FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: Is your Chocolate Vegetarian or Vegan ?
A: Firetree Chocolate is suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans.
Q; Is Firetree chocolate dairy free ?
A: No dairy ingredients are used in Firetree chocolate, in the Production area or in our warehouse.
Q: Is Firetree chocolate suitable for a Coeliac diet ?
A: You should always see medical advice from a professional before choosing to eat or not eat a particular food concerned with a diet or medical condition. We can, however, tell you that gluten is not in any of the ingredients used to manufacture Firetree Chocolate.
We do make an Oat Chocolate and Oat Cappuccino Chocolate, and both are classified as gluten-free. For more information on this please contact us at info@firetreechocolate.com
Q: Is Firetree chocolate suitable for a Keto diet ?
A: You should always see medical advice from a professional before choosing to eat or not eat a particular food concerned with a diet or medical condition. Generally speaking, the higher the cocoa % in chocolate the fewer carbohydrates. This is due to increasingly lower levels of sugar the higher the cocoa %. 100 % cocoa has the lowest level of carbohydrates.
Q: I have IBS, could you tell me if you have any ingredients which could irritate the syndrome?
A: You should always see medical advice from a professional before choosing to eat or not eat a particular food concerned with a diet or medical condition. Firetree chocolate only contains four ingredients: cocoa mass (cocoa beans), unrefined cane sugar, cocoa butter (which also comes from cocoa beans), sunflower lecithin.
Our 100% cocoa only contains one ingredient: cocoa mass.
Q: What allergens are in Firetree chocolate ?
A: There are 14 major allergens as defined by the “food information” regulations 1169/2011.
Firetree Chocolate does not use any of the 14 major allergens in any of its chocolate.
We do make an Oat Chocolate and Oat Cappuccino Chocolate, and both are classified as gluten-free. For more information on this please contact us at info@firetreechocolate.com
Q: Is Firetree chocolate gluten free ?
A: Gluten is not in any of the ingredients used to manufacture Firetree Chocolate.
We do make an Oat Chocolate and Oat Cappuccino Chocolate, and both are classified as gluten-free. For more information on this please contact us at info@firetreechocolate.com
Q: Is Firetree chocolate nut-free ?
A: Nuts are not used in the manufacture of Firetree chocolate and all Firetree chocolate is made in a nut-free facility.
Q: Is Firetree chocolate sugar free ?
A: Sugar is added to all our Chocolate except for 100% Cocoa varieties which have no added sugar.
Q: How much sugar is in Firetree chocolate ?
A: All chocolates will contain a small amount of natural sugar from the cocoa beans. We add unrefined cane sugar to help bring out and compliment the complex flavours inherent in the chocolate. The amount of sugar added depends on the type of chocolate. The higher the cocoa % the lower the amount of sugar added.
Q: Are you organic ?
A: Though many of the farmers that produce our cocoa beans use organic practices to produce the beans, they are not certified organic, so we do not claim certified organic status.
Q: What is lecithin ?
A: In food technology Lecithin is described as an emulsifier. It is generic term used to describe a substance which is amphiphilic and assists in the stabilisation of two mediums that are normally immiscible. That’s the science. What that means is, it allows different ingredients to mix together that wouldn’t normally mix. The most common example is oil and water (e.g., to make margarine or mayonnaise). When making chocolate, it helps the ingredients mix together and to stay in place. This makes the liquid chocolate flow better during the manufacturing process.
Firetree Chocolate uses only sunflower lecithin as it is both allergen and GMO free.
Q: Is the packaging recyclable ?
A: The packaging we post our chocolate in and any dividers inside, if we have used them, are recyclable. The carboard sleeve that each bar is packed in is recyclable.
Q: Do you support Fair Trade/sustainable farming?
A: Firetree chocolate is not Fair Trade certified. However, sustainability is at the heart of our chocolate. We know all the cocoa bean farmers personally and make regular trips to the cocoa farms to meet the farmer, to inspect the farm and to further our relationship. We check employment records, contracts and paybooks and talk to as many employees as possible to verify what we have seen. We check the ages of employees to ensure no child labour is used. We pay the farmers directly rather than use a middleman to ensure the farmer gets more for their hard work. We pay a substantial premium above the market rate, giving our farmers the chance to provide for their families and commit to high agricultural standards. We also work closely with relevant Government agencies and independent NGO’s (non-Governmental Organisations).
All the farms we purchase cocoa beans from are family owned and practice multi-cropping to help promote biodiversity and encourage symbiotic planting relationships and pest control. The farms are all based on rich volcanic soil that require little, if any, fertiliser.
Q: Do you use child Labour ?
Sustainable cocoa
We purchase our cocoa direct from farmers we know and visit. Before selecting our cocoa farmer/supplier we conduct background research to establish is the farmer the legitimate owner/ leaseholder of the farm. This will reveal if the land is agricultural land or illegal land potentially carved out of protected rain forest.
An audit of the farm also reveals how the farm in managed in terms of sustainable agricultural practices such as “good agricultural practices,” multi-cropping and kitchen garden integration.
Ethical cocoa
Before we take on a farmer/supplier we establish who owns the farm, who is employed on the farm and verification of signed pay books & payment at the agreed national pay level for employees.
In the case of complex family farms, we establish who the owners and participants in the agricultural business are, and ensure the “participants”, both men and women, are aware of the agreed contract price and where & when the money for the cocoa will be paid, ensuring as much clarity as possible.
Firetree Chocolate pay at least double the average farm gate price for our selected cocoa, ensuring the selling price to the farmers is sustainable.
The countries where Firetree Chocolate buys cocoa have strict educational attendance requirements for all children up to the national minimum age (15 or 16 dependant on the country). In these countries the school attendance is mandatory and enforced. Nevertheless, before taking on any farmer/supplier we will cross check with the local authorities that the potential farmer/supplier is known and registered.
During the audit we identify any person on the farm who appears to be young/underage and cross check their age against their paybook. To date, we have never found any underage people working on farms which supply us, but this action reinforces our position on child employment with our farmers/suppliers.
Finally, before we agree any supply contract, we demand the farmer/supplier agrees to the National Law of their country and do not seek to, or actually have, anyone under the national age for children working on their farm.
Q: Is Firetree chocolate Halal ?
A: All Firetree chocolate is suitable for a Halal diet. We are certified by Halal Certification Europe to produce chocolate.
Q: Is Firetree chocolate Kosher ?
A: The Firetree facility is certified by KLBD to supply Kosher chocolate.