Hershey Center for Health & Nutrition Donates Hershey’s Natural Cocoa for 4th Annual Penn State Iron Chef Competition

(3BL Media) March 23, 2012 - The Nutrition Graduate Student Association is hosting the 4th Annual Penn State Iron Chef Competition on March 24th, 2012, in State College, Pa.  The one-hour cooking competition is in honor of National Nutrition Month and benefits the State College Food Bank.

The competition pits seven teams consisting of instructors, staff and faculty, and students who will compete in the school’s food labs. Each team has to raise $100 to participate and will be competing for two prizes: best dish and most money raised for the Food Bank.  

This year, Penn State chose Cocoa as the “Secret Ingredient” for the competition, and the Hershey Center for Health & Nutrition donated Hershey’s Natural Cocoa to be used to create a nutritious, non-dessert dish.

The Hershey Center for Health & Nutrition works closely with Penn State University and sponsors cutting-edge research on the health benefits of cocoa, chocolate, nuts and other ingredients with a focus on the cardiovascular benefits of natural cocoa. The Center studies the chemistry and dietary components of various foods and food components that are key sources of nutrients.

Natural cocoa powder is extracted from the cocoa bean, a fruit of the Theobroma cacao tree, rich in polyphenic compounds called flavanols which support heart health.  Cocoa is considered a “super fruit” due to its flavanol content. In fact, recent research suggests that cocoa powder has significantly higher flavanol levels than other popular super fruit powders such as pomegranate, cranberry, acai and blueberry.  Enjoying two tablespoons of cocoa a day as an ingredient in beverages, meals or snacks can contribute to positive heart health benefits.  

The Hershey Center for Health & Nutrition is part of The Hershey Company’s holistic, lifestyle- and science-based approach to support consumer well-being, including encouraging balanced living through moderation.