USDA Organic

PASCHA is proud to offer organic chocolate.

What is organic farming?

Organic farmers work in harmony with nature, utilizing organic practices which are thousands of year old. This harmonious farming practice preserves a critical ecosystem – our soil. Organic farming is designed to achieve and protect a healthy environment which is sustainable for the long-term.

The USDA Organic Certified label is backed by a set of rigorous federal production and processing standards. Certifying agents review PASCHA’s applications for certification eligibility. Qualified inspectors conduct annual onsite inspections of organic operations, observing their production and processing practices to see if we’re in compliance with organic standards.

PASCHA’S Organic Dark Chocolate products were certified by the USDA and are FREE FROM:
PESTICIDES, SYNTHETIC FERTILIZERS, NON-GMO’s (GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS), IRRADIATIONS, PRESERVATIVES, COLORS & FLAVORS.

Click here to visit the USDA website

Certified Vegan

PASCHA is proud to offer vegan chocolate.

What is a Vegan?

A vegan does not use or consume animal products. While vegetarians choose not to use flesh foods, vegans also avoid dairy and eggs. They also avoid fur, leather, wool, down, and cosmetics or chemical products tested on animals. PASCHA’s line of chocolate has been Certified Vegan by the Vegan Awareness Foundation.

To achieve this certification, PASCHA must:

•Not contain meat, fish, fowl, animal by-products, eggs or egg products, milk or milk product.
•Involve no animal testing of ingredients or finished product.
•Involve no animal products in the manufacturing of ingredients.
•Contain no animal-derived GMO’s or genes used to manufacture ingredients or finished products.
•Test provided by the Vegan Certification project.

UTZ Certified

PASCHA is proud to offer UTZ certified chocolate.

UTZ is committed to creating a world where sustainable farming is the norm. UTZ is an internationally recognized benchmark certification, with the largest recognized scheme for cocoa and coffee. With years of experience in these sectors, consumers can be sure that UTZ certified products have been sourced in a manner which is fair to producers, workers, suppliers and the environment.

Guided by the principles of fairness and transparency in farming and working conditions, the UTZ certified label is featured on over 20,000 different products across 135 countries, allowing UTZ to make a sufficient difference in support of our people and the planet.

PASCHA is proud to have UTZ certified products in our chocolate collection.

Click here to learn more about UTZ. All information provided by UTZ.

1% For The Planet

PASCHA is committed to donate at least 1% of our sales to nonprofit partners 1% For The Planet has vetted for participation in the 1% For The Planet network.

What is 1% For The Planet?

1% For The Planet’s mission is to build, support and activate an alliance of businesses financially committed to creating a healthy planet.

What kind of change is 1% For The Planet making in the world?

1% For The Planet members support thousands of nonprofit organizations helping to save land, protect forests, rivers and oceans, make agricultural and energy production more sustainable, getting toxics out of the environment, plastics out of the oceans and more. You name it, a 1% for the Planet nonprofit partner is doing it with the help of support from our member companies.

Where does the money go?

Member businesses give 1% of their sales directly to the sustainability-oriented nonprofit(s) of their choosing. 1% For The Planet carefully vets each nonprofit for track record, credibility and impact and annually verifies that members are making their contributions.

Where can I find out what other companies are in the network?

Explore 1% For The Planet’s online directory and look for the 1% For The Planet logo every time you’re at the store or shop online!

Click here to visit the 1% For The Planet’s website.

Non-GMO Project Verified

What are GMO’s?

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) are plants or animals created through the gene splicing techniques of biotechnology (also called genetic engineering, or GE). This experimental technology merges DNA from different species, creating unstable combinations of plant, animal, bacterial and viral genes that cannot occur in nature or in traditional crossbreeding. GMO’s are engineered to withstand direct application of herbicide and/or to produce an insecticide. A growing body of evidence connects GMO’s with health problems, environmental damage and violation of farmers’ and consumers’ rights.

Are GMO’s safe?

GMO’s have not yet been properly tested for human safety. In nearly 50 countries around the world, including Australia, Japan, and all of the countries in the European Union, there are restrictions or bans on the production and sale of GMO’s. In the U.S., the government has approved GMO’s based on studies conducted by the same corporations that created them. However, without conducting government-regulated controlled studies on large populations, the long-term effects GMO’s may have on public health remain unclear. Increasingly, Americans are taking matters into their own hands and choosing to opt out of the GMO experiment.

What is the NON-GMO Project?

The NON-GMO Project is a non-profit organization committed to preserving and building sources of NON-GMO products, educating consumers, and providing verified NON-GMO choices. Offering North America’s only third party verification and labeling for NON-GMO food and products. The NON-GMO Project also works to educate consumers and the food industry to help build awareness about GMO’s and their impact on our health and food systems. The NON-GMO Project began as an initiative of independent natural foods retailers who were interested in providing their customers with more information regarding the GMO risk of their products. The NON-GMO verification seal indicates that the product bearing the seal has gone through the NON-GMO verification process. An assurance that a product has been produced according to consensus-based best practices for GMO avoidance.

With the help of organizations like the NON-GMO Project, consumers can determine what products to watch for and how they can make the right choices to suit their lifestyles. A complete list of over 6,000 products that are NON-GMO Project Verified is available in an online directory and as an iPhone app to make shopping easier.

How common are GMO’s?

In the US and Canada, GMO’s are in as much as 80% of conventional processed food. The annual June Agricultural Survey compiled by the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service showed that between 2000 and 2011, 81–86% of all corn and 87–90% of all soybeans planted in the US were genetically modified crops.

What if I only buy organic?

Shopping organic is a terrific way to eat the healthiest foods possible. Although GMO’s are an excluded method under the National Organic Program, organic certification does not require GMO testing. Choosing products that are Certified Organic AND NON-GMO Project Verified is the best way to make sure you are getting the highest-quality food for your family.

Click here to visit the Non-GMO Project website.

Fair Trade USA

Fair Trade USA is a non-for-profit organization which guarantees small farmers in developing countries receive fair prices for their crops from international partners. This leading third-party certifier audits and certifies transactions between companies and their international suppliers. The farmer must agree to provide fair working standards (paying a fair wage to his workers and guaranteeing a safe working environment), follow environmentally sound farming practices and invest in their community to empower and improve their district.

Fair Trade also seeks to cut out layers between producers and buyers to foster long-term relationships between workers and those who buy their goods. The Fair Trade practice provides the farmer a chance to compete and grow within a global food marketplace, supported by training and resources designed to support their growth as businesspeople.

Fair Trade USA’s mission is to also educate consumers who are concerned about the state of the world as well as to invest time to look for opportunities in hopes of making a positive difference.

PASCHA is committed to sourcing Fair Trade certified ingredients, helping to ensure that our economy supports people and their communities. Through equitable trade, farming families are able to eat better, educate their children, improve health and housing and invest in the future.

Click here to visit the Fair Trade USA website.

Gluten Intolerance Group

PASCHA is proud to have the GIG Seal on our chocolate products.

OU (Orthodox Union) Kosher Certified

The OU (Orthodox Union) Kosher has certified over 800,000 products, produced in more than 8,500 facilities, located in 100 countries around the world.

The OU has 886 Rabbinic Field Representatives, located across North America and throughout the world – from Europe to Australia, from China to South Africa — who are proficient in modern food production techniques and chemical and biological processes, no less than the intricacies of Jewish law.

The Orthodox Union, now in its second century of service to the Jewish community of North America and beyond, is a world leader in community and synagogue services, adult education, youth work, political action, and advocacy for persons with disabilities through Yachad and Our Way.

PASCHA’s certification means our chocolate products are allowed to be eaten according to dietary or ceremonial law.

Click here for more information about the OU Kosher certification.