Statement Concerning Coronavirus (COVID-19)

 March 24, 2020

To Our Valued Customers,

As we continue to monitor the latest updates and information about the global COVID-19 outbreak, we are taking additional precautionary measures to ensure we support the health and safety of our team members while mitigating the risk to preserve our ability to operate and ensure business continuity.

On February 27, 2020, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Fact Statement informing the public that the “FDA is not aware of any reports at this time of human illnesses that suggest COVID-19 can be transmitted by food or food packaging.

Nevertheless, as a certified GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) facility with a HACCP based food safety program in place, we have implemented additional actions below to prevent exposure and spread of the virus to our employees.

• Enhanced our sanitation efforts by disinfecting frequently high-touched contact surfaces/areas  (Ex: doorknobs, workstations, bathrooms, breakrooms, office furniture, production areas, etc.)
• Enforced physical distance among employees including avoidance of congregation settings and work from home policies for non-operation and non-essential personnel where applicable
• Increased number of sanitizer dispensers throughout the plant
• Cancelled facility tours, customer visits, and non-essential visitors to the facility
• Re-trained our employees on proper and frequent handwashing, respiratory etiquette, cleaning procedures, good manufacturing practices, and illness policies
• Reinforced the use of single-use gloves when directly handling food and implemented the wearing of face masks while inside the production facility when appropriate
• Actively working and communicating with our supplier’s ability to supply services, raw ingredients, and packaging materials to determine any impacts or delays that would potentially affect our ability to produce products

TCHO realizes that this situation is still evolving, and we are closely monitoring and staying current with the information about this pandemic outbreak. Our leadership committee will review these policies on an ongoing basis to add or extend any additional precautions as needed to follow guidelines from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and State and Local Health Departments. TCHO extends our best wishes for the health and safety of you, your friends, colleagues, and family. Thank you for your trust in our products, we look forward to continue to serve you with delicious quality chocolate while keeping everyone’s health and safety a priority.

With care and gratitude,
The TCHO Team
TCHO Ventures, Inc.
3100 San Pablo Ave., Suite 170
Berkeley, CA 94702