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The Surprisingly Popular Chocolate Bars Made With Blood

chocolate blood bars

Multiple generations of Russian children have fond memories of noshing Hematogen bars. Ads promoted these treats as “wholesome and healthy” and able to help with anemia, a condition common in about 25 percent of the population, especially small kids. Made with condensed milk, syrup, and beet sugar, the bar had a taste reminiscent of a Tootsie Roll. But the delish bars contained a dark secret, one linked to the slightly metallic flavor of the bars: black food albumin. That’s a fancy way of saying blood. Just how much blood did these over-the-counter supplements contain? A minimum of five percent cow’s blood. Readily accessible at pharmacies throughout the USSR, the food even survived the collapse of the Soviet Union. You can still purchase Hematogen bars in Russia today.  For more history on this, click HERE.

 

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