Chocolate is one of the most popular food articles in the world. Its unique taste also makes it one of the most well-liked flavourings in sweet products. A variety of chocolates and other foods that contain chocolate have been specially created all over the world. Chocolate powder is also used in cold and hot beverages. Since chocolates are so well liked they are used as gift items.
Chocolate and chocolate products are prepared from cocoa and cocoa materials and have added sugars or sweeteners, milk products, flavouring substances and other permitted food ingredients and additives. Chocolate can be in the form of liquid, paste or in a block. Chocolates are either eaten alone or used as a flavouring ingredient in other sweet foods.
Definition according to Codex Alimentarius
Chocolate is the generic name for the homogenous products obtained by an adequate manufacturing process from cocoa materials which may be combined with milk products, sugars and/or sweeteners, and other additives and flavours as permitted. They may contain other edible foodstuffs, excluding added flour and starch and animal fats other than milk fat, may be added to form various chocolate products. These combined additions shall be limited to 40% of the total weight of the finished product. Vegetable fats other than cocoa butter when added shall not exceed 5% of the finished product, after deduction of the total weight of any other added edible foodstuffs, without reducing the minimum contents of cocoa materials.
FSSAI definition of chocolate
According to the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations 2011, chocolate has been defined as a “homogeneous product obtained by an adequate process of manufacture from a mixture of one or more of the ingredients, namely, cocoa beans, cocoa nib, cocoa mass, cocoa press cake and cocoa dust (cocoa fines/powder), including fat reduced cocoa powder with or without addition of sugars, cocoa butter, milk solids including milk fat. The chocolates shall not contain any vegetable fat other than cocoa butter. The material shall be free from rancidity or odour, insect and fungus infestation, filth, adulterants and any harmful or injurious matter.
Imported chocolates
While internationally chocolate can contain vegetable fats but according to Indian standards FSSAI does not permit the use of vegetable fats in chocolates. The use of vegetable fats and oils in chocolates has been the bone of contention in imported chocolates. A number of well know international chocolate companies had their consignments of chocolates withheld at ports because they did not fulfill requirements of Indian standards for chocolates.
- They did not comply with Indian standards requirements which do not permit the use of vegetable fats and oil. So chocolates containing vegetable oil or fat cannot be imported & sold in India for consumption.
- Imported chocolates that do not mention the use of artificial flavours on labels cannot be imported. According to FSSAI (Packaging & Labelling) Regulations, 2011 all ingredients need to be mentioned on labels in descending order of their composition by weight and volume at the time of manufacture including additives, colour, preservatives, flavours etc.
- According to FSSAI labelling regulations only vegetarian and non-vegetarian Logo, the FSSAI Logo and License number of the importer and the name & address of the importer are only permitted on the stickers. Rest all information has to be printed on the label.
Chocolates in Indian market
The FSSAI standards allow chocolate to contain only cocoa butter and no vegetable oil and fat whereas international food standards Codex permits just 5 per cent vegetable fat. However, there are a number of ‘chocolates’ sold in the Indian market that contain vegetable oil, ranging from 5 per cent to 35 per cent. This is why a number of brands do not use the term ‘chocolate’ on the packaging.
Types of chocolates in FSSR
Milk chocolates: This is obtained from one or more of cocoa nib, cocoa mass, cocoa press cake, cocoa powder including low-fat cocoa powder with sugar and milk solids including milk fat and cocoa butter.
Milk Covering Chocolate is made just like milk chocolates but in addition it is suitable for covering purposes.
Plain Chocolate This is obtained from one or more of cocoa nib, cocoa mass, cocoa press cake, cocoa powder including low fat cocoa powder with sugar and cocoa butter.
Plain Covering Chocolate is obtained in the same way as plain chocolate but is also suitable for covering purposes.
Blended Chocolate means the blend of milk and plain chocolates in varying proportions.
White chocolate is obtained from cocoa butter, milk solids, including milk fat and sugar.
Filled Chocolates are products that have an external coating of chocolate but the centre is totally distinct in composition as compared with the external coating. This does not include flour confectionery pastry and biscuit products. The coating can be of milk, plain, blended or white chocolate only. The amount of chocolate component of the coating should not be less than 25 per cent of the total mass of the finished product.
Composite Chocolate is a product that contains at least 60 per cent of chocolate by weight and edible wholesome substances such as fruits, nuts. It can contain any one or more edible wholesome substances which must be at least 10 per cent of the total mass of finished product.
Other ingredients in chocolates
Chocolates may contain permitted artificial sweeteners as provided in the regulations and declared on labels according to Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011. The chocolates may also contain permitted food additives. Also the different types of chocolates may contain the following substances as required in the different types of chocolates.
- edible salts
- spices and condiments
- permitted emulsifying and stabilizing agents
- permitted sequestering and buffering agents
Standards for Chocolates as per FSS (Food Products Standards & Food Additives) Regulations, 2011
Sl. No Characteristics |
Requirements for | |||||
Milk Chocolate | Milk Covering Chocolate | Plain chocolate | Plain Covering chocolate | White chocolate | Blended chocolate | |
1. Total fat (on dry basis) per cent by weight.
Not less than
|
25 |
25 |
25 |
25 |
25 |
25 |
2. Milk fat (on dry basis) Per cent by weight.
Not less than
|
2 |
2 |
– |
– |
2 |
– |
3. Cocoa solids (on Moisture-free and
fat free basis) per cent by weight Not less than
|
2.5 |
2.5 |
12 |
12 |
– |
3.0 |
4. Milk Solids (on Moisture-free and
fat-free basis) per cent by weight. a) Not less than b) Not more than |
10.5 – |
10.5 – |
– – |
– – |
10.5 – |
1 9 |
5. Acid insoluble ash
(on moisture fat and sugar free basis) per cent by weight. Not more than |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
Ranganath says
I want criticle parameters (Chemicle & Micro) please help me out and leave a message for my bellow persanal mail ID – Ranganath_racks@yahoo.in
Neeta Maheshwari says
We are going to register our company to sell homemade chocolates.Am I required to get an FSSAI licence?
meghashree says
yes
Purva says
I have started a small scale business of homemade chocolates. I want to sell them in market. But need fssai licence for that. How do i apply for such kind of business?
SOMNATH BISWAS says
Chocolate pastry and chocolate cake sub category of food list under fssai