Happy Easter to those who celebrate! As you have probably noticed, shelves are full of chocolate eggs and Easter bunnies this time of year. But did you know that standards play a big role in making sure you can safely enjoy your sweet treats?
Standards are all around us, and chocolate is no exception. For example, EN 15634-3:2023 enables the detection of hazelnut in chocolates. The aim is to help food producers and labs identify whether chocolate products contain hazelnuts - even in very small amounts - using a technique called real-time PCR, which looks for specific DNA from hazelnuts. This is crucial for food safety, especially for people with hazelnut allergies.
Another standard, EN ISO 23275-1:2008, provides guidance on how to detect cocoa butter equivalents (CBEs) in cocoa butter and plain chocolate. CBEs are special vegetable fats that are sometimes added to chocolate to replace cocoa butter. They resemble cocoa butter in terms of composition and physical properties, so they are hard to spot. However, there are rules in the EU about how much and what kind of CBE can be used in chocolate, so it is important to be able to detect and measure them.
Another important issue that raises a lot of questions and concerns is how to produce cocoa and chocolate in a fair and sustainable way. EN ISO 34101-1:2020/A1:2024 has got us covered: it ensures that the cocoa used in chocolates is sustainable and traceable. This standard is designed to help organizations and cocoa producers make sure their cocoa farming is environmentally friendly, socially responsible, and economically fair, while also being transparent and trackable through the supply chain, so everybody can enjoy some guilt-free chocolate eggs this weekend.
Standards also ensure that vegetarians and vegans can rely on correct labelling informing consumers about the ingredients of a product. EN ISO 23662:2024 helps consumers by clearly stating a product’s suitability for vegetarians and vegans in terms of the presence of eggs or dairy. Nobody is left out of enjoying some chocolate!
When it comes to food, what is on the inside is not the only thing that matters. Correct, hygienic packaging ensures that the foods we consume are safe and free of contamination. EN 15593:2008 ensures that manufacturers and suppliers of food packaging follow specific requirements for hygiene management so that we can rest assured our food is clean and safe.
Food safety and authenticity in a broader sense are also crucial to be able to enjoy any food, knowing it is safe and correctly labelled. EN 17972:2024 provides a framework for understanding and describing the authenticity of food products and establishes a terminological base for all future standards within food authenticity.
From detecting allergens to promoting clear labelling, standards are behind every bite of safe, sustainable, and delicious chocolate. So, the next time you unwrap a chocolate bunny, you will know that behind the scenes, European and international standards have played a key role in making that moment possible!
