• Boston Globe, NPR, Tuesday, March 2, 2010 10:39 AM

Aerated chocolate bars -- a longtime hit globally that never caught on in the U.S. -- may finally be finding acceptance here as Bubble Chocolate nudges its way onto shelves in Whole Foods and Duane Reade outlets, Jenn Abelson reports. Paul Pruett, who helped turn ZonePerfect nutrition bars into a dietary sensation, is the man behind the 2.8-ounce, all-natural bars, which cost $2.50 to $3. Bubble Chocolate is also reportedly in talks with Wal-Mart and Target.

"The U.S. is the last frontier for this type of chocolate,'' Pruett says. Indeed, the Nestle Aero bar and other aerated treats are very popular in Europe and around the world. "Earlier efforts did not do well because the texture of the chocolate was just too different from what was acceptable and mainstream [in the U.S.],'' according to Mintel analyst Marcia Mogelonsky.

If you find the smell of chocolate irresistible but would rather forego the calories altogether, a Harvard University biomedical scientist named David Edwards has you covered. Andrea Shea reports on NPR that he has invented Le Whif, an inhaler that offers breathable chocolate in three favors -- pure chocolate, mint chocolate and raspberry chocolate -- packed into a tube that looks like lipstick. A coffee flavor is on the way.

Le Whif is currently available in Paris and online in the U.S.; three tubes cost about $8. "This is just a new way of experiencing chocolate, and it's sort of an addendum to how we normally eat chocolate," says Edwards. It's also "virtually calorie-free."

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