Maeve Chocolate FAQ: Shipping, Packaging, Storage, Bloom, & More

Care & Storage

Ingredients & Certifications

Many of our truffle bars and bonbons are gluten-free - just check the back of the box or bar. Our rigorous allergen cross-contact prevention program includes cleaning and detecting gluten on all machines before manufacturing a new product batch. The FDA states that products with a Gluten-Free claim must contain less than 20 gluten parts per million. Our test is even more sensitive, detecting as low as 10 parts per million. We only run products after the gluten test result is negative.

The well-being of our consumers is always at the forefront of our minds, and we have rigorous processes and testing in place to ensure the safest (and most delicious!) possible product for you.

Cadmium and lead can be found in the soil in regions where cacao is grown, and may enter cacao via the tree’s roots (cadmium) or by adhering to the shells of cacao beans during fermentation (lead) (1).

We recently resubmitted our highest percent cacao products for testing at a lab, and we’re happy to report that they all fall far under the daily standards for lead and cadmium set forth by the FDA (2), EU (3), and Codex Alimentarius Commission (4).

These bars can be used as a baseline for the remainder of our product offerings, as they have the highest cacao content.

While we have full trust in these standards, if you would prefer to adhere to thoseset forth by California’s Prop 65 (5), you can also view those below.

If you are concerned about your heavy metal intake, it’s important to evaluate your entire diet - foods like cereal, rice, fish, roots, mushrooms, etc. can also be sources of heavy metals.

Please see the below chart to understand the recommended amount you should consume to adhere to each set of standards (6).

Additional information

Learn more here: https://candyusa.com/news/research-reveals-ways-lead-and-cadmium-in-chocolate-may-be-reduced/
The FDA (Food and Drug Administration)is the United States’ centralized federal system for food regulation, inspection and examination. The FDA is accountable for the majority of food products in the country.
For the 27 European countries in the EU, the food standards laws are all streamlined into one governing body: European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). EFSA is responsible for EU food safety regulations and standards; mandatory for all the member countries.
Codex Alimentarius is a joint inter-governmental FAO/WHO food standards program with over 170 member countries (including the US). Codex Alimentarius standards are based off internationally accepted scientific and technological standards, and the goal of Codex Alimentarius is to develop international food standards, guidelines and recommendations to protect the health of consumers and to ensure fair practices in the food trade.
Prop65 is a California law adopted by direct voter initiative in 1986 as a “Safe Drinking Water” measure to address concerns about exposure to toxic chemicals. It is officially known as the Safe Drinking water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. Prop65 requires warning labels on packages of “listed chemicals” when they exceed “Maximum Allowable Dose Limits” or MADL provided by the law for more than 1,000 chemicals, many of which include natural minerals found in soil.
This chart indicates how many ounces of the bar one would need to consume to meet the standards listed. For example, to meet the FDA Standard on Lead, one would have to eat 5.4 oz, the equivalent of 2 bars, of the Maeve Mexican Hot Chocolate truffle bar. FDA, EU and Codex standards are based on a per oz basis.

Online Shopping

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Everyday orders are processed within five business days or less. After that, your shipping method and location will determine how soon you get your treats! If your order is over $500, it may take up to 10 business days to process prior to shipping. We may not ship a package on Thursday or Friday to avoid our chocolate melting over the weekend. Please see the timelines below for further details.

Large/Special Orders: All online orders totaling $500 or more require a two-week processing time before shipping. Please feel free to contact us at info@seattlechocolate.com with any questions.
Standard: Place your order before 11am PST Monday-Wednesday (except for holidays) and we’ll ship in 1-2 business days, to arrive 3-5 business days after order placement. Orders placed after 11am Wednesday will ship the following Monday.
Overnight: Place your order before 11am PST Monday-Thursday (except for holidays) and we’ll ship in 1-2 business days, to arrive 2-3 business days after order placement. Orders placed after 11am Thursday will ship the following Monday.

We check weather conditions for every destination to ensure your chocolate arrives in tip-top condition. Chocolate is very sensitive to warm temperatures, so in warm areas and during warm months, we pack with gel packs and dry ice and ship 2-3 day to make sure your package arrives safely. We are unable to ship standard to most states during the warmer months. Due to year-round average temperatures, or extended ground shipping transit times, we do require priority shipping for Alaska, Hawaii, Arizona, Texas, and Florida. Please note, unless your package is taking a short trip around the Pacific Northwest, we typically ship ground Monday-Wednesday only to ensure your chocolate isn't sitting unattended over a weekend. We don’t want it to melt on you!

Chocolate starts to melt at 70 degrees F, so we take great care when preparing and shipping your order to ensure it arrives to you in perfect condition.

During the summer months, or as the weather requires, we may need to wrap the chocolate in dry ice and gel packs to ensure the safety of your shipment. Orders shipping to destinations of temperatures of 90 degrees or warmer may be held until temperatures cool.

We may not ship a package on Thursday or Friday to avoid our chocolate melting over the weekend. Please see the timelines in the above FedEx shipping section for further details.

Please make sure that you, or the lucky recipient, will be available at the specified shipping address when the goodies are expected to arrive. We don't want melted chocolate on your doorstep!

We acknowledge that shipping expenses can add up these days. We try to provide our customers with the most affordable shipping rates available, for the best possible quality of service and speed. Since we are shipping chocolate, which is temperature sensitive, we sometimes have to take extra care to make sure your order arrives to you in the best possible condition. Your final shipping total is the result of all of these considerations.

We are currently concentrating our efforts giving 10% of our net profits to fund projects to improve the lives of cocoa farmers, including digging wells for fresh water, funding savings and loan programs, planting seedlings to protect the future of cocoa, and more. If your organization is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit, and you are interested in purchasing chocolate for your event, please send a request with a scanned copy of your 501(c)3 Tax Determination Letter to online@seattlechocolate.com.

THE BAD NEWS: Chocolate prices are going up.

THE GOOD NEWS: Chocolate prices are going up.

Allow us to explain.

In 2024, cocoa prices skyrocketed - we’re talking almost quadruple the price in less than a year. Climate change has caused adverse weather conditions in the places where cocoa is grown, and that combined with chronic underinvestment in farms resulted in a 12% decrease in global cocoa production last year. So there’s less cocoa to be had - but the world still wants chocolate, of course. The imbalance in supply and demand means prices are way up; but there’s a silver lining.

Finally, cocoa farmers are being paid more for the important crop they provide.

Paying farmers fairly is an essential tenet of our company, and we’re glad to see the rest of the world catching up. We’re doing everything on our end to minimize the price you pay for our chocolate, but wanted to let you know that our prices have gone up due to the cocoa spike. We so appreciate your support of Maeve Chocolate, and hope you’ll continue to find a little joy in our truffle bars and bonbons.

Oh, and rest assured this has only made us even more fired up about protecting our precious earth: we’re proud to be a carbon neutral company with sustainable packaging and practices, and that will never change.

Then in 2025, global tariffs entered the chat - which means the cost of cocoa went up again.

Cocoa can’t grow in the U.S. (Hawaii being the small and dreamy exception). Our ethically sourced cocoa comes from places like Peru, West Africa, Tanzania, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic – regions where the climate, soil, and centuries of farming know-how come together to make the magic happen.

Simply put, the chocolate we all enjoy in the U.S. just does not exist without these cocoa-growing regions and the farmers that have grown cocoa for generations. Our prices had to go up due to these global tariffs. Thanks for your understanding!