Côte d'Or (brand)
Encyclopedia
Côte d'Or is a producer of Belgian chocolate
, owned by Kraft Foods
.
Côte d'Or was founded in 1883 by Charles Neuhaus, a chocolate
manufacturer who used the name Côte d'Or (French for Gold Coast
) referring to the old name of contemporary Ghana
, the source of much of the cacao beans used in chocolate manufacturing.
Côte d'Or was purchased by Jacobs Suchard in 1987; Jacobs Suchard in turn was purchased by Kraft General Foods in 1990.
Belgians consume 600 million Côte d'Or products a year. Every day, the Côte d'Or factory in Halle
(near Brussels) produces 1.3 million mignonnettes (small chocolate bars), and 2 million Chokotoffs (chocolate bonbons).
1963:
His Royal Highness Prince Albert of the Belgian Royal Family visits the factory of Côte d’Or.
1965:
Côte d'Or acquires the title "Diplomated supplier for the Belgium Royalty."
, promising to remove the worst forms of child labour from the cocoa supply chain.
In October 2009 Kraft has achieved a milestone in reaching this goal with the launch of the first mainstream chocolate products in Europe to carry the Rainforest Alliance
Certified seal. Starting in France and Belgium, Côte d'Or premium dark chocolate will contain at least 30 percent cocoa from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. Over the coming months, the certified Côte d'Or range will be rolled out to consumers in the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, the Netherlands, Canada and the United States. Kraft Foods has also committed to use cocoa beans from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms only across its entire Côte d'Or and Marabou lines, representing some 30,000 tonnes of beans by the end of 2012.
Currently Côte d’Or is sold in more than 20 countries, across 5 continents.
Dark Chocolate 100g - 54% dark chocolate decadence
Milk Chocolate 47 g - Smooth Milk Chocolate in a on the go small bar
Dark Chocolate 47 g - Dark Chocolate in a on the go small bar
Lait intense - Creamy milk chocolate around a dark chocolate center to create a decadent, intense taste.
86% Noir Brut - Côte d’Or Brut contains 86 percent cocoa for a smooth, pure and intensely rewarding experience.
Noir Orange - A rewarding deep, dark chocolate complemented by orange chocolate-truffle and pieces of candied orange zest.
Noir 70% cacao - Intense 70% Cacao has outside layers of dark chocolate that surround a rich center and delivers a rich dark chocolate taste.
Noir 70% cacao with caramalized cocoa nibs - Intense 70% Cacao has outside layers of dark chocolate that combined with the crunchy texture of caramelized cocoa nibs.
Noir de Noir Mignonnettes - 10-gram squares with 56 percent cocoa used for sophisticated sampling.
Lait Intense Mignonnettes - Bite-size morsels of sweet milk chocolate with a thin layer of rich, intense chocolate hidden within.
Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts 45g - Smooth milk chocolate with chopped hazelnuts.
Milk Chocolate 150g (2x 75) - Milk Chocolate featured in Centennial paper wrap packaging from 1911
Dark Chocolate 150g (2x 75) - Dark Chocolate featured in Centennial paper wrap packaging from 1911
Chokotoff - Famous caramel-chocolate toffee
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
, owned by Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
.
Côte d'Or was founded in 1883 by Charles Neuhaus, a chocolate
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
manufacturer who used the name Côte d'Or (French for Gold Coast
Gold Coast (British colony)
The Gold Coast was a British colony on the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa that became the independent nation of Ghana in 1957.-Overview:The first Europeans to arrive at the coast were the Portuguese in 1471. They encountered a variety of African kingdoms, some of which controlled substantial...
) referring to the old name of contemporary Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, the source of much of the cacao beans used in chocolate manufacturing.
Côte d'Or was purchased by Jacobs Suchard in 1987; Jacobs Suchard in turn was purchased by Kraft General Foods in 1990.
Belgians consume 600 million Côte d'Or products a year. Every day, the Côte d'Or factory in Halle
Halle, Belgium
Halle , is a Belgian city and municipality in the district Halle-Vilvoorde of the province Flemish Brabant. The city is located on the Brussels-Charleroi Canal and on the Flemish side of the language border that separates Flanders and Wallonia...
(near Brussels) produces 1.3 million mignonnettes (small chocolate bars), and 2 million Chokotoffs (chocolate bonbons).
Logo
The emblem of Côte d'Or is an elephant, a symbol which recalls the African origin of the cocoa beans used in the manufacture of Côte d'Or. One source also claims that elephants were used to haul the sacks of cocoa beans.[2] In an earlier versions of the logo three pyramids were also featured, perhaps suggesting that it was more a simple appeal to the "exotic" origin of the beans for consumers.[3]Notable events
During World War II, high quality ingredients became unavailable. Because of this, Côte d’Or stopped producing chocolate, making room for the lower quality Congobar.1963:
His Royal Highness Prince Albert of the Belgian Royal Family visits the factory of Côte d’Or.
1965:
Côte d'Or acquires the title "Diplomated supplier for the Belgium Royalty."
Ethical cocoa sourcing
There have been continuing question marks over the ethical stance of chocolate brands worldwide. After it became clear in 2001 that thousands of children were being trafficked and exploited on the cocoa farms of the Ivory Coast, Kraft, along with the rest of industry, signed the Harkin Engel protocolCocoa Protocol
The Harkin-Engel Protocol, commonly referred to as the Cocoa Protocol, is an international agreement aimed at ending child labour in the production of cocoa. It was signed in September 2001...
, promising to remove the worst forms of child labour from the cocoa supply chain.
In October 2009 Kraft has achieved a milestone in reaching this goal with the launch of the first mainstream chocolate products in Europe to carry the Rainforest Alliance
Rainforest Alliance
The Rainforest Alliance is a non-governmental organization with the published aims of working to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior. It is based in New York City, and has offices throughout the...
Certified seal. Starting in France and Belgium, Côte d'Or premium dark chocolate will contain at least 30 percent cocoa from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. Over the coming months, the certified Côte d'Or range will be rolled out to consumers in the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, the Netherlands, Canada and the United States. Kraft Foods has also committed to use cocoa beans from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms only across its entire Côte d'Or and Marabou lines, representing some 30,000 tonnes of beans by the end of 2012.
Countries where Côte d’Or is available
Currently Côte d’Or is sold in more than 20 countries, across 5 continents.
| North America and Caribbean | Oceania | Europe | Africa | Asia | South America |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canada United States |
Australia | Belgium Netherlands Luxembourg France Germany Hungary Italy Ireland Greece Spain Portugal Sweden Norway Iceland Switzerland United Kingdom Russia Poland Romania Bulgaria Czech Republic Slovakia Latvia Lithuania Croatia | Egypt Egypt Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world... South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... |
People's Republic of China Japan Malaysia Singapore Lebanon Kuwait Jordan Israel Qatar |
Example of Cote d'Or products
Milk Chocolate 100g - Pure Côte d'Or Milk ChocolateDark Chocolate 100g - 54% dark chocolate decadence
Milk Chocolate 47 g - Smooth Milk Chocolate in a on the go small bar
Dark Chocolate 47 g - Dark Chocolate in a on the go small bar
Lait intense - Creamy milk chocolate around a dark chocolate center to create a decadent, intense taste.
86% Noir Brut - Côte d’Or Brut contains 86 percent cocoa for a smooth, pure and intensely rewarding experience.
Noir Orange - A rewarding deep, dark chocolate complemented by orange chocolate-truffle and pieces of candied orange zest.
Noir 70% cacao - Intense 70% Cacao has outside layers of dark chocolate that surround a rich center and delivers a rich dark chocolate taste.
Noir 70% cacao with caramalized cocoa nibs - Intense 70% Cacao has outside layers of dark chocolate that combined with the crunchy texture of caramelized cocoa nibs.
Noir de Noir Mignonnettes - 10-gram squares with 56 percent cocoa used for sophisticated sampling.
Lait Intense Mignonnettes - Bite-size morsels of sweet milk chocolate with a thin layer of rich, intense chocolate hidden within.
Milk Chocolate with Hazelnuts 45g - Smooth milk chocolate with chopped hazelnuts.
Milk Chocolate 150g (2x 75) - Milk Chocolate featured in Centennial paper wrap packaging from 1911
Dark Chocolate 150g (2x 75) - Dark Chocolate featured in Centennial paper wrap packaging from 1911
Chokotoff - Famous caramel-chocolate toffee