Villakuyaya Organic Milk Chocolate Quinoa Pops

Why it’s Good Stuff

Quinoa and Himalayan pink salt combined with organic milk chocolate make this a treat that is both delicious and full of nutrients.

Three ounce pouch of pop pearls. 39% cocao.

Origin: Ecuador, Esmeraldas

Ingredients: Cacao beans (Arriba Nacional), cane sugar, cacao butter, himalaya pink salt, quinoa pop

Made in a facility that handles milk, soy, and nuts.

A note on heavy metal contamination in dark chocolate: Tania Molina, the founder and owner of Villakuyaya, works directly with organic cacao farmers in Ecuador, and she confirmed that batch testing for heavy metals is an important part of her chocolate production. To minimize lead contamination, cacao beans at Esmeraldas are fermented in closed wooden boxes and then moved to large tables to dry, which are covered to prevent dust from settling on the raw beans. Tania says that during her visits to Esmeraldas, shoes must be removed to prevent bringing outside contamination into the cacao processing facility. Tania tests the pure cocoa used for each batch and only accepts cocoa that meets the European standard since her chocolate is sold in both the United States and Europe. Tania provided us with recent certificates of analysis to demonstrate that her chocolate meets Europe’s guidelines.