see also: in February 2008:   Marijuana Seized by CBP Officers at San Luis, Ariz. Port   Border Patrol in Tucson Seizes 4 Tons of Marijuana   CBP Officers in Philadelphia Discover Venomous 8-Legged Stowaway   Arizona Event to Assist Border Patrol Applicants   Departments of Justice and Homeland Security Announce International Initiative Against Traffickers in Counterfeit Network Hardware   Border Patrol Apprehends 62 Illegal Migrants Hiding in Arizona House   CBP Officers in Calif. Find Smuggled Women in Truck Engine Compartment ...more on cbp.gov:   CBP News Releases   Press Officers

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Philadelphia — That box of chocolates for your Valentine's Day sweetheart was likely made from cocoa beans that U.S. Customs and Border Protection processed through the port of Philadelphia.

Philadelphia processes more cocoa beans than any port of entry in the U.S. In 2007, CBP cleared more than 255 million kilos or 71 percent of the total imported cocoa beans in the U.S.

Although these shipments seem harmless, there could be hidden threats in those burlap bags filled with cocoa beans, as well as the empty bags, that could seriously threaten U.S. agriculture, our natural resources and our economy. CBP agriculture specialists and CBP officers at the port of Philadelphia target, detect, intercept and thereby prevent the entry of these potential threats before they have a chance to do any harm. One major pest of concern that CBP monitors is the Khapra Beetle, one of the world's most destructive pests of grain products and seeds.

The bulk of these beans originate in West Africa, coming from the Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria. Indonesia is another prime supplier. The common denominator for all these origins is distance from the equator: most cocoa beans are grown within 10 degrees of latitude from the equator. Quality bean production demands a very specific set of climactic conditions.

Harvesting requires a delicate touch, as cacao trees are very frail. Planters break open the pods to allow the beans to ferment and develop the characteristics of the chocolate flavor. Each pod contains about 20 to 50 beans. It takes approximately 400 beans to make one pound of chocolate.

In the U.S., particularly in Philadelphia’s immediate environs, the “chocolatiers” that convert most of the beans into the delicious chocolate morsels and hearts popular for Valentine’s Day include: Hershey Foods Corporation in Hershey, Pa.; Bloomer Chocolate in East Greenville, Pa.; Willour Chocolate Co. in Litilz, Pa.; Mars, Inc. in Elizabethtown, Pa.; Food Process International, Inc. in Eddystone, Pa.; Barry Callebaut in Sweedsboro, N.J. and United Cocoa Processors, Inc. in Newark, Del.

Whether the cocoa beans cleared by CBP become sweet chocolate for Valentine’s Day or hot cocoa on a winter’s day, it is the job of the CBP agriculture specialist to safeguard American agriculture by detecting and preventing the introduction of harmful insects, plant pests and diseases from entering the United States. On a typical day in fiscal year 2007, CBP seized 4,296 prohibited meat or plant materials, and intercepted 164 agricultural pests at ports of entry.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.