FAQs What does Terra Nostra mean?
Terra Nostra means “Our Earth” in Latin. We named the company Terra Nostra because it encompasses our overall company belief – to nurture and preserve our earth as best we can. What is the difference between cocoa and cacao?
Cocoa refers to either the dried and partially fermented fatty seeds in the pod of the cacao tree. Cocoa is usually in the form of cocoa powder made from grinding the seed and removing the butter.
Cacao (rhymes with cow) is the seed found in the pod of a cacao tree. This is this part that includes the butter and is used to make chocolate. Where can I find your product?
You can now purchase Terra Nostra Organic directly from our website! Just click on the Shop Online tab and you can shop 'til you drop! Chocolate delivered right to your door step. You can also find Terra Nostra Organic chocolate by using the Store Locator page on our website, enter your zip code or postal code and it will tell you the closest store near you and you can request Terra Nostra Organic through your favorite retailer. A list of distributors, through which you retailer can order, is below. Why did you choose to be organic?
We started making organic chocolate when the Founder of the company’s son, Marko was born. He wanted to preserve our earth for Marko’s and later his daughter, Natasha’s, future - producing organic chocolate was his contribution in preserving our earth. What does USDA stand for?
USDA stands for United States Department of Agriculture. "The USDA, which was founded by Abraham Lincoln, supports rural development, food safety, nutrition and research for agricultural technology. The agency is also in charge of national forest and rangelands and works to reduce hunger in the US and internationally.". Organic Definition as defined by the National Organic Program (NOP): A labeling term that refers to an agricultural product produced in accordance with the Act and the regulations in this part. Organic 101
What does organic mean? U.S. food and fiber products labeled organic are regulated by USDA's National Organic Program. Key components of the organic regulations are:
> The use of toxic and synthetic pesticides and herbicides is prohibited;
> Genetically modified crops and ingredients are prohibited;
> Irradiation of foods is prohibited;
> Use of processed sewage sludge, known as biosolids, on crops is prohibited;
> Livestock must be given access to pasture;
> Livestock are not given growth hormones or antibiotics (sick animals are treated, but removed from the herd and not sold as organic);
> Livestock eat organically grown feed, with no animal byproducts;
> Land must be free of chemical applications for at least three years;
> Growers must have detailed farm systems plans;
> Products sold as organic must be certified by an independent, third-party USDA-accredited certifier;
> The National Organic Standards Board, a citizen advisory board, is mandated to make recommendations to USDA about organic regulations. Where does the cacao come from?
Terra Nostra Organic uses cacao from places all around the world. Some areas are New Guinea, Peru, Ghana, Mexico, Costa Rica and Dominican Republic to name a few. Which bars are the best for vegans and vegetarians?
The Ricemilk line is the best option for vegans and vegetarians seeking dairy taste. The Ricemilk line includes the solid Ricemilk Choco, the Ricemilk Choco with Almonds and the Ricemilk Choco with Dark Truffle bars. In addition to these bars being certified organic and certified kosher, they are also all wheat free and gluten free. The dark bars from our regular line - 73% Intense Dark, Double Dark Truffle, Robust Dark & Roasted Almonds and Robust Dark & Raisins & Pecans are all made without dairy ingredients. I have a retail shop, how can I purchase your products?
Terra Nostra Organic chocolate can be purchased through these distributors. The list is as follows: USA Distributors: Haddon House: 800.545.1749
Millbrook: 800.643.8130
Tree of Life: 800.260.2424 East Coast Distributors:
Associated Buyers: 603.664.2424
Avenue gourmet: 410.902.5701
Newmarket Fine Foods: 973.921.1277
Regional Access: 607.387.6959
UNFI Atlanta: 800.676.4667
UNFI Chesterfiled: 800.451.2525
UNFI Dayville: 800.877.2240
UNFI Oxford: 800.336.4557
Kehe Food Distributors: 815.886.3700 West Coast Distributors:
J.Sosnick & Son Inc.: 800.443.6737
Nature's Best: 800.800.7799
UNFI Auburn: 800.336.8872
UNFI Rocklin: 800.679.8735
UNFI Fontana: 800.679.8735
Kehe: 815.886.3700 Mid West Distributors:
Jerusalem Foods: 313.846.1701
UNFI Greenwood: 800.814.0819
UNFI Denver (Rainbow): 800.522.7633
UNFI Iowa City: 800.323.2131
Kehe: 815.886.3700
Super Natural: 800.888.4008 Canadian Distributors:
Tara Natural: 604.244.1888 or 905.850.8881
Coop d’Alentour: 819.562.3443
Tree of Life: 604.941.8502 or 403.279.8998 or 905.507.6161
Indigo: 905.479.5515
Horizon: 604.420.6751 Why are soy lecithin and vanilla not used in Terra Nostra chocolate?
Soy Lecithin (an emulsifier) was taken out as an ingredient from almost all of our products to help customers that choose not to or cannot consume soy. Although soy lecithin is not used as an ingredient, there still may be traces present. What is the caffeine content in Terra Nostra Organic bars?
The caffeine content in dark is average +/- 0.04% and in milk +/-0.01%. Terra Nostra organic products of dark can be slightly higher than 0.04%. Are there corn or potatoe ingredients in the vanilla extract used in the Ricemilk Choco bars?
No, we are pleased to confirm that there are no suchingredients in the vanilla extract used in the Ricemilk Choco bars. Why is it the higher the cacao content, the better the quality chocolate?
Higher cacao content reduces the amount of sugar so this in itself equals higher quality. However, higher cacao content does not necessarily imply better chocolate. Chocolate such as Terra Nostra Organic needs high cacao content PLUS high quality cacao beans, proper roasting, long conching and added cocoa butter as no soy lecithin is added. This is what makes a high quality chocolate. What are the organic labeling categories?
> 100% organic: This means just what it says.
> Organic: 95% of ingredients must be certified organic.
> Made With Organic Ingredients: 70% of ingredients are certified organic.
> Less Than 70% Organic: organic ingredients can be listed on the side panel only.
Visit www.ams.usda.gov/nop to learn more. Why do you call your Ricemilk bars Vegan when it states on you packaging "May contain traces of..."?
Our primary objective on our packaging is to Inform Inform Inform and not omit! Knowledge is power and we want consumers to make informed, educated decisions about their health and diets. We encourage anyone with doubts, to consult their doctor first and discourage our product to anyone with high allergies and orthodox vegan diets (depending upon the degree of the Vegan).
We can confidently say that our Vegan ingredient products are 99.99% vegan. There is always that .01% chance that there could be traces of milk due to the complexity of chocolate (or other noted allergens). Our disclaimer is out of a heartfelt caring for the public and to inform and educate, as much as possible, those people that have severe allergies so they can make informed decisions regarding their diet. After all, there have been cases of trace allergens, thought to be airborne, that become present in "Vegan" items causing all kinds of problems for consumers.
Our ingredients are "Vegan":
We THOROUGHLY clean our equipment between bar flavours through a process called flushing where we do several dark chocolate flushes to purge the equipment of former traces. As there is always the risk that allergens could find there way into Vegan ingredients hence the: MAY contain traces of milk, nuts, etc...
Why Not A Devoted Line?
A devoted line is a costly endeavour for a very small percentage & specified part of the population and is not in our scope at this time nor does it carry guarantees. Even in devoted lines, where disclaimers are generally not present, there is always the risk that somewhere along the production chain of the raw materials and ingredients may have come into direct or indirect contact with allergens i.e. raw materials could have been shipped/ stored/ warehoused/ consolidated and sometimes even processed with milk products, nuts, or other known allergens. Something as simple as someone having a peanut butter sandwich and a glass of milk at breakfast before walking into the plant can be devastating to someone with a severe allergy. The Benefits Of Saturated Fats (quoted from magazine September 2007)
Most of the fats in the diet of our forefathers were saturated fats. This is also true of many traditional cultures. Tropical diets, for example, get much of their fats from coconuts and palm
oil, which are rich in saturated fats. As we have seen with our experience in the Philippines, these traditional cultures have not had the obesity and health problems that we are seeing today in
our culture, even though they had a diet high in saturated fats. One reason why saturated fats have a long history of use in traditional cultures is because they are very stable fats that do
not easily oxidize (turn rancid). Virgin Coconut Oil, for example, will not go rancid even at room temperatures in the tropics for a couple of years. Conversely, the refined oils that many Americans
use are very unstable and turn rancid (oxidize) quickly. Oxidized oils are very toxic to the body and they can cause wide spread free-radical damage. In addition to their shelf stability, saturated fats have many important roles in the body’s chemistry. For example:
• Saturated fatty acids constitute at least 50 percent of
cell membranes. They give our cells necessary firmness
and integrity.
• They play a vital role in the health of our bones. For
example, at least 50 percent of our dietary fats need to
be saturated for calcium to be effectively incorporated
into the skeletal structure.
• They lower Lp(a), a substance in the blood that indicates
proneness to heart disease.
• They protect the liver from the toxic effects of alcohol
and certain drugs.
• They enhance the immune system.
• They are needed for the proper utilization of essential
fatty acids. Elongated omega-3 fatty acids are better
retained in the tissues when the diet is rich in saturated
fats.
• Saturated 18-carbon stearic acid and 16-carbon palmitic
acid are the preferred foods for the heart, which is why the fat around the heart muscle is highly saturated. The heart draws on this reserve of fat in times of stress.
• Short- and medium-chain saturated fatty acids have important
antimicrobial properties. They protect us against harmful microorganisms in the digestive tract.
Brian W. Shilhavy, BA, MA , earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Bible/Greek from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, and his Master of Arts degree in linguistics from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. He is currently the CEO of Tropical Traditions, Inc. Marianita Jader Shilhavy, CND (Certified Nutritionist/Dietician in the Philippines) earned her Bachelor of Science degree in nutrition in Manila. Understanding the nutrition of Filipino foods, Marianita worked for over eight years as a hospital dietician and nutritional counselor in the Philippines, using her knowledge of Asian foods to help people recover from illness. What is the thin white coating that happens to dark chocolate?
This is called blooming. Blooming: There are two kinds of bloom that form on the surface of chocolate: both are temperature-related and both make the chocolate look suspect and unappetizing. With fat bloom, the chocolate loses its gloss: a powdery white or tan film forms on the surface. This is due to improper storage, poorly tempering, lack of tempering, or changes in temperature. Heating chocolate above 70°F, as well as repetitive heating and cooling, will cause microscopic cocoa butter particles to join together, leaving particles of sugar and cocoa uncoated. The bloom is the cocoa butter that has separated and risen to the surface. In some cases the chocolate may become soft or crumbly. While bloom diminishes the appearance of the chocolate, it does not alter the taste and is not harmful. Chocolate with fat bloom can be eaten although it may taste drier. Fat bloom can be avoided by storing chocolate a constant temperature. Sugar bloom is caused by condensation, due to excessive moisture. The moisture combines with the sugar in the chocolate to create a syrup. Large sugar crystals remain on the surface of the chocolate when the moisture evaporates.
|
