frontlines

Unfounded Fears

I

Barbara Lewis

Contributing Writer

W

orry not, chocoholics! The
Ebola virus doesn't seem to
be affecting the cost of your

favorite treat.
Fears about Ebola are everywhere —
including the cocoa market. But local
Jewish bakers and confectioners say the
panic-driven rise in the cost of cocoa in
early October hasn't affected them. Indeed
the price of cocoa futures, which peaked in
early September, has returned to the level it
was in early August.
More than half the world's cocoa sup-
ply comes from Ivory Coast and Ghana in
West Africa. Those countries haven't been
affected by the deadly Ebola virus. But they
border Liberia and Guinea, which have
been hit hard.
Futures commodities traders are afraid
that if the virus jumps the border and gets
into Ivory Coast — which produces about a
third of the world's cocoa — the supply line
would slam shut. Another fear has to do
with the fact that many of the workers who
harvest cocoa in Ivory Coast are migrants
from Liberia and Guinea.
Since Ivory Coast has closed its borders

with those countries, there was
concern that a labor shortage would
affect the crop.
Chocolate manufacturers usually
send agronomists into West Africa
in late summer to count the number
of cacao trees and buds as a way
to predict the harvest. This year,
because of the Ebola threat, most of
the pod-counters didn't show up, so
no one had any forecasts about the size of
the harvest.
Worried futures traders caused the price
of cocoa to jump nearly 8 percent during
September.
But their fears proved to be unfounded,
and as the cocoa harvest got under way
in October, the price of cocoa returned to
normal. The price spike and correction
happened so quickly that local bakers and
candy-makers didn't even notice.
"It hasn't affected us at all," said Steve
Katz of the Bake Station in Southfield. "All
our chocolate comes from Belgium. We
order thousands of pounds at a time. I just
put in an order and there was no increase
in the price."
Pam Turkin, founder and "chief cup-
cake officer" of Just Baked, said the pric-
es of other ingredients, including butter
and milk, were causing more problems
for her cupcake company than the price

JN CONTENTS

of chocolate.
"Butter and milk prices have been inflat-
ed all year:' said Turkin, whose company
recently opened its 17th store. "Butter used
to be $58 a case; now it's $120."
Ethan Malzberg, whose company, Sweet
Gratifications, makes organic, vegan choco-
late, said he hasn't had any problems with
price increases. If prices rise, it will prob-
ably take a little while to catch up here, he
said.
Josh Charlip of the Bagel Factory in
Southfield, which uses a lot of chocolate
chips, and Max Surnow, head of Cooper
Street Cookies in Birmingham, also said
they haven't noticed any price change.
"Good grief! This whole Ebola thing is
horrible enough without rumors about
it affecting the price of cocoa: said Chris
Copacia, sales virtuoso at Gayle's Chocolates
in Royal Oak, adding that his company's
prices are under contract and guaranteed
until June 2015.

❑

theJEWISHNEWS

Oct. 30-Nov. 5, 2014 I 6-12 Cheshvan 5775 I Vol. CXLVI, No. 12

Around Town
Arts/Entertainment ..
Calendar
Food
Health
Israel.. 5, 28, 48, 58,
JN Archives
Letters
Life Cycles
Love Connection ....
Marketplace
Metro

32
59
20
69
56
86
6
5
72
77
77
8

52
Next Generation
Obituaries
82
Out & About
60
Points Of View
48
Red Thread
35
Sports
76
Staff Box/Phone List... 6
Synagogue List
50
Torah Portion
51

Columnist
Danny Raskin

70

Our JN Mission

The Jewish News aspires to communicate news and opinion that's useful, engaging, enjoyable and unique. It strives to
reflect the full range of diverse viewpoints while also advocating positions that strengthen Jewish unity and continu-
ity. We desire to create and maintain a challenging, caring, enjoyable work environment that encourages creativity
and innovation. We acknowledge our role as a responsible, responsive member of the community. Being competi-
tive, we must always strive to be the most respected, outstanding Jewish community publication in the nation. Our
rewards are informed, educated readers, very satisfied advertisers, contented employees and profitable growth.

Shabbat Lights

Shabbat: Friday, Oct. 31, 6:09 p.m.
Shabbat Ends: Saturday, Nov. 1, 7:10 p.m.

Shabbat: Friday, Nov. 7, 5 p.m.
Shabbat Ends: Saturday, Nov. 8, 6:02 p.m.

Times are from Yeshiva Beth Yehudah calendar.

Cover page design: Deborah Schultz.
The Detroit Jewish News (USPS 275-520) is

published every Thursday at 29200 Northwestern
Highway, #110, Southfield, Michigan. Periodical
postage paid at Southfield, Michigan, and
additional mailing offices. Postmaster: send changes
to: Detroit Jewish News, 29200 Northwestern
Highway, #110, Southfield, MI 48034.

Detroit Event
Celebrates
Japanese
Pop Culture

The production team behind Youmacon
— a Detroit-based, four-day anime,
gaming, art and comic convention cele-
brating Japanese popular culture — will
present Youmacon 2014 on Thursday-
Sunday, Oct. 30-Nov. 2 at Cobo Center
and the Renaissance Center. Festivities
will take place 24-hours-a-day begin-
ning at 8 p.m. Thursday through 6 p.m.
Sunday.
Similar in theme to most major Comic
Cons, Youmacon (named for the Japanese
word youma, meaning demon or ghost),
is an all-ages mix of interactive games
and events, celebrity guest panels, live
musical performances, exhibitors, artists
and more. Highlights of the event, now
in its 10th year, also include a Charity
Cosplay (costume) Ball, video game
and table top gaming rooms, live-action
Mario and Donkey Kong parties and a
massive 100,000-square-foot dealers'
room for shopping anime and other col-
lectibles. Last year's Youmacon drew
more than 14,000 attendees.
"It's honestly a dream come true to be
celebrating 10 years of Youmacon," said
Morgan Kollin, chairman and founder
of Youmacon Enterprises/Defying
Conventions. "After spending nearly four
years getting the very first Youmacon
up-and-running, to now be marking a
decade of success with tens of thousands
of attendees is truly more than I could
have imagined."
For a complete list of special guests,
visit: www.youmacon.com/special-
guests . Registration will only be avail-
able at the door. Pricing options (cash
only) include a three-day pass ($60) or
Friday only ($30), Saturday only ($40)
or Sunday only ($20) passes. Thursday
evening's activities are free and open to
the public.

❑

JN

October 30 • 2014

3

