Certification of the triglyceride profile of cocoa butter

Directive 2000/36/EC lays down that in all Member States vegetable fats may be added to chocolate products up to 5 % related to the final product weight. For law enforcement purposes an effective analytical method is urgently needed. High-temperature gas-chromatography of cocoa butter triglycerides and subsequent statistical data analysis proved to be the most promising method to quantify added vegetable fats. As a means to check accuracy and precision of this method, a certified reference material would be highly welcomed by laboratories concerned with chocolate analysis. The aim of this project is to produce in cooperation with the Joint Research Centre of the EU in Ispra and Geel a matrix material and to organise a certification experiment to certifiy the triglyceride profile of genuine cocoa butter. Sixteen laboratories based in different Member States will participate in the experiment.