This is an excellent time to report even more good news about chocolate since you're likely either to give or receive a box of the scrumptious stuff for Mother's Day.  We've discussed before the many benefits to your circulatory system from eating moderate amounts of dark chocolate regularly.  But the scientific studies are ongoing and, in at least one case, astonishing.  We'll begin with the study that says eating chocolate can help to keep you thin.  From there, we’ll bring you up to date on other interesting chocolate facts recently found in the news.

"Where there's smoke, there's fire," the saying goes.   The suspect, raw tuna, turns out to be the perpetrator.  The FDA has announced a link between a frozen raw tuna product and the multistate Salmonella Bareilly outbreak that has resulted in 116 confirmed illnesses (and 12 hospitalizations) in 20 states. 

Moon Marine USA Corp. of Cupertino, California (also known as MMI) is voluntarily recalling 58,828 lbs. of its frozen yellowfin tuna, which was labeled Nakaochi Scrape AA or AAA.  The product is tuna backmeat that is scraped from tuna bones and looks like a ground product. It is sold to restaurants and grocery stores and used to make sushi, sashimi, ceviche, and similar dishes.  The product is not sold by itself to individual consumers.

What has caused at least 93 people in 19 states plus Washington, D.C. to become infected with Salmonella Bareilly, an unusual type of salmonella?   At this point, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) is not sure, but it has a watchful eye on one suspect and is continuing to investigate.

Many of the victims reported consuming sushi, sashimi, or other raw fish within a few days of the onset of symptoms.  In an FDA internal memo that was inadvertently leaked, spicy tuna roll sushi was mentioned as the probable source of contamination.  But which ingredient of the tuna roll might be the culprit--the tuna itself, a spice, or some other ingredient in the tuna rolls?  Some restaurants use pre-packaged tuna to make their sushi, so it is possible for contaminated raw tuna from one location to wind up in many states.

You no longer have to wait for that Valentine’s Day heart-shaped box or a chocolate Easter bunny to find an excuse to frequently nibble on chocolate.  In fact, you don’t even need an excuse. It turns out that, in addition to the delicious taste, there are many good reasons for eating chocolate regularly—from boosting your mood to contributing to your good health.

Since Shelf Life Advice wrote about chocolate last February, the news about chocolate benefits has gotten even better. Research findings published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and reported in USA Today in October, 2011, were conducted by Swedish scientists who studied more than 33,00 women. Their results showed an association between chocolate consumption and reduced risk of stroke. (Two candy bars a week= 20% reduction).  The cheery info from this study has been circulating widely in the press and on Internet sites. So how much chocolate does this research suggest that you should eat or drink and in what form?  Read on for information about everything from dark chocolate squares to—believe it or not--chocolate ale.