> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://thechocolatelife.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # June News & AMA | #PSC 208 - URL: https://thechocolatelife.com/june-news-ama-psc-208/ - Published: 2026-06-08T16:37:02.000Z - Updated: 2026-06-17T22:23:50.000Z - Description: OVERVIEW: Episode 208 of #PodSaveChocolate features chocolate and cocoa news fit to eat, as well as the monthly live AMA (Ask Me Anything about chocolate or cocoa) for June 2026. - Author: Clay Gordon - Tags: PodSaveChocolate, Live Stream, #Footnote 🗓️ Episode 208 streamed on Tuesday, June 9th, 2026\. Click a link below to view the archived episode. This ****YOUTUBE** link is shareable. [![CTA Image](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/2025/11/ytlogo256x256.png)](https://youtube.com/live/e8kHHR46Cr8?ref=thechocolatelife.com) Watch and comment LIVE or view the archived episode! Subscribe (free!) to the [@PodSaveChocolate YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@podsavechocolate/featured?ref=thechocolatelife.com), like this video, comment, and ****share** this episode to help grow the #PSC community. [Participate/Watch on YouTube ](https://youtube.com/live/e8kHHR46Cr8?ref=thechocolatelife.com) This ****LINKEDIN** link is shareable. [![CTA Image](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/2025/05/LinkedInLogo.png)](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/claygordon%5Fpodsavechocolate-lavidacocoa-thechocolatelife-activity-7469786919632097280-x0IY?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAAABaLUB44l0lzyoZ9nf9Lg8nfstgzLqxbg) Watch and comment LIVE or view the archived episode on LinkedIn. Join my network on LinkedIn to receive notifications and to refer business to each other. [Participate/Watch on LinkedIn ](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/claygordon%5Fpodsavechocolate-lavidacocoa-thechocolatelife-activity-7469786919632097280-x0IY?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=member%5Fdesktop&rcm=ACoAAAABaLUB44l0lzyoZ9nf9Lg8nfstgzLqxbg) This ****FACEBOOK** link is shareable [![CTA Image](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/2025/05/FacebookLogo.png)](https://www.facebook.com/share/1D41uUixqv/) Watch and comment LIVE or view the archived episode on ****TheChocolateLife page** on Facebook (for 30 days, then watch the archive on YouTube). Follow [TheChocolateLife on Facebook ](https://fb.me/thechocolatelife?ref=thechocolatelife.com)to receive notifications and catch up on other content. [Participate/Watch on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/share/1D41uUixqv/) 🗓️ The ****June Member AMA call** is scheduled for Sunday, the 28th, beginning at 10:00 am MST. (June 14th is Flag Day, and June 21st is Father’s Day.) The link to participate can be found in the June member newsletter. --- ## **Episode 208 Overview** In this episode: ***Chocolate News that’s Fit to Eat™*** for June 2026. 💡 People participating live can ****Ask Me Anything** *in the chat at any point during the episode.* (\*As long as it’s about chocolate or cocoa.) ### **The Ongoing Saga of the Cost of Cocoa** **& the new TCL Cocoa Market Report** | **MARKETS** | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Barchart.com [Futures Prices](https://www.barchart.com/futures/quotes/CC%2A0/futures-prices?ref=thechocolatelife.com) / [Futures Overview](https://www.barchart.com/futures/quotes/CC%2A0/overview?ref=thechocolatelife.com) | | Trading Economics [Chart](https://tradingeconomics.com/commodity/cocoa?ref=thechocolatelife.com) | | TradingCharts.com [1977 Baseline](https://futures.tradingcharts.com/historical/CC/1977/0/continuous.html?ref=thechocolatelife.com) | | [ICCO Pricing Stats](https://www.icco.org/statistics/?ref=thechocolatelife.com) | --- [2026 Finalists | Sustainability Awards![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/icon/mstile-144x144-db78d94a-607d-4fce-ac8f-54e4a3e381ad.png)Packaging Europe![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/thumbnail/logo-ec0f2a23-6a27-451f-aa7e-9f754522d397.png)](https://packagingeurope.com/sustainability-awards/2026-finalists?ref=thechocolatelife.com) What might be interesting for a small chocolate maker/chocolatier? ****TheCHOCOLATELIFE weekly news brief** ![CTA Image](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/2026/05/ClayIJ-Avatar128x.jpg) I created a bot that scans news sources for stories I might have missed while manually reviewing my feeds. I now share this weekly email (lightly edited to remove links to the service itself) with ALL premium members of TheChocolateLife. Following are some highlights from the June 1 – 7 newsletter. Typical topic areas include: 1. **Headlines** ***Pistachio supply squeeze intensifies — Dubai-chocolate demand meets Iran war and weather shocks*** — Turkish, US, and Iranian harvests all below expectations; Iran disruption hits exports. [FoodNavigator](https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2026/06/03/pistachios-see-pressure-from-iran-war-and-high-demand/?ref=thechocolatelife.com) 2. **Industry Moves and Announcements** ***Consumer-trust issues are now a board-level concern.***Hershey's reformulation backlash is a warning for any manufacturer that quietly reduces cocoa solids. Expect more “no-compromise” cocoa claims and front-of-pack storytelling from peers. [Confectionery News](https://www.confectionerynews.com/Article/2026/06/04/hersheys-next-move-rebuilding-trust-after-the-cocoa-cuts-controversy/?ref=thechocolatelife.com) 3. **Commodity and Policy Updates** ***EU Digital Product Passport (DPP) goes live 19 July 2026.***Goods in regulated categories — including chocolate and cocoa derivatives — without a registered machine-readable DPP face automated EU customs detention. African exporters are being onboarded now. [Business Insider Markets](https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/trade-compliance-records-opens-eu-dpp-registry-for-african-exporters-1036218817?ref=thechocolatelife.com) 4. **Forward-Looking Insight** Chocolate brand owners should expect a *split market* through year-end — softer bean costs, but tighter compliance costs (EU DPP, EUDR, CSRD)**.** --- [Share this post!](#/share) --- ### **More thoughts on alt.cocoas** As I started to point out in last Friday’s episode of #PodSaveChocolate, there is a disconnect in the reporting about cocoa alternatives. And I am not entirely sure what the disconnect means and what should be done about it. What I do know is that none of the ***“mainstream confectionery news”*** outlets seem to have alerted to this yet: - Total cocoa production is about 4 million metric tonnes (plus/minus about 10%) - Total cocoa production in just Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana is between 60 and 70% of that, so let’s say 2.4 – 2.8 million MT. - The total *installed *capacity** of ALL forms (cell culturing, precision fermentation (engineered microbes), natural fermentation (naturally occurring yeasts and bacteria), and gas fermentation) of cocoa alternative manufacturing capacity is on the order of 25,000 MT. (That’s between 0.9 – 1.04% of cocoa production from just two countries.) What are the issues here, really? If the current installed capacity (not production) is around 1% of cocoa production in the two countries: 1. What’s all the fuss about? 2. Has anyone else asked this question? 3. Why are cocoa alternatives being hailed as “the” future of chocolate? ### **Thinking about what to name and label cocoa alternatives** I have some ideas, but one thing I am sure of, we cannot let it be called “cocoa-free chocolate”. By definition, if the primary ingredients are not derived from tree-grown cocoa, it cannot be labeled chocolate. --- 25th Anniversary Lifetime Membership offer [![CTA Image](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/2026/05/brewtubeAvatar512x.png)](https://thechocolatelife.com/25th-anniversary-lifetime-membership-offer/) ****I began my career** as a professional chocolate critic, journalist, consultant, and educator in mid-May 2001\. ****That means** I am celebrating my 25th anniversary as a professional chocolate critic, journalist, consultant, and educator in 2026\. To help me celebrate, I hope you will consider becoming a ***Lifetime** Member! ****This special offer is available May 25 – June 30, 2026.** [Learn More About Lifetime Membership! ](https://thechocolatelife.com/25th-anniversary-lifetime-membership-offer/) ### **Ikigai, TheChocolateLife, and You** ![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/2026/06/ikigaiRenderEdited-1920x1024.jpg) ### **Our Next Steps Together …** *These will be (are) expressed during the live stream.* --- ### **Future Episodes** 🗓️ None scheduled when this post was published. --- ### **Episode Hashtags** #News #AMA #AskMeAnything #cocoa #cacao #cacau #chocolate #chocolat #craftchocolate #PodSaveChoc #PSC #LaVidaCocoa #TheChocolateLife --- ### **#PodSaveChocolate and #TheChocolateLifeLIVE Archives** **To read an archived post** and find the links to watch archived episodes, click on one of the bookmark cards, below. [Pod Save Chocolate Calendar and ArchiveNews, views, and conversations on topics in cocoa and chocolate streamed live to YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook. #PodSaveChocolate!![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/size/w256h256/2020/12/JR_Pods60x60FavIconCutoutButtons.png)The Chocolate LifeClay Gordon![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/2023/11/TagImageBanner-PodSaveChocTagFinal_1920x1080-5.jpg)](https://thechocolatelife.com/pod-save-chocolate-calendar-and-archive/) [#TheChocolateLifeLIVE ArchiveNews, views, and conversations on topics in cocoa and chocolate streamed live to YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook.![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/size/w256h256/2020/12/JR_Pods60x60FavIconCutoutButtons.png)The Chocolate LifeClay Gordon![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/2023/03/solen-feyissa-WG7v_wYZW4Q-unsplash-CalendarFeatured1920x1080.jpg)](https://thechocolatelife.com/thechocolatelife-live-calendar/) ⁉️ After a year-long+ experiment, the audio-only versions of PodSaveChocolate episodes have been taken down after an end-of-year review. There were not enough listens to continue uploading episodes and paying for hosting. --- ## Not a Member? Live The Chocolate Life – Live La Vida Cocoa! Sign up for ****Free** to comment and receive members-only content. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. 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