Fears that bakers could be forced to print impractical country-of-origin labelling on products containing Swiss and Belgian chocolate have eased after the EU decided the proposals needed further investigation.
As reported in British Baker, MEPs wanted to extend labelling legislation to include products containing specified origin chocolate, such as Belgian and Swiss chocolate. Because these are made with a blend of cocoa beans from several different countries, bakery products would have been forced to carry impractial labels listing every single country of orgin.
However, the proposals proved unacceptable to MEPs, who agreed that the Commission should conduct impact assessments on the feasibility and potential costs of such labelling requirements.
“We would hope that the impact assessment would prove that the extension of COOL to primary ingredients is not feasible and that level of detail is not relevant,” said a spokesman for the Food and Drink Federation.
The EU’s proposed legislation on food labelling is now mostly agreed and is awaiting approval from Parliament at a vote in July. Once the legislation is adopted, food businesses will have three years to adapt to the rules.
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