Taiwan to delay introduction of chocolate cadmium limits

Taipei, Aug. 14 (CNA) The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) said Wednesday it would revise cadmium limits for chocolate products and delay their introduction until January next year.

Cadmium is a heavy metal and its content in chocolate is related to the variety of cocoa beans used, their growing environment and the total cocoa solids content in the chocolate products, according to the TFDA.

The TFDA said in November last year that it would establish Taiwan's first-ever cadmium limits for chocolate products, with the regulations initially expected to take effect in July this year.

However, during the 60-day public notice period for the initial regulations, experts informed the TFDA that international standards for cadmium levels in chocolate products had been revised, the agency's Deputy Director-General Lin Chin-fu (林金富) told a news conference Wednesday.

He added that the TFDA thus gathered additional information to update the proposal regarding cadmium limits on chocolate products accordingly.

Under the TFDA's new proposal, all kinds of chocolate products with a total cocoa solids content (calculated on a dry matter basis) ranging from 20 percent to less than 30 percent, from 30 percent to less than 50 percent, from 50 percent to less than 70 percent, and more than 70 percent are not allowed to have cadmium levels exceeding 0.3, 0.7, 0.8, and 0.9 milligrams per kilogram, respectively.

The initial proposal only covered chocolate products with total cocoa solids ranging from 50 percent to less than 70 percent and more than 70 percent.

Cocoa powder is also newly included on the list, with its cadmium levels not allowed to exceed 2 milligrams per kilogram, the TFDA said.

TFDA official Chou Pei-ju (周珮如) said that the new proposed standards are consistent with those of the Codex Alimentarius, a collection of internationally adopted food standards.

From Wednesday, another 60-day public notice period would be used to gather feedback from different stakeholders, Chou said.

Once the new standards are officially implemented, all products on the market must comply, "regardless of the product's manufacturing date," she added.

According to the TFDA, the new regulations regarding cadmium limits on chocolate products are expected to take effect on Jan. 1, 2025.