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Chocolates put under food safety regulations

The manufacturers are also required to specify on the label that it contains vegetable fat in addition to cocoa butter. All varieties of chocolates are required to have not less than 25% of total weight. The standards prescribed in the regulations lay down the minimum percentage of cocoa solids, milk fat, milk solids and acid insoluble ash in different varieties of chocolates.

New Delhi : The Health Ministry has put all kinds of chocolates under the food safety and standards regulations, requiring all manufacturers to abide by them by January 1, 2018.

The regulations clamped on the recommendations of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, the national food regulator, were published on August inviting objections from the public.

They lay down the percentage of the ingredients, including cocoa and sugar, allowed in various kinds of chocolates.

For instance, the dark chocolate that is becoming popular from health point of view shall be required to contain not less than 35% of the cocoa solids, which includes not less than 18% of cocoa butter and not less than 14% fat free cocoa solids.

The chocolates covered under the regulations include milk chocolate, milk covering chocolate, plain chocolate, blended chocolate, white chocolate, filled chocolate, composite chocolate, couverture chocolate and praline.

In case of praline, the regulations lay down that the product shall be a single mouthful size having not less than 25% chocolate component in terms of weight and meet the criteria fixed for filled or a single or combination of chocolates.

Optional ingredients allowed in the chocolates are edible salts, spices or condiments, vitamins and minerals, permitted emulsifying and stabilising agents, and permitted sequestering and buffering agents.

The manufacturers are also required to specify on the label that it contains vegetable fat in addition to cocoa butter. All varieties of chocolates are required to have not less than 25% of total weight. The standards prescribed in the regulations lay down the minimum percentage of cocoa solids, milk fat, milk solids and acid insoluble ash in different varieties of chocolates.