# Source note — WWII D Ration chocolate survival-food TikTok

Date checked: 2026-07-19

## Evidence label
Survival / preparedness source-check. The TikTok is a recipe/history lead, not proof that a home-made chocolate bar is guaranteed safe for multi-year storage.

## TikTok lead
- URL: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSXx8XL4S/
- Resolved video ID: 7663893222145477901
- Account shown: waypointsurvivalshorts / Survival Kitchen 1930
- Visible title/caption: “The WWII Army Chocolate Bar That Can Sit Without a Fridge for Years.”
- Visible recipe text from contact sheet included: “Dark chocolate – 170 g / 6.0 oz.”
- Video duration: about 7:22.
- Audio/transcript limitation: downloaded MP4 contained no audio stream, so NewsForBC/PBC could not transcribe spoken narration.

## Sources checked
- Hershey Community Archives: Hershey’s Tropical Chocolate Bar.
- Tasting History: World War II D Ration recipe/history.
- Eats History: homemade WWII D Ration recipe/history.
- Wikipedia article used only as a secondary pointer for military chocolate context; stronger weight given to Hershey Archives and recipe/history pages.

## Verified historical points
- The U.S. Army worked with Hershey on Field Ration D / D ration chocolate before and during WWII.
- Hershey later developed a Tropical Chocolate Bar for military use. Hershey Archives states the Tropical bar was formulated to hold its shape for one hour at 120°F.
- Hershey Archives lists 1943 Tropical Bar ingredients: chocolate liquor, skim milk powder, cocoa butter, powdered sugar, vanillin, Vitamin B-1 and oat flour.
- Tasting History’s D ration page quotes a specification-style formula using chocolate, sucrose, powdered skim milk, added cacao fat, oat flour, vanillin/ethyl vanillin and thiamin.

## Not proven / caution
- PBC did not test the TikTok recipe for water activity, microbial safety, rancidity, heat stability, shelf life, packaging integrity or nutrition.
- “Can sit for years without a fridge” is plausible as a historical ration concept but should not be treated as a guaranteed storage claim for a home kitchen version.
- Homemade versions should be stored cool, dry, sealed and inspected; discard if moldy, rancid, wet, infested, swollen/leaking packaging, or otherwise suspect.

## Artifacts
- `tiktok-video-info.json`
- `tiktok-thumbnail.jpg`
- `contact-sheet.jpg`
- `source-extracts.json`
- `capture-note.md`