What could cause the change in a chocolate bar?

[Darienne]

Well, I guess I am more curious than embarrassed.  Although I use fairly good quality chocolate to make dipped citrus peels, bonbons and so on, I also use a lot of less than good quality chocolate to make toppings on pies and cakes, particularly for friends and neighbors who think that Merkens is delicious.  Well, that's unkind, but you know what I mean.  In Canada, we have a chocolate called 'World's Finest' and it is truly awful.  Oh well.

 

So here is the situation.  I have purchased from Canadian Wal-Mart for a good number of years now a bar, Waterbridge Imported Belgian, 400 grams, in Milk, Dark and Extra Dark varieties.  And my topping is invariably 4 oz of chocolate and 1/2 cup of half and half or whipping cream.  And it always sets just fine.   Perfect. 

 

About 3 months ago, I made a Milk chocolate topping for a friend who loves milk chocolate.  It didn't set.  It was soup.  OK.  But the Dark and Extra Dark still worked fine.  Two days ago, both of those were soup.  

 

I wrote to Wal-Mart noting the change, and also that the ever-present gold cardboard is now missing from the bars.  They apologized profusely and offered me my money back.  (In the meantime, I figured out that 1/4 cup of cream would work perfectly.)  

 

The ingredients are: for the Extra Dark: cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa powder, soy lecithin and the Dark: cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter and soya lecithin. 

 

What do you suppose they did to the mix to make it so different?

[Kerry Beal]

I know when presidents choice added extra cocoa power to theirs it went to shit

[Darienne]

1 hour ago, Kerry Beal said:

I know when presidents choice added extra cocoa power to theirs it went to shit

Somehow I knew I could count on you for an answer.  

[chromedome]

Hmmm. I'll have to bear that in mind. I usually buy one or the other of those to make a few things at Christmas time.

 

I've not had any problems, but neither did you until this time.

[Darienne]

5 hours ago, chromedome said:

Hmmm. I'll have to bear that in mind. I usually buy one or the other of those to make a few things at Christmas time.

 

I've not had any problems, but neither did you until this time.

As noted...and not very clearly...using half the cream of the normal ganache worked perfectly...so far....  

[Darienne]

Just to close this topic off.  I wrote to Wal-Mart and received two messages back and a phone call also.  They offered to give me back the purchase price of the bars I had not used yet with the store receipt.  I told the caller that I had figured out how to use the bars, using half the liquid, and did not want my money back.

 

I had mentioned in posts above that the bars were now of poorer quality and that the gold cardboard was missing.  To those you may now add a cheapening of the outer wrapper.  It now rips very easily, as do some potato chip and nacho bags, whereas before it did not do this at all.  

 

That's it.  I hope.  What next can Waterbridge cheapen?

 

[pastrygirl]

16 hours ago, Darienne said:

 Wal-Mart 

... What next can Waterbridge cheapen?

 

 

Isn't Walmart notorious for demanding lower and lower prices from their suppliers?  If Walmart wants it for 10 cents less or they're going to drop you, then you get rid of  the two cent cardboard and use 8 cents less of cacao butter in order to keep them happy.  Too bad the resulting inferior product doesn't keep the customer happy as well.

[Darienne]

7 hours ago, pastrygirl said:

 

Isn't Walmart notorious for demanding lower and lower prices from their suppliers?  If Walmart wants it for 10 cents less or they're going to drop you, then you get rid of  the two cent cardboard and use 8 cents less of cacao butter in order to keep them happy.  Too bad the resulting inferior product doesn't keep the customer happy as well.

Yes, it's too bad.  What else can one say?  I actually wrote to Waterbridge yesterday.  I'll post what they say when and if I get something. 

 

[Darienne]

Several weeks later.  Wrote to Waterbridge on the twelfth of December and heard nothing in return.  Quelle surprise!

 

Ed bought me some bars of President's Choice Dark Chocolate 70% thinking I might like them.  Kerry Beal spoke of them posts ago.  We did eat some...strangest 70% chocolate I've eaten...so sweet...and so unlike regular say Lindt 70%.  Still, it will get used up one way or t'other.

[Darienne]

I have finally heard from Waterbridge, January 16, 2019, a lovely but, unfortunately, unhelpful  letter.  I phoned yesterday morning because, as noted on another thread,  my Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is acting up quite seriously and only my stubborn need to report back on this topic sees me typing this morning.

 

The Communications Manager, as I perceived it, spoke with the unfortunately too familiar lack of attending to the actual question by answering something I did not ask, a common 'political' tactic with which we are all too familiar.  I expect she had no other option.  And she talked over me while I was talking. 

 

She assured me that the change in wrappers is the company's responsible step up in recycling intent.  (Ignored my question about the horrible ripping). 

 

Apparently, the gold cardboard inserts were only ever in the nut bars according to company policy. I said not so.  She ignored my statement.  It was definitely in the Milk, Dark and Extra Dark bars.  I am not subject to hallucinations nor is the friend to whom I gave the many 'non-existent' cardboards for various craft purposes. 

 

"And no, the formula has not changed.  Not ever."  She suggested that my bars must have been past their legal time dates.  (The wrappers are long gone.   Who knew I should have saved them?  And I guess it must have been my cream, or pot, or spoon which ruined my topping.  Yes, I'm being sarcastic now.) 

 

"And did I want to speak to the Quality Supervisor?"  No I did not.  I told her I had figured out another way to still use the bars (and the President's Choice bars also) but she was not at all interested in that. 

I finally just said, "This is getting nowhere.  Thanks for your letter and your help.  Good-bye. " 

 

And thus, regrettably, it is done but life moves on. 

[Kerry Beal]

11 minutes ago, Darienne said:

I have finally heard from Waterbridge, January 16, 2019, a lovely but, unfortunately, unhelpful  letter.  I phoned yesterday morning because, as noted on another thread,  my Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is acting up quite seriously and only my stubborn need to report back on this topic sees me typing this morning.

 

The Communications Manager, as I perceived it, spoke with the unfortunately too familiar lack of attending to the actual question by answering something I did not ask, a common 'political' tactic with which we are all too familiar.  I expect she had no other option.  And she talked over me while I was talking. 

 

She assured me that the change in wrappers is the company's responsible step up in recycling intent.  (Ignored my question about the horrible ripping). 

 

Apparently, the gold cardboard inserts were only ever in the nut bars according to company policy. I said not so.  She ignored my statement.  It was definitely in the Milk, Dark and Extra Dark bars.  I am not subject to hallucinations nor is the friend to whom I gave the many 'non-existent' cardboards for various craft purposes. 

 

"And no, the formula has not changed.  Not ever."  She suggested that my bars must have been past their legal time dates.  (The wrappers are long gone.   Who knew I should have saved them?  And I guess it must have been my cream, or pot, or spoon which ruined my topping.  Yes, I'm being sarcastic now.) 

 

"And did I want to speak to the Quality Supervisor?"  No I did not.  I told her I had figured out another way to still use the bars (and the President's Choice bars also) but she was not at all interested in that. 

I finally just said, "This is getting nowhere.  Thanks for your letter and your help.  Good-bye. " 

 

And thus, regrettably, it is done but life moves on. 

A classic!

[Darienne]

9 minutes ago, Kerry Beal said:

A classic!

 

[Darienne]

An addendum to the topic.  As uninteresting and lacking in great chocolate taste as the Walmart Waterbridge brand, I have to report that now that I have also tasted the President's Choice offering...the Waterbridge bar is better by far. 

[pastrygirl]

12 minutes ago, Darienne said:

An addendum to the topic.  As uninteresting and lacking in great chocolate taste as the Walmart Waterbridge brand, I have to report that now that I have also tasted the President's Choice offering...the Waterbridge bar is better by far. 

 

Being president (of anything) and having good taste do not always coincide.