As compared with cheese, full or partial replacement of milk fat with vegetable fat

As compared with cheese, full or partial replacement of milk fat with vegetable fat

For example, the labelling of chocolate products containing vegetable fats other than cocoa butter must bear the statement contains vegetable fat in addition to cocoa butter in the same field of vision as the list of ingredients, clearly separated from that list.

(14a) Cocoa, cocoa butter and a series of other vegetable fats used in the manufacture of chocolate are mainly produced in developing countries; it is in the interests of people living in developing countries that agreements of as long a duration as possible should be concluded; the Commission should therefore consider how the Community can support this in the case of cocoa butter and other vegetable fats, in particular by promoting fair trade;

By setting the shea nut producers, who deserve our consideration, against the cocoa-producers, the proponents of vegetable fats, with the support of the European Commission, and I deplore this utterly, are concealing what I hold to be the undeniable reality, which is that the only parties to gain from the entry into force of the text proposed by the Council in its current form are the multinational chocolate manufacturers, whose aim is to increase their profits by favouring cheap vegetable fats and intensifying the pressure to reduce cocoa prices.

It means proper information for consumers and, because a number of countries have so far only been familiar with chocolate in which cocoa butter is used as vegetable fat, it may be relevant for consumers in these countries to learn that another vegetable fat has been used.