Cocoa and chocolate products intended for human consumption

Adopting the report by Mr Paul LANNOYE (Green Group, B) the European Parliament confirmed the position adopted by the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection and amended the proposal for a directive by the Commission. The amendments relate mainly to labelling. Parliament wants chocolate products containing vegetable fats other than cocoa butter to be marketable in all Member States provided that the following prominent and clearly legible statement: 'contains vegetable fats other than cocoa butter' is included above, and separately from, the list of ingredients, on the top of the package. Other amendments stipulate that: - for chocolate products containing vegetable fats other than cocoa butter the quantities thereof must be indicated on the list of ingredients; - vegetable fats (such as shea butter produced in countries such as Mali or Burkina Faso) other than cocoa butter must be limited to tropical fats not obtained using enzymatic processes. Parliament is also opposed to the entry into force of the directive before a method has been established for detecting quantities of vegetable fats other than cocoa butter in chocolate products. It calls on the Commission before 1 January 2002 to carry out a study into the impact of this directive on the export of cocoa by the developing countries and to inform Parliament. Finally, Parliament has amended the proposed definition of 'gianduia' (an Italian mixture of chocolate and hazel nuts) and removed the derogation enabling the United Kingdom and Ireland to authorize the use in their territory of the name 'milk chocolate' to designate chocolate with a high milk content. �