As early as 1884, within the context of a global law, condamning practices that are unfair and detrimental to public health, the Belgian State ordered that henceforth a minimum of 35% cocoa was required to obtain the denomination « chocolate ». The neighbouring countries required only 32%.
The standard was confirmed in a Royal Decree of 1894 and is still applicable today as it has been integrated in the European legislation (chocolate directive 73/241/EEC and then 2000/36/EC) and the international chocolate standard of the Codex Alimentarius (STAN 87-1981, Rev. 1-2003).
The Royal Belgian Decree on the commerce of cocoa and chocolate of 18 November 1894 establishes in its Article 2 : “It is forbidden to sell, have in possession or expose for sale, or to transport any product whatever, under the designation ‘chocolate’, that is not manufactured exclusively from deshelled cocoa, and that in a minimum proportion of 35% and ordinary sugar (saccharose), with or without addition of spices”
