> ## 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. # What is Our Change.org Petition About? | #PSC 233 - URL: https://thechocolatelife.com/pinned/what-is-our-change-org-petition-about-psc-233/ - Published: 2026-09-21T15:12:32.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-21T15:47:45.000Z - Description: OVERVIEW: Episode 233 of #PodSaveChocolate is an explainer about our recently created petition on Change.org. What is it asking, what is not asking, and what YOU can do to make sure the FDA hears our concerns. - Author: Clay Gordon - Tags: PodSaveChocolate, Live Stream, #Pinned šŸ—“ļø This stream begins at 10:00 ****MST** (10:00 P****D**T, 11:00 M****D**T, 12:00 C****D**T, 1:00 pm E****D**T) on Tuesday, September 22nd, 2026. Links below to watch LIVE and to view the archived episode. This ****YOUTUBE** link is shareable. 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[Participate/Watch on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/share/1EmfQnHXyW/) --- ## **Episode 233 Overview** I started a petition on Change.org that urges the FDA to prohibit products made from ā€œengineered cocoa substitutesā€ (my preferred term over lab-grown cocoa) from being labeled as chocolate. > **In other words, ā€œKeep Chocolate Tied to the Cacao Tree.ā€** *A standard of identity that no longer identifies anything is not a standard.* If you agree, sign the petition (link below) and encourage others to sign it, too! ## **Sign the Petition** Today & **Show Your Support** [Sign the PetitionTell the FDA: Say No To Cocoa-Free Chocolate![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/icon/favicon-48x48-79a72844-be25-4fc8-969c-5c49adb46c00.png)Change.org![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/thumbnail/PxOvUVjtGxaQNGf-1600x900-noPad-cbff0bf0-3af6-4193-b779-32d98aff6e64.jpg)](https://www.change.org/p/tell-the-fda-say-no-to-cocoa-free-chocolate?recruiter=1428971059&recruited%5Fby%5Fid=f7c17f50-ab9b-11f1-a1d6-f5c4fb41b060&ref=thechocolatelife.com) **In support of a citizen petition to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration** (ā€œFDAā€), urging them to ***not*** amend 21 CFR Part 163 to permit products made with engineered cocoa substitutes (materials produced by microbial fermentation, plant cell culture, enzymatic synthesis, or any comparable technology now known or later developed), to be labeled ā€œchocolate.ā€ Instead, establish ā€œ**artificial chocolateā€** or **ā€œengineered chocolateā€** as the required common or usual name for those products, and permit ā€œ**natural chocolateā€** as an *optional* designation for products made from the seeds of the *Theobroma cacao* tree. [21 CFR 10.30 -- Citizen petition.![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/icon/favicon-32x32-601e211398bdd3b5d26f99ae1ddae16e940b6a6223cb83f429419e6709f596f2-c4592d93-1d90-420b-aef6-e77cd7043c2d.png)eCFR The Electronic Code of Federal RegulationsPart 10](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-A/part-10/subpart-B/section-10.30?ref=thechocolatelife.com) Filing a Citizen Petition with the FDA is the next step, assuming sufficient signatures are collected at change.org. ### **What the citizen petition *will not* ask** We are not asking the FDA to prohibit engineered cocoa substitutes, to restrict the underlying technology, to require warning statements, or to make any finding about safety or nutrition. (Safety review belongs in the GRAS and food additive pathways, where it is already proceeding.) > ***We ask that these products be named accurately.*** Distinct nomenclature has not suppressed plant-based dairy or cultivated protein; both categories have grown under qualified names. Clear naming serves these manufacturers as well, by letting them market the specific attributes of their process rather than borrowing an identity that describes something else. ### **What the citizen petition *will* ask** 1. **Decline** to amend Part 163 in any manner to admit inputs not directly derived from the tree-grown seeds of *Theobroma cacao* into the standardized foods defined therein.. 2. **Establish ā€œartificial chocolateā€** or **ā€œengineered chocolateā€** as the required common or usual name for any product in which cocoa solids or cocoa butter are wholly or partially replaced by an engineered cocoa substitute, with the substitute and its production method identified in the ingredient statement. 3. **Permit ā€œnatural chocolateā€** as an optional designation for products conforming to Part 163 and made from tree-grown cacao. 4. **Apply the same rule to derived terms**, including ā€œcacao,ā€ ā€œcocoa,ā€ ā€œcocoa butter,ā€ ā€œcocoa powder,ā€ and ā€œchocolate liquor.ā€ --- [Consider supporting TheChocolateLife in this effort by making a one-time donation to cover the legal costs of submitting the Citizen Petition to the FDA.](https://buy.stripe.com/cNi5kEbYB6y44oofCx1Nu0h?ref=thechocolatelife.com) [Share this post!](#/share) ![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/2026/09/petition-flyer.jpg) ![](https://thechocolatelife.com/content/images/2026/09/petition-qrcode.png) Download these and share! ### **Future Episodes** šŸ—’ļø ****Date TBD** First impressions on the new ā€œCertified Ceremonial Cacaoā€ certification trademark. --- ### **Episode Hashtags** #cocoa #cacao #cacau #chocolate #chocolat #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. 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[#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/) ā‰ļø 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 ā€“ 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. Premium subscriptions available. ---