The EEC Council has established uniform requirements for chocolate developed by the Belarusian side for the EAEU

November 25, Moscow. The Council of the Eurasian Economic Commission today decided to establish common requirements for chocolate, chocolate products and cocoa products for the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union, which were developed by the Belarusian side. Corresponding amendments and additions have been made to the technical regulations "On food safety", said EEC official representative Iya Malkina at a briefing following the meeting.

Now chocolate will include bitter, dark, ordinary, sweet, milk, extra milk, white chocolate, chocolate with filling and chocolate powder. For chocolate products - confectionery products that contain 25% or more of the separated component of chocolate from the total mass of the product. To cocoa products - cocoa mass, cocoa butter, cocoa powder, cocoa nibs and cocoa cake," explained Iya Malkina.

According to the new mandatory requirements, chocolate put into circulation in the EAEU must contain 35% or more of the total cocoa solids, including 18% or more of cocoa butter. "For the production of chocolate, it is not allowed to use animal fats, with the exception of milk fat, but it is allowed to use cocoa butter equivalents and (or) SOS-type cocoa butter improvers, the total mass fraction of which in chocolate should not exceed 5%," the EEC representative emphasized.

According to her, for the production of chocolate and cocoa products it is not allowed to use flavors that imitate the taste and (or) aroma of chocolate or cocoa products. For the production of milk, extra milk and white chocolate, it is not allowed to use flavors that imitate the taste and (or) aroma of milk or cream, milk fat. Filled chocolate must contain 25% or more of the outer part of the chocolate separable from the filling. At the same time, chocolate with filling does not include bakery (including rich) products, flour confectionery and chocolate-covered ice cream.

"Changes to the technical regulations will help saturate the consumer market with quality products," Iya Malkina said.

"The developer of the document is the Belarusian State Food Industry Concern (Belgospishcheprom). The requirements for chocolate are harmonized with the standards of the international Code Alimentarius," she added.

The document will enter into force in 210 days from the date of its official publication, the official representative of the EEC added.

The meeting of the EEC Council was held online, the agenda included more than 40 issues. Belarus was represented by Deputy Prime Minister Igor Petrishenko. The next meeting of the EEC Council will be held on December 14 in Moscow in person.