9. Food products of any given name are to correspond in quality to the standards established by authority of Congress for such products, and if they vary from this standard a notice to that effect is to appear upon the label.
It appears from the standards adopted by authority of Congress (Circular No. 13,
Office of the Secretary) that chocolate, plain or bitter, can not have any substances added
to it not noted in the standard and remain a standard product. If, therefore, chocolate,
plain or bitter, have any starch or other substance added thereto for any purpose whatever,
or sugar in insufficient quantities to make it a sweet chocolate, the addition of these
bodies should be indicated by an appropriate statement on the label.
On the other hand, sweet chocolate, being intended for and plainly being a confection, would not require a statement to the effect that sugar had been added or a statement in regard to any of the other substances mentioned in the standard. If, however, any foreign substance other than that mentioned in the standard should be added to a sweet chocolate, a proper statement indicating that fact would be required upon the label.
This decision is given without prejudice to revision in case it should become advisable, as a result of experience, to further distinguish between these two bodies by some appropriate designation.
"Milk chocolate" will be considered as a sweet chocolate to which whole milk (fresh, evaporated, or desiccated) has been added.
Approved:
James Wilson,
Secretary of Agriculture.
Washington, D. C., March 30, 1906.
(F. I. D. 38.)
LABELING OF COCOAS.
Cocoas, in the preparation of which alkalis or other substances have been employed in order to increase the apparent solubility of the product, should bear on the label a declaration of such treatment. The phrase "Prepared with Alkali" (or alkalis) or "Manufactured with Alkali" (or alkalis), or some similar treatment, would be a sufficient notification. This declaration should also be in keeping with the provisions of F. I. D. 26. The denomination of such products as "soluble cocoas" will not answer, since the term "soluble," as used in this connection, is, to a certain extent, misleading. The apparent increased solubility of products treated as above is due rather to the suspension of the particles than to their solubility. The descriptions of the manufacture of these products show that potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, ammonium carbonate, and ammonium hydroxid are the principal alkaline salts employed. Tartaric acid is also at times used to correct any undue alkalinity produced by these added substances. The subject of the wholesomeness of these added products is reserved for further consideration.
Approved:
James Wilson,
Secretary of Agriculture.
Washington, D. C., March 30, 1906.
