SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

The Sixteenth Session of the Codex Committee on Cocoa Products and Chocolate reached the following conclusions:

MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE COMMISSION The Committee: - requested formal approval of the Commission to elaborate the standard for chocolate and chocolate products. MATTERS OF INTEREST TO THE COMMISSION The Committee: - returned the Proposed Draft Standard for Chocolate and Chocolate Products to Step 3 as several issues required further consideration, especially as it could not reach consensus on whether or not to allow the use of vegetable fats other than cocoa butters in manufacturing chocolate products and decided to solicit more information on impact on trade and economy of cocoa producing countries and technological justifications for their uses in order for the Committee to make a decision in the future; and - returned the Proposed Draft Standards for: Cocoa Butter; Cocoa (Cacao) Nib, Cocoa (Cacao) Mass, Cocoa Press Cake and Cocoa Dust (Cocoa Fines) for Use in the Manufacture of Cocoa and Chocolate Products; and Cocoa Powders (Cocoas) and Dry Cocoa-Sugar Mixture for further government comments with the understanding that couverture chocolate/milk couverture chocolate, and powder chocolate and drinking chocolate preparation would be included in the standard for cocoa nib and for cocoa powders respectively.