarine, cooking oils, shortening, baked goods, cereals, snack foods, frozen desserts, and beverages.
It’s often mixed with soybean oil to create blends that are more stable and less expensive than pure palm oil.
Palm oil is very popular because it is inexpensive and versatile. It is solid at room temperature and is easily stored.
However, it is controversial because it is linked to deforestation and the destruction of rainforests.
Palm oil plantations destroy rainforests and cause erosion. They also pollute rivers and lakes.
Palm oil plantations are usually situated on poor land that cannot support crops like rice, corn, or wheat.
They take away people’s livelihoods and destroy local ecosystems.
How is palm oil produced?
Oil palms produce fruits year-round. When the fruits reach maturity, workers cut off the top of each fruit.
The pulp inside the fruit is removed and discarded. Then workers remove the seeds from the fruit and discard them.
Next, workers scrape out the fleshy part of the fruit called mesocarp. Finally, workers extract the edible oil from the mesocarp.
The process takes anywhere from 5 minutes to 2 hours per fruit, depending on the size of the fruit.
Once the oil is extracted, it is refined. Workers clean the oil from the residue left over after extraction.
Then, the oil is filtered and bleached. After that, it is deodorized and cooled down.
Finally, the oil is bottled.
How is palm oil produced sustainably?
There are several ways to produce palm oil sustainably. One way is to plant new trees where there was none before.
Another way is to plant new oil palms on degraded lands previously unsuitable for farming. These areas include forests, grasslands, and peatlands.
Another way is to buy certified organic palm oil.
Certified organic palm oil comes from smallholders who practice sustainable methods.
These farmers do not clear rainforests or destroy other types of forests.
Certified organic palm oil is also free from chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
This type of palm oil is more expensive than conventional palm oil. However, it is better for the environment and your health.
Why should I care about palm oil?
Palm oil production causes environmental damage. Deforestation destroys natural habitats and leads to soil erosion.
Palm oil plantations are destroying rainforests. Rainforests provide homes for animals and plants. They help purify water and prevent floods.
They also protect against climate change.
When rainforests are cleared, they release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. This increases global warming.
When rainforests are destroyed, they release methane gas into the air. Methane is a greenhouse gas that traps heat within our planet.
If we don’t stop destroying rainforests, we will have no choice but to continue using fossil fuels to power our cars and planes.
Palm oil is one of the most common vegetable oils used today. It is found in many foods such as margarine, cookies, crackers, chips, cakes, bread, ice cream, and peanut butter.
It can be harmful if you overconsume it. Palm oil contains trans fats, which increase the risk of heart disease.
Trans fats make blood thicker and more challenging to pump around the body.
They may also cause cancer.
Palm oil has been linked with diabetes. Some studies suggest that eating large amounts of palm oil may lead to obesity.
Palm oil can also harm the liver. It may cause fatty livers and liver failure.
In addition, palm oil may affect cholesterol levels. Studies show that people who consume palm oil regularly tend to have higher cholesterol levels.
Palm oil can also contribute to food allergies. People who are allergic to peanuts often develop an allergy to palm oil. The reason for this is unknown.
Other Vegan-friendly Chocolate brands:
The following companies make delicious vegan chocolates.
- Cadbury Dairy Milk
- Dairy Milk Chocolate (vegan)
- Milk Tray
- Marks & Spencer
- Mars
- Nestlé
- Sainsbury’s
- Tesco
- Waitrose
- Woolworths
- Yorkshire Tea
- Zoe Organic
Last Words
Bournville chocolate is a good option for vegans looking for some tasty treats. However, there are other options out there. You need to know what to look for when buying chocolate.
We hope you enjoyed learning all about these vegan chocolate brands!
Please let us know what brand of vegan chocolate you like best in the comments below.
Moreover, you should also read our previous article about Crumble cookies and whether they have vegan options.
