European directive 2000/36/EC concerning foodstuffs containing cocoa / chocolate

Notes from BakersSoftware.com:

1. In this version of the european directive 2000/36/ec, concerning foodstuffs containing cocoa / chocolate, all text non-relevant to bakers has been omitted.
2. These texts are however our interpretation of the law and as such should legally be seen as no more than our opinion. BakersSoftware Ltd takes no responsibility for the content of this text or the results thereof. For the complete and definitive text we refer to website of the European Community at http://europa.eu.int.

Article 1

Article 2

1. The vegetable fats other than cocoa butter as defined in Annex II and listed therein may be added to those chocolate products defined in Annex I(A)(3), (4), (5), (6), (8) and (9). That addition may not exceed 5 % of the finished product, after deduction of the total weight of any other edible matter used in accordance with Annex I(B), without reducing the minimum content of cocoa butter or total dry cocoa solids.
2. Chocolate products which, pursuant to paragraph 1, contain vegetable fats other than cocoa butter may be marketed in all of the Member States, provided that their labelling, as provided for in Article 3, is supplemented by a conspicuous and clearly legible statement: 'contains vegetable fats in addition to cocoa butter'. This statement shall be in the same field of vision as the list of ingredients, clearly separated from that list, in lettering at least as large and in bold with the sales name nearby; notwithstanding this requirement, the sales name may also appear elsewhere.

Article 3

Directive 79/112/EEC shall apply to the products defined in Annex I, subject to the following conditions:
1. The sales names listed in Annex I shall apply only to the products referred to therein and must be used in trade to designate them.
   However, those sales names may also be used additionally and in accordance with the provisions or customs applicable in the Member State in which the product is sold to the final consumer, to designate other products which cannot be confused with those defined in Annex I.
2. Where the products defined in Annex I(A)(3), (4), (5), (6), (7) and (10) are sold in assortments, the sales names may be replaced by 'assorted chocolates' or 'assorted filled chocolates' or similar names. In that case, there may be a single list of ingredients for all the products in the assortment.
3. The labelling of the cocoa and chocolate products defined in Annex I(A)(2)(c), (2)(d), (3), (4), (5), (8) and (9) must indicate the total dry cocoa solids content by including the words: 'cocoa solids:... % minimum'.
4. For the products referred to in Annex I(A)(2)(b) and (2)(d) (second part of the sentence), the labelling must indicate the cocoa butter content.
5. The sales names 'chocolate', 'milk chocolate' and 'couverture chocolate' specified in Annex I may be supplemented by information or descriptions relating to quality criteria provided that the products contain:
   • in the case of chocolate, not less than 43 % total dry cocoa solids, including not less than 26 % cocoa butter,
   • in the case of milk chocolate, not less than 30 % total dry cocoa solids and not less than 18 % dry milk solids obtained by partly or wholly dehydrating whole milk, semi- or full-skimmed milk, cream, or from partly or wholly dehydrated cream, butter or milk fat, including not less than 4,5 % milk fat,
   • in the case of couverture chocolate, not less than 16 % of dry non-fat cocoa solids.

ANNEX I

1. SALES NAMES AND DEFINITIONS
   1. Cocoa butter designates the fat obtained from cocoa beans or parts of cocoa beans with the following characteristics:
      • free fatty acid content
        (expressed as oleic acid): not more than 1,75 %
      • unsaponifiable matter
        (determined using petroleum ether): not more than 0,5 %, except in the case of press cocoa butter, where it shall not be more than 0,35 %
   2. 1. Cocoa powder, cocoa
         designate the product obtained by converting into powder cocoa beans which have been cleaned, shelled and roasted, and which contains not less than 20 % cocoa butter, calculated according to the weight of the dry matter, and not more than 9 % water;
      2. Fat-reduced cocoa, fat-reduced cocoa powder
         designate cocoa powder containing less than 20 % cocoa butter, calculated according to the weight of the dry matter;
      3. Powdered chocolate, chocolate in powder
         designate the product consisting of a mixture of cocoa powder and sugars, containing not less than 32 % cocoa powder;
      4. Drinking chocolate, sweetened cocoa, sweetened cocoa powder
         designate the product consisting of a mixture of cocoa powder and sugars, containing not less than 25 % cocoa powder; these names shall be accompanied by the term 'fat-reduced' in the case where the product is fat-reduced as defined at (b).
   3. Chocolate
      1. designates the product obtained from cocoa products and sugars which, subject to (b), contains not less than 35 % total dry cocoa solids, including not less than 18 % cocoa butter and not less than 14 % of dry non-fat cocoa solids;
      2. however, where this name is supplemented by the words:
         • 'vermicelli' or 'flakes': the product presented in the form of granules or flakes must contain not less than 32 % total dry cocoa solids, including not less than 12 % cocoa butter and not less than 14 % of dry non-fat cocoa solids;
         • 'couverture': the product must contain not less than 35 % total dry cocoa solids, including not less than 31 % cocoa butter and not less than 2,5 % of dry non-fat cocoa solids;
         • 'Gianduja' (or one of the derivatives of the word 'gianduja') nut chocolate: the product must be obtained firstly from chocolate having a minimum total dry cocoa solids content of 32 % including a minimum dry non-fat cocoa solids content of 8 %, and secondly from finely ground hazelnuts in such quantities that 100 g of the product contain not less than 20 g and not more than 40 g of hazelnuts. The following may be added:
      1. milk and/or dry milk solids obtained by evaporation, in such proportion that the finished product does not contain more than 5 % dry milk solids;
      2. almonds, hazelnuts and other nut varieties, either whole or broken, in such quantities that, together with the ground hazelnuts, they do not exceed 60 % of the total weight of the product.
   4. Milk chocolate
      1. designates the product obtained from cocoa products, sugars and milk or milk products, which, subject to (b) contains:
         • not less than 25 % total dry cocoa solids,
         • not less than 14 % dry milk solids obtained by partly or wholly dehydrating whole milk, semi- or full-skimmed milk, cream, or from partly or wholly dehydrated cream, butter or milk fat,
         • not less than 2,5 % dry non-fat cocoa solids,
         • not less than 3,5 % milk fat,
         • not less than 25 % total fat (cocoa butter and milk fat).
      2. However, where this name is supplemented by the words:
         • 'vermicelli' or 'flakes': the product presented in the form of granules or flakes must contain not less than 20 % total dry cocoa solids, not less than 12 % dry milk solids obtained by partly or wholly dehydrating whole milk, semi- or full-skimmed milk, cream, or from partly or wholly dehydrated cream, butter or milk fat, and not less than 12 % total fat (cocoa butter and milk fat),
         • 'couverture': the product must have a minimum total fat (cocoa butter and milk fat) content of 31 %,
         • 'Gianduja' (or one of the derivatives of the word 'gianduja') nut milk chocolate: the product must be obtained firstly from milk chocolate having a minimum content of 10 % of dry milk solids, obtained by partly or wholly dehydrating whole milk, semi- or full-skimmed milk, cream or from partly or wholly dehydrated cream, butter or milk fat and secondly from finely ground hazelnuts, in such quantities that 100 g of the product contain not less than 15 g and not more than 40 g of hazelnuts. Almonds, hazelnuts and other nut varieties may also be added, either whole or broken, in such quantities that, together with the ground hazelnuts, they do not exceed 60 % of the total weight of the product.
      3. Where in this name the word 'milk' is replaced by:
         • 'cream': the product must have a minimum milk fat content of 5,5 %,
         • 'skimmed milk': the product must have a milk fat content not greater than 1 %.
      4. The United Kingdom and Ireland may authorise the use in their territory of the name 'milk chocolate' to designate the product referred to in point 5, on condition that the term is accompanied in both cases by an indication of the amount of dry milk solids laid down for each of the two products, in the form 'milk solids: ... % minimum'.
   5. Family milk chocolate
      designates the product obtained from cocoa products, sugars and milk or milk products and which contains:
      • not less than 20 % total dry cocoa solids,
      • not less than 20 % dry milk solids obtained by partly or wholly dehydrating whole milk, semi- or fullskimmed milk, cream, or from partly or wholly dehydrated cream, butter or milk fat,
      • not less than 2,5 % dry non-fat cocoa solids,
      • not less than 5 % milk fat,
      • not less than 25 % total fat (cocoa butter and milk fat).
   6. White chocolate
      designates the product obtained from cocoa butter, milk or milk products and sugars which contains not less than 20 % cocoa butter and not less than 14 % dry milk solids obtained by partly or wholly dehydrating whole milk, semi- or full-skimmed milk, cream, or from partly or wholly dehydrated cream, butter or milk fat, of which not less than 3,5 % is milk fat.
   7. Filled chocolate, chocolate with ... filling, chocolate with ... centre
      designate the filled product, the outer part of which consists of one of the products defined in 3, 4, 5 and 6. The designations do not apply to products, the inside of which consists of bakery products, pastry, biscuit or edible ice.
      The outer chocolate portion of products bearing one of these names shall constitute not less than 25 % of the total weight of the product.
   8. Chocolate a la taza
      designates the product obtained from cocoa products, sugars, and flour or starch from wheat, rice or maize, which contains not less than 35 % total dry cocoa solids, including not less than 18 % cocoa butter and not less than 14 % dry non-fat cocoa solids, and not more than 8 % flour or starch.
   9. Chocolate familiar a la taza
      designates the product obtained from cocoa products, sugars, and flour or starch from wheat, rice or maize, which contains not less than 30 % total dry cocoa solids, including not less than 18 % cocoa butter and not less than 12 % dry non-fat cocoa solids, and not more than 18 % flour or starch.
   10. A chocolate or a praline
       designates the product in single-mouthful size, consisting of:
       • filled chocolate, or
       • a single chocolate or a combination or a mixture of chocolate within the meaning of the definitions given in 3, 4, 5 or 6 and other edible substances, provided that chocolate constitutes not less than 25 % of the total weight of the product.
2. OPTIONAL AUTHORISED INGREDIENTS
   Additions of edible substances
   1. Without prejudice to Article 2 and Section B(2), other edible substances may also be added to the chocolate products defined in Section A(3), (4), (5), (6), (8) and (9).
      However, the addition:
      • of animal fats and their preparations not deriving solely from milk shall be prohibited,
      • of flours, granular or powdered starch shall only be authorised where the addition is in accordance with the definitions laid down in Section A(8) and (9).
      The quantity of those edible substances added may not exceed 40 % of the total weight of the finished product.
   2. Only those flavourings which do not mimic the taste of chocolate or of milk fat may be added to the products defined in Section A(2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (8) and (9).
3. CALCULATION OF PERCENTAGES
   The minimum contents of the products set in Section A(3), (4), (5), (6), (8) and (9) shall be calculated after deduction of the weight of the ingredients provided for in Section B. In the case of the products in Section A(7) and (10), the minimum contents shall be calculated after deducting the weight of the ingredients provided for in Section B, as well as the weight of the filling.
   The chocolate contents of the products defined in Section A(7) and (10) shall be calculated in relation to the total weight of the finished product, including its filling.
4. SUGARS
   Sugars as referred to in this Directive are not limited only to those sugars covered by Council Directive 73/437/EEC of 11 December 1973 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States concerning certain sugars intended for human consumption (OJ L 356, 27.12.1973, p. 71. Directive as last amended by the 1985 Act of Accession.).

ANNEX II

The vegetable fats referred to in Article 2(1) are, singly or in blends, cocoa butter equivalents and shall comply with the following criteria:
1. they are non-lauric vegetable fats, which are rich in symmetrical monounsaturated triglycerides of the type POP, POSt and StOSt ( P (palmitic acid), O (oleic acid), St (stearic acid).);
2. they are miscible in any proportion with cocoa butter, and are compatible with its physical properties (melting point and crystallisation temperature, melting rate, need for tempering phase);
3. they are obtained only by the processes of refining and/or fractionation, which excludes enzymatic modification of the triglyceride structure.