The pervasive smell of just about everything chocolate hits you as soon as you walk into Fantasy Candies in Lyndhurst.
Owner Joel Fink has been working to perfect the science of chocolate for 30 years and is about to roll out his Blue Planet line of dark chocolates worldwide.
"They are all natural, gluten free, lactose free and have tremendous flavor. Most importantly there is no bitterness whatsoever," says Fink.
The Blue Planet Line features probiotics right there in the chocolate.
It’s a hot ingredient from another See The Possible local company out of Mayfield Heights.
Ganeden Laboratroies is a world leader in probiotics found in 550 products worldwide.
“It’s extremely powerful and effective, has no flavor whatsoever and has a long shelf life,” says Fink.
Blue Planet chocolates also feature high antioxidant Baobab that Fink describes as a “fruit from South Africa mixed with Pomegranate”.
He calls it the “planet’s best chocolate." In fact, it says it right there on the packaging.
Dr. Michael Roizen from the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute agrees high cocoa, low sugar chocolate is in fact “good for you”...in moderation.
"It decreases your risk of heart disease, stroke, memory loss and arterial aging," says Roizen.
In fact, Fink has been partnered for years with the Cleveland Clinic in earning “GO! Healthy” labels you see on select foods in local grocers.
"We will say that the ingredients in it are healthy for you. A small amount of it every day keeps you younger. That doesn't mean that that that particular thing taken to excess is good for you,” said Roizen.
Fink, born and raised in Cleveland, told WKYC Channel 3 News that he’s proud to be an entrepreneur taking a Cleveland born product worldwide. He's also proud to be using local companies himself, trying to keep production all in the CLE.