Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to make representations at European Union level in respect of the use of the word "chocolate" to describe products containing less than 20 per cent chocolate.

There are currently no plans to make representations at European Level on the use of the word chocolate.

The Cocoa and Chocolate Products (England) Regulations 2003 set out the composition and standards for chocolate including definitions. Chocolate shall not contain less than 35 per cent total dry cocoa solids and milk chocolate or family milk chocolate not less than 20 per cent total dry cocoa solids.

There are rules in place under the Food Information to Consumers (FIC) Regulations EU No 1169/2011 to ensure the consumer is not misled. Quantitative ingredient declarations (QUID) apply to all pre packed foods. This means that where chocolate is a characterising ingredient e.g. a chocolate cake, the percentage of the chocolate has to be declared in the ingredients list.