Brussels, 14/01/2000 (Agence Europe) - French chocolate makers will be seeking to defend "real chocolate" during a demonstration organised with the support of French Green member Marie-Anne Isler-Béguin on the fringe of the European Parliament plenary session next week in Strasbourg. They thus plan to demonstrate their discontent concerning the Internal Market Council's decision of 28 October to authorise, in its "common position", the introduction of 5% vegetable fats other than cacao in the composition of chocolate (see EUROPE of 29 October, p.8). Chocolate makers note that this measure will result in traditional chocolate being rivalled, under the same appellation, by a "rigged" product. They hope, in this matter that comes under EP/Council co-decision, to make themselves heard by the European Parliament which had expressed opposition, in first reading under the previous legislature, to the introduction of fats other than cocoa butter. It is, as their president Guy Urbain puts it, a question of winning the "fight of authenticity and quality against commercial gain".
Chocolate makers are calling for a simple regulation that reserves the denomination "chocolate" for a product that is only cocoa and sugar. The addition of milk and nuts, for example, to this basic product would call for the appellation "milk chocolate" or "nut chocolate". All the products that are not based on a pure mixture of sugar and cocoa should carry a fantasy name, not using the word chocolate, so that the consumer is not misled. For "chocolate" containing vegetable fats, they suggest the name "végécao".