Also, if anyone has a problem with me personally or anything I have said, please reach me directly. I recently was contacted by a professor with a PhD in history and he brought to my attention an error that I had made. It reminded of my German professors in college. He did not shame me, rather he wanted me to know where I had made an error. I immediately corrected my mistake and I appreciated his input. I especially did not want to make a fool of myself! We also made plans to meet in September. Respect goes both ways. I respect the professor and he respects me.

created by a panel of experts that are elected by their peers. Example: 2 make cacao farmers + 2 female cacao farmers elected by the cacao farmers to represent the cacao farmers, 1 female food scientist + 1 male food scientist elected by food scientists to represent the food scientists, 2 male craft b2b makers + 2 female craft b2b makers elected by b2b makers to represent the b2b makers, etc. This process allows everyone to have a part. The representative for each area could remain on the board for 2 years? Then another election? Standards are updated every 2 years as information evolves?

Thank you for continuing this conversation. I observed this post and can hear the frustration and anger from people who do not want information to be out there that is incorrect. That makes sense and that is a valid concern. In my experience, people want to be heard, understood and of significance. There is an appropriate way to be heard, understood and of significance. To start by insulting will not accomplish what a person needs. This approach creates separation and separation leads to destruction. I am interested in people getting heard and the exchange of ideas. I prefer for all personal problems with an individual to be addressed directly. This exchange made me incredibly uncomfortable. I had the opportunity to reach out to my mentor, who is a former editor of Bon Apetit, and she was so helpful. This same concern happens in the food industry at large and it is unfortunate. There are people who have incredible knowledge and experience who I hope will create a standard for chocolate. To further this discussion, I'd like to propose an idea. I am open with being criticized in an adult manner. I have submitted this to FCIA. Standards are difficult because information is ever evolving based on studies and discoveries. I hope that standards are