In an almost unprecedented show of national unity, Italian political parties have banded together in defense of 'pure' chocolate. During a vote this week in the House, MPs almost unanimously voted down an amendment to bill adopting EU directives aimed at abrogating Italy's 2003 'save-chocolate'
decree.
That measure stated created a 'pure chocolate' label for chocolate made exclusively with real cocoa butter.
The EU regulations, on the other hand, allow chocolate makers to use up to 5% of vegetable cocoa substitutes. The amendment scotched this week was adopted by the Senate just before Christmas and was designed to avoid facing legal action by the EU over Italy's 'pure chocolate' label.
The EU maintains that the 'pure chocolate' tag amounts to unfair discrimination.
The only MP not to vote against the amendment was European Affairs Minister Giorgio La Malfa. In a last ditch attempt to save the amendment, La Malfa told MPs that "European laws must be obeyed. If this measure does not pass Italy will be brought before the European Court of Justice and its fines are very steep".
But the minister was speaking to deaf ears and sensitive sweet tooths and the amendment was squashed and now the whole EU bill - despite being passed with 211 votes in favor, six against and 94 abstentions - must return to the Senate.
Speaking after the vote, opposition Margerita party MP Ermete Realacci, who is also honorary president of the Legambiente environment group, said "pure chocolate is safe, quality has won".
"Eliminating the pure chocolate label would have been a serious mistake because it would have denied consumers a means to distinguish a quality product made by artisans," he added.
On the opposite side of the political spectrum, Antonio Mazzocchi of the right-wing National Alliance said "it was not the Right or the Left which won but the quality of Italian products, common sense and the national interest". Mazzocchi, party spokesman for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), added that "if there is someone in Europe who wants to damage the quality of products our artisans make, then we must make our voices heard! We cannot allow chocolate multinationals to win this battle".
After successfully lobbying for the 'pure chocolate' label, Italian chocolate makers have since been pushing for the EU to grant the best Italian chocolate "Traditional Speciality Guaranteed" (TSG) Status.
The TSG label would certify not only that the chocolate contains solely cocoa butter and not vegetable substitutes, but also that it has been made according to painstaking, traditional craft methods.
Natural flavouring is allowed, artificial flavouring is not. The only other legal additive is soya lecithin - but not from genetically modified organisms. Non-milk fats are also prohibited, but fats contained in added ingredients such as nuts and raisins are OK.
The National Association of Chocolate-makers wants the best cocoa to be given TSG status too, so its members can prove they use only the finest raw materials. The cocoa farmers have greeted the Italian producers' initiative with enthusiasm. Chocolate is big business in Italy. Annual sales are worth 350 million euros, while consumption has doubled over the past ten years - going from two to four kilos per capita - and continues to grow.
