# Are Godiva Chocolates sold in America made in Belgium? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 13, 2019, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-godiva-chocolates-sold-in-america-made-in-belgium/829457 "2019-02-13T11:28:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-godiva-chocolates-sold-in-america-made-in-belgium/829457/1 "2019-02-13T11:28:29Z")
I figured that, because box mentions that it is a Belgium company and that it contains Belgium chocolates, I am purchasing a product of Belgium[but a recent class action lawsuit](https://www.truthinadvertising.org/godivas-belgian-chocolates/) claims that the chocolates sold in the U.S. come from a factory in Reading, Pennsylvania. This leads me to believe that the chocolates made here must taste different because the ingredients and food regulations can’t be the same. Anyone have info on this? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-godiva-chocolates-sold-in-america-made-in-belgium/829457/2 "2019-02-13T12:04:27Z")
Godiva has a factory in Reading, PA, so I guess not. The lawsuit is preposterous. The boxes don’t say they’re made in Belgium; they say they’re Belgian chocolate, which is a term of art, not a claim of where they are made. If McDonald’s sells me French fries I don’t bitch that they weren’t made by artisanal fry cooks in Paris. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-godiva-chocolates-sold-in-america-made-in-belgium/829457/3 "2019-02-13T12:10:58Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Godiva has a factory in Reading, PA, so I guess not. > > The lawsuit is preposterous. The boxes don’t say they’re made in Belgium; they say they’re Belgian chocolate, which is a term of art, not a claim of where they are made. If McDonald’s sells me French fries I don’t bitch that they weren’t made by artisanal fry cooks in Paris. Is there anything on the box saying they are made in Reading, Pennsylvania? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-godiva-chocolates-sold-in-america-made-in-belgium/829457/4 "2019-02-13T12:18:25Z")
I can’t find an image of the BACK of a Godiva box that I can clearly read. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-godiva-chocolates-sold-in-america-made-in-belgium/829457/5 "2019-02-13T12:19:59Z")
I think there is a bit of a difference between a Belgium company’s website describing chocolates made in Belgium selling Belgium chocolates, and “french” fries made right in front of you at your local McDonalds. Their website has a search function, but no hits for either “Reading” or “Pennsylvania”. I did find [this old article from the Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/food/1994/09/14/godiva-better-in-belgium/7e011581-5fbb-43bf-bc7e-6db959bf5178/?utm_term=.b5e24d815d5b) describing why the U.S. chocolates are different. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-godiva-chocolates-sold-in-america-made-in-belgium/829457/6 "2019-02-13T12:22:06Z")
The ingredients may be the same; that the regulations will be somewhat different doesn’t mean they will be incompatible, or that the company will specifically chose different sources in different countries. Even if some of the materials are different (I expect they don’t import the water), the specifications for the material may be the same independently of the source. Multinationals from all kinds of sectors including food have situations where the same list of ingredients is used in multiple factories all the time. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-godiva-chocolates-sold-in-america-made-in-belgium/829457/7 "2019-02-13T13:04:01Z")
To qualify as “Belgian chocolate”, it’s[generally accepted](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_chocolate#Production_and_standards) that at minimum the _chocolate_ manufacturing must be done in Belgium. This means the refining, mixing and concheing. So it’s possible that the _chocolate_ is made in Belgium but the _chocolates_ are made in Pennsylvania (enrobing, moulding, truffling, etc). I don’t know whether that is the case, though. I know that is the case for a local Belgian chocolate manufacturer (whose _chocalatiers_ were trained by the Belgian government) ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-godiva-chocolates-sold-in-america-made-in-belgium/829457/8 "2019-02-13T13:09:31Z")
Aunt Diana’s was better anyhow. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-godiva-chocolates-sold-in-america-made-in-belgium/829457/9 "2019-02-13T13:12:42Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > If McDonald’s sells me French fries I don’t bitch that they weren’t made by artisanal fry cooks in Paris. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > I think there is a bit of a difference between a Belgium company’s website describing chocolates made in Belgium selling Belgium chocolates, and “french” fries made right in front of you at your local McDonalds. Question: does McDonald’s or any other chain sell “French” fries at all? [Looking at a McD’s menu](https://www.mcdonalds.com/gb/en-gb/product/fries-medium.html)I see that they sell “fries” with no “French” in the name. Maybe that is for legal reasons. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-godiva-chocolates-sold-in-america-made-in-belgium/829457/10 "2019-02-13T13:19:09Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > Question: does McDonald’s or any other chain sell “French” fries at all? [Looking at a McD’s menu](https://www.mcdonalds.com/gb/en-gb/product/fries-medium.html)I see that they sell “fries” with no “French” in the name. Maybe that is for legal reasons. Burger King and Wendy’s have “french fries” on the menu but, like I said, they are still made in full view of the customer. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-godiva-chocolates-sold-in-america-made-in-belgium/829457/11 "2019-02-13T13:22:36Z")
> **[Belgian chocolate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_chocolate)** > > Belgian chocolate (French: Chocolat Belge, German: Belgische Schokolade, Dutch: Belgische Chocolade) is chocolate produced in Belgium. A major industry since the 19th century, today it forms an important part of the nation's economy and culture. > The raw materials used in chocolate production do not originate in Belgium; most cocoa is produced in Africa, Central America, and South America. Nonetheless, the country has an association with the product that dates to the early 17th century. The ind... > [@](#): > > Controversy about what can legitimately be called “Belgian chocolate” has been fueled by some traditional Belgian chocolatiers being purchased by non-Belgian companies and even moving production out of Belgium. Ignace Van Doorselaere, chief executive of chocolatier Neuhaus, insists that “In our dictionary, Belgian means place of manufacturing, headquarters and ownership,” but without an EU protected food status designation, those chocolatiers who remain 100% Belgian find the “Belgian chocolate” brand hard to protect. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-godiva-chocolates-sold-in-america-made-in-belgium/829457/12 "2019-02-13T15:21:15Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Godiva has a factory in Reading, PA, so I guess not. > > The lawsuit is preposterous. The boxes don’t say they’re made in Belgium; they say they’re Belgian chocolate, which is a term of art, not a claim of where they are made. If McDonald’s sells me French fries I don’t bitch that they weren’t made by artisanal fry cooks in Paris. See, I’ve never heard or regarded “Belgian chocolate” as a term of art, like French fries or Greek salad. It’s more like “French wine,” which, I would assume, means wine from France. I’ve never parsed “Belgian chocolate” as a moniker for a certain style of chocolates but rather simply as “chocolate from Belgium.” Same with a Swiss watch or a Swiss chocolate, for that matter–I expect those to be from Switzerland. On the other hand, if it is a Belgian company making it abroad, then it’s a bit fuzzy. I could go either way there. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-godiva-chocolates-sold-in-america-made-in-belgium/829457/13 "2019-02-13T15:35:14Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > To qualify as “Belgian chocolate”, it’s[generally accepted](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_chocolate#Production_and_standards) that at minimum the _chocolate_ manufacturing must be done in Belgium. This means the refining, mixing and concheing. So it’s possible that the _chocolate_ is made in Belgium but the _chocolates_ are made in Pennsylvania (enrobing, moulding, truffling, etc). I don’t know whether that is the case, though. I know that is the case for a local Belgian chocolate manufacturer (whose _chocalatiers_ were trained by the Belgian government) The article linked to in post #5 says that Godiva has the chocolate made at a central location and it shipped to factories worldwide. So all the chocolate is the same, it’s the chocolates that vary. Most US states restrict or ban the use of alcohol in the fillings, and there are other changes made that cater to “American tastes”. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-godiva-chocolates-sold-in-america-made-in-belgium/829457/14 "2019-02-13T15:42:49Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > The article linked to in post #5 says that Godiva has the chocolate made at a central location and it shipped to factories worldwide. That article is from 1994-I wonder if they still do it that way 25 years later? ---
**Author:** ![lingyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@lingyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lingyi)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-godiva-chocolates-sold-in-america-made-in-belgium/829457/15 "2019-02-13T15:56:22Z")
It’s made in the U.S. From their “History of Godiva” page: [https://www.godiva.com/careersGodivaHistory/careersGodivaHistory.html](https://www.godiva.com/careersGodivaHistory/careersGodivaHistory.html) "COMING TO AMERICA A photo of two ladies looking into the window of a Godiva store in America in the 1960’s. In 1966, the Draps family came into contact with the American company Campbell Soup Company, which acquired one-third of a stake in Godiva that year. Thus, the American operation of the company was the first to introduce premium chocolate to the American palate. By 1968, Godiva Chocolatier, Inc., had begun domestic production, using the exclusive Belgian recipes. GODIVA TODAY A photo of two Godiva chocolatiers. The company has continued to grow and expand over the years. The U.S. plant in Reading, PA, now produces the same amount of chocolate for the U.S. market as the Belgian plant produces for the rest of the world. There are now over 270 Retail locations as well as over 2000 Wholesale doors. In addition to retail and production, Godiva runs a direct business ( [www.godiva.com](http://www.godiva.com) and 1-800-9-Godiva) and a wholesale merchandising sales force across the country. Godiva’s world headquarters are located in Midtown Manhattan." ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-godiva-chocolates-sold-in-america-made-in-belgium/829457/16 "2019-02-13T18:46:47Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Burger King and Wendy’s have “french fries” on the menu but, like I said, they are still made in full view of the customer. As it happens, “french” fries refers to the potatoes being cut into thin strips. It’s a cooking term, and has nothing to do with France. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-godiva-chocolates-sold-in-america-made-in-belgium/829457/17 "2019-02-13T23:16:14Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > As it happens, “french” fries refers to the potatoes being cut into thin strips. It’s a cooking term, and has nothing to do with France. I’ve always wondered that myself, whether it referred to French cutting vegetables, but I can’t find anything definitive. [From etymonline.com](https://www.etymonline.com/word/French%20fries#etymonline_v_33391): > [@](#): > > French fries (n.) > 1903, American English, earlier French fried potatoes (by 1856); see French (adj.) + fry (v.). Literally “potatoes fried in the French style.” The name is from the method of making them by immersion in fat, which was then considered a peculiarity of French cooking. > > There are 2 ways of frying known to cooks as (1) wet frying, sometimes called French frying or frying in a kettle of hot fat; and (2) dry frying or cooking in a frying pan. The best results are undoubtedly obtained by the first method, although it is little used in this country. [“The Household Cook Book,” Chicago, 1902] ETA: Actually, [Wikipedia has a little more about this:](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_fries) > [@](#): > > Thomas Jefferson had “potatoes served in the French manner” at a White House dinner in 1802.[12][13] The expression “French fried potatoes” first occurred in print in English in the 1856 work Cookery for Maids of All Work by E. Warren: “French Fried Potatoes. – Cut new potatoes in thin slices, put them in boiling fat, and a little salt; fry both sides of a light golden brown colour; drain.”[14] This account referred to thin, shallow-fried slices of potato (French cut) – it is not clear where or when the now familiar deep-fried batons or fingers of potato were first prepared. In the early 20th century, the term “French fried” was being used in the sense of “deep-fried” for foods like onion rings or chicken.[15][16] > > **It is unlikely that “French fried” refers to frenching or french cut in the sense of julienning, which is not attested until after French fried potatoes. Previously, frenching referred only to trimming meat off the shanks of chops.** [17] Emphasis mine. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-godiva-chocolates-sold-in-america-made-in-belgium/829457/18 "2019-02-13T23:38:12Z")
When I was a kid, my father would return from overseas trips with big Toblerone bars, which he bought in places like the duty-free shops in Frankfurt Airport. Now you can buy Toblerone bars in places like Target. It used to be that there were certain things available only in their country of origin (or even only in their city of origin) and they represented a special gift when someone brought them back to you. Now, pretty much everything is available everywhere, any time, and while that’s good for many reasons, the specialness is gone. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2019, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-godiva-chocolates-sold-in-america-made-in-belgium/829457/19 "2019-02-13T23:53:00Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Is there anything on the box saying they are made in Reading, Pennsylvania? > [@RickJay](#): > > I can’t find an image of the BACK of a Godiva box that I can clearly read. I don’t know about the boxes, but the images of chocolate bar wrappers I’ve found all have a NYC address. Presumably their world headquarters mentioned above. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2019, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-godiva-chocolates-sold-in-america-made-in-belgium/829457/20 "2019-02-14T08:52:46Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > It used to be that there were certain things available only in their country of origin (or even only in their city of origin) and they represented a special gift when someone brought them back to you. Now, pretty much everything is available everywhere, any time, and while that’s good for many reasons, the specialness is gone. Unless you’re Japanese, where the [regional souvenir sweet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miyagegashi) is still very much a thing (part of a larger [regional souvenir](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meibutsu)culture). I _really_ look forward to visits from our Japanese associates. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-godiva-chocolates-sold-in-america-made-in-belgium/829457.md?page=2)