WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2933/96 by Johanna MAIJ-WEGGEN to the Commission. Call for tender for a method to determine the content of vegetable fats in chocolate products
Date: 1996-11-08
Institutions: European Parliament, MAIJ-WEGGEN
Subjects: application of EU law, cocoa, confectionery product, foodstuffs legislation, invitation to tender, product quality, vegetable butter, vegetable fats













EUR-Lex - 91996E2933 - EN






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91996E2933

WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2933/96 by Johanna MAIJ-WEGGEN to the Commission. Call for tender for a method to determine the content of vegetable fats in chocolate products  


Official Journal C 091 , 20/03/1997 P. 0051 





WRITTEN QUESTION E-2933/96 by Johanna Maij-Weggen (PPE) to the Commission (8 November 1996)Subject: Call for tender for a method to determine the content of vegetable fats in chocolate productsCan the Commission confirm that DG III has published a call for tender for research into a method to determine the content of vegetable fats in chocolate products?How does the Commission explain the fact that recently in a proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive on cocoa and chocolate products intended for human consumption it proposed raising the content of vegetable fats in chocolate products from 0 to 5% although the content of vegetable fats cannot be determined at 5% accuracy?What percentage of vegetable fats in chocolate products can in fact be determined precisely?Does the Commission not think it would be better to draw up such a Directive once its implementation can be monitored properly and accurately?Answer given by Mr Bangemann on behalf of the Commission (6 December 1996)The Commission published an invitation to tender for the development and comparison of reference analysis methods for determining cocoa butter and other vegetable oils and fats in chocolate products. ((OJ C 227, 6.8.1996. )) This followed on from an earlier invitation to tender for the evaluation of analytical methods used for chocolate. ((OJ C 195, 29.7.1995. )) The contract was awarded to the Joint Research Centre in Ispra.It should be made clear that the lack of analysis methods for chocolate poses the same problems whether 0% or 5% of vegetable fats other than cocoa butter are used, as currently laid down for certain Member States by Directive 73/241/EEC on chocolate. ((OJ L 228, 16.8.1973. ))The analysis methods currently used to determine vegetable fats other than cocoa butter date from the 1980s. Where 5% of such vegetable fats are used in chocolate products these methods give results ranging from 3% to 7% in absolute terms. The degree of accuracy depends very much on the type of vegetable fats used and on the other ingredients. Use of certain types of vegetable fat results in greater accuracy; on the other hand, analysis is more difficult where the chocolate is mixed with other ingredients, e.g. hazelnuts, which already contain fats.The interim evaluation report by the Joint Research Centre in Ispra shows that analysis methods could be made more accurate by using more up-to-date analysis techniques and modern techniques for evaluating statistical data. That is why the Commission sent out a new invitation to tender for the development of reliable methods for detecting and determining the components of cocoa butter and other vegetable fats.The Commission would point out that checks are already carried out pursuant to Directive 89/397/EEC on the official control of foodstuffs, ((OJ L 186, 30.6.1989. )) notably at the production stage, including checks on raw materials, on the basis of both visual inspection and written and documentary material. It is on this basis that national control authorities check on compliance with the current legislation on chocolate.