04 Jun THE HALACHOS AND KASHRUS OF CHOCOLATE

A visitor to a
supermarket is struck
by the vast array
of chocolate items
for sale, such as
candies, chocolate
cake, chocolate milk,
chocolate cookies and
the like. There is also
a vast array of halachic
issues which apply to
chocolate. Is one allowed
to drink hot chocolate before davening? What
beracha is made on chocolate? Is a beracha
achrona recited on hot cocoa? What beracha
is made on chocolate covered products,
such as chocolate covered raisins? How is
a chocolate machine kashered? Does bishul
akum apply to chocolate? These questions as
well as others will be answered at length in
this article.
Background – Chocolate Manufacturing
Chocolate is born in a cacao tree. The tree
produces a fruit about the size of a small
pineapple. Inside the fruit are the seeds
known as cocoa beans. The beans are roasted
to bring out the flavor, and are then winnowed
to remove the meat of the bean from the shell.
This is known as a nib. Cocoa beans are half
fat. Therefore, the nibs turn into a liquid
when ground, called chocolate liquor. If the
chocolate liquor were allowed to cool and
solidify, it would be unsweetened chocolate.
Another option is to squeeze out the fat from
the cocoa bean. The resulting dry bean can be
ground into cocoa powder.
Our chocolate products have added
ingredients such as sugar, milk (see below),
and other flavors. The chocolate goes into a
conch, which is a machine that refines the
chocolate and blends it into a smooth paste
(see below regarding kashrus). Milk chocolate
is a combination of chocolate liquor, milk,
sugar and cocoa.
Drinking Hot Chocolate Before Davening
Since hot chocolate is a rich drink made
with a lot of milk, it is questionable if it is
permitted to drink prior to davening.
Beracha on a Hot Drink
One should make sure that he can drink
the beverage before reciting the beracha.
Therefore, one should allow his hot cocoa to
cool before reciting a beracha.
Chocolate During a Meal
One who eats chocolate during a bread meal
must recite a shehakol on it, as it is not
covered by the beracha recited on bread.
Beracha on Chocolate
The halacha is that a food which is normally
consumed only after being ground retains
its original beracha. The Shulchan Aruch
applies this to sweetened ground spices. Since
spices are routinely powdered, the beracha is
ha’etz. Accordingly, the beracha rishona on
chocolate should be a ha’etz since it comes
from the cocoa bean which is the fruit of a
tree. However, the overwhelming custom is to
recite a shehakol on chocolate since the bean
is altered when it is processed into chocolate.

Others explain that the chocolate in the bean
is not eaten as is, and is mixed with other
ingredients. Therefore, it is considered the
miyut (minor ingredient) and the beracha is
a shehakol. Another explanation is that when
the bean is modified to the liquid state, it is a
new entity which is not recognizable that it
came from a bean at all. Therefore, its beracha
would change to a shehakol. In any case, the
custom is to recite a shehakol on chocolate.
B’dieved
One who recited a ha’etz on chocolate was
yotzei b’dieved and does not have to recite a
shehakol.
Beracha Achrona
There is a big discussion in the poskim
regarding a beracha achrona on a hot drink
(i.e. coffee, tea or hot cocoa), since one does
not drink the liquid within the allotted shiur
(kedi sh’tiyas reviis). Some say that since
these beverages are intended to be consumed
hot, a beracha achrona may be recited, as it
is the derech to sip them slowly. However,
the opinion of many poskim is that a beracha
achrona is not recited. Others say that in
order to go satisfy all opinions, one should let
a reviis of the drink cool off at the end and
recite a boreh nefoshos on that shiur. Some
poskim suggest that one should put a sugar
cube in his mouth so that the beracha achrona
on the sugar will exempt the coffee, tea or hot
cocoa.
Sucking on Chocolate
No beracha achrona is recited if one sucks
on chocolate without biting it, since it is not
the normal manner of eating. In addition, the
amount of chocolate that would require a
beracha achrona is not consumed within the
shiur of kedei achilas pras.
Chocolate Products
Chocolate Covered Raisins – If one likes both
the raisins and the chocolate, the opinion
of Harav Moshe Feinstein zt”l is that two
berachos are recited. First recite a shehakol on
the chocolate, and then a ha’etz on the raisin.
When reciting the shehakol, one should have
in mind not to exempt the raisins with the
beracha.
Many say that a beracha is only recited on
the majority ingredient, which is defined by
personal preferences. If one likes both raisins
and chocolate, and views the chocolate as
enhancing the raisin, then the ha’etz on the
raisin will exempt the chocolate from a
beracha. If he views the raisin as an enhancer,
then the shehakol on the chocolate will
exempt the raisin from a beracha.
The same discussion applies to chocolate
covered fruits or other items.
Chocolate Bar with Almonds – Almonds
in a chocolate bar are the minority and an
enhancing ingredient; therefore, the shehakol
on the chocolate covers the almonds as well.
Chocolate Covered Peels – A food which is
normally not eaten alone and is covered in
chocolate would only require a shehakol
on the chocolate. One example is chocolate
covered orange peels.
Chocolate Milk – The beracha on chocolate

milk is a shehakol.
Many chocolate products made by Elite in
Eretz Yisroel state the beracha on the package.
Hilchos Shabbos – Coloring – Losh
Most poskim say that just as there is no
problem of coloring food (according to most
poskim) on Shabbos, there is also no problem
of coloring drinks. Others say that coloring
drinks would be problematic.
The poskim say there is no concern of coloring
liquids when putting milk into black coffee,
or with placing chocolate syrup into milk.
(However, one must avoid any problems of
losh).
Writing with Chocolate Syrup
Some desserts are decorated with a chocolate
swirl. The question is whether this is
considered writing, which would be forbidden
on Shabbos, or if it is a simple decoration.
The opinion of Harav Yisroel Belsky Shlita is
that this is permitted.
Breaking Chocolate with Letters on it
It is very common for chocolate to have
images or letters engraved in the chocolate
itself. There is a big discussion in the poskim
whether one may break food with letters
written on top, or if it is considered “erasing”
on Shabbos.
The advice of the Mishnah Berurah is that if
the letters are not part of the food itself, then
one may not break the food; he may only
place the food in his mouth, even though
the letters or image will break. A food which
has writing engraved in it may be broken on
Shabbos. One is permitted to allow a young
child to take a piece of food that contains
letters even if he is going to break the letters.
Kashrus of Chocolate – Kashering
Besides dairy chocolate, many products are
made with pareve chocolate. Therefore, a
company would need to kasher the equipment
if it wishes to make both dairy and pareve on
the same machinery. Most of the production
of chocolate does not require heat except
the conch (see above). Chocolate companies
are unwilling to introduce water to the
chocolate machines, since it can potentially
damage the product. An alternative may be
to run chocolate through the system once and
consider it kashered. However, this approach
is a dispute among poskim.
The Rama says that one should not kasher
with any liquid other than water, but b’dieved
one is allowed to use “other liquids” to
kasher. A pressing situation has the status of
b’dieved. Based on the above, some kashrus
organizations permit a company to make
dairy and pareve chocolate on the same
equipment after a “kashering” of chocolate in
between. Those who do kasher with chocolate
do not have to wait twenty-four hours before
kashering.
The opinion of the OU is that since chocolate
becomes solid at room temperature it may not
be used for kashering. This applies even if
one were to follow those opinions that permit
kashering with other liquids. Therefore,
their policy is to have two separate systems
for pareve and dairy chocolate. Many other

kashrus agencies follow this opinion.
Chocolate Candies for Children after Meat
A child three years and younger does not
have to wait between eating meat and dairy.
One may feed him dairy directly after meat
if this is good for the child. However, the
child’s mouth should be cleaned out well. A
child over three years old should be trained
according to his ability to wait additional
time, increasing the time each year. A child
9-10 years old should wait the appropriate six
hours. Harav Yisroel Belsky Shlita holds that
the child should wait six hours when he starts
going to school (This is approximately 6-7
years old).
Some say that a child should not be given
dairy chocolate candies until six hours have
elapsed since he ate meat, since it is not
something he really needs (i.e. supper).
Bishul Akum
Chocolate which is eaten as snack is not
subject to the halachos of bishul akum since
snacks are not fit to be served at a king’s
table. In the event that one is eating a fancy
chocolate served at a glamorous meal, then
bishul akum may apply. However, since
the heat from the conches (see above) is
generated from the friction of the rollers, it
is comparable to an alternative method of
cooking which is not subject to bishul akum.
Some say that since chocolate is a sweet and
not eaten together with bread, it is not subject
to bishul akum.
Chocolate syrup is not subject to bishul akum
since it is eaten as a tafel to other foods at a
meal.
Milk Chocolate
Milk chocolate is manufactured with
powdered milk, as are various cakes and
cookies. Powered milk is made by spraying
milk into a spray dyer, which turns the milk
into a powder. Many poskim are of the opinion
that one who is makpid to avoid drinking
chalav stam should not consume powered
milk. Although some poskim are lenient, the
overwhelming custom is to be stringent.
Chocolate “Gelt”
Chanukah chocolate gelt sometimes has
the words “in G-d we trust” stamped on it.
The question arises whether one is allowed
to eat it, since he is erasing the name of
Hashem (albeit in a different language).
Some say that l’chatchilah one should not
purchase such chocolates; however, if they
were already purchased they can be eaten,
for eating is not considered erasing since
it is the normal manner to eat it. Others say
that one can purchase it even l’chatchilah
and rely on those poskim who maintain that
it is permitted to erase the name of Hashem
in a different language. This seems to be the
custom of most people.