Nina's Blog - Tuesday 1st October 2024

Tuesday 1st October 2024, 09:48

Another night with poor sleep. So I got up a bit earlier than usual so I've already been out for a walk and to post a couple of parcels.

Low tide this time

Messages on the beach in Norwegian

and English

The beach shelves very gently, the birds just visible in the middle are not floating that are standing on the bottom

And to the left a minute or two later the Swan family

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ninalanyon · 61-69, T

Tuesday 1st October 2024, 21:20

I'm being very lazy this evening. Watched a few YouTube videos. I found this one amusing. Is American chocolate really so bad that Cadbury's counts as so good?
[media=https://youtu.be/iyIdM7ii42k]

ArishMell · 70-79, M

@ninalanyon Ironically, Cadbury's is now owned by some American outfit: Hershey's, or the firm that owns that brand?

Whoever it is, it promised publicly it would not close either of Cadbury's two factories in Britain, but did close the one in Bristol outright so soon after being given the keys, that they must have planned that long before even completing the purchase.

Anyway it's not a matter of "good" or "bad" but of taste. American and British buyers are used to, and loyal to, to different chocolate recipes, but I don't know the difference as I have never knowingly eaten American-made chocolate.

ninalanyon · 61-69, T

@ArishMell

not a matter of "good" or "bad"

I'm not so sure. The US doesn't really have much of a tradition of chocolate bars or confectionery in general compared to Europe. There is also the question of what actually counts as chocolate. Much of what is sold in the US could not legally be described as chocolate in Europe. In the UK milk chocolate must have almost as much cocoa as dark chocolate must in the US.

In the US:

Milk chocolate must contain at least 10% cocoa solids, while dark chocolate must contain at least 35% cocoa solids.

https://www.digicomply.com/blog/the-sweet-truth-understanding-the-fda-chocolate-regulations

In the UK:

(3) The reserved descriptions “chocolate”, “milk chocolate” and “couverture chocolate” may be supplemented by information or descriptions relating to quality criteria provided that the product contains —

(a)in the case of the reserved description “chocolate”, not less than 43 per cent total dry cocoa solids, including not less than 26 per cent cocoa butter;

(b)in the case of the reserved description “milk chocolate”, not less than 30 per cent total dry cocoa solids and not less than 18 per cent dry milk solids obtained by partly or wholly dehydrating whole milk, semi-skimmed or skimmed milk, cream, or from partly or wholly dehydrated cream, butter or milk fat, including not less than 4.5 per cent milk fat;
https://www.digicomply.com/blog/the-sweet-truth-understanding-the-fda-chocolate-regulations

(c)in the case of the reserved description “couverture chocolate”, not less than 16 per cent dry non-fat cocoa solids.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2003/1659/regulation/6/made

In Norway

4. Melkesjokolade
a. Betegner et produkt fremstilt av kakaoprodukter, sukker og melk eller melkeprodukter som – med unntak av bokstav b inneholder:
- minst 25% kakaotørrstoff
- minst 14% melketørrstoff fremstilt ved hel eller delvis dehydrering av helmelk, lettmelk, skummetmelk, fløte, smør eller melkefett
- minst 2,5% avfettet kakaotørrstoff
- minst 3,5% melkefett
- minst 25% fettstoffer totalt (kakaosmør og melkefett).

https://lovdata.no/dokument/SF/forskrift/2002-09-09-986/KAPITTEL_1#KAPITTEL_1

In English
In Norway

4. Milk chocolate
a. Denotes a product made from cocoa products, sugar and milk or milk products which – with the exception of letter b – contains:
- at least 25% cocoa solids
- at least 14% milk solids produced by full or partial dehydration of whole milk, skimmed milk, skimmed milk, cream, butter or milk fat
- at least 2.5% defatted cocoa solids
- at least 3.5% milk fat
- at least 25% fat in total (cocoa butter and milk fat).

https://lovdata.no/dokument/SF/forskrift/2002-09-09-986/KAPITTEL_1#KAPITTEL_1

My quick search didn't turn up an easily digested set of rules for the EU.

ArishMell · 70-79, M

@ninalanyon Thankyou!

For most buyers, the flavour is probably the most important factor but that will be governed by the relative proportions of the ingredients. The regulations in different countries very likely reflect what the main manufacturers wanted, based on their sales experience as well as raw ingredient costs.

It is interesting that the UK buyers like their chocolate more chocolate-rich than those other nations. There is a common belief among Britons that only Belgium or Switzerland "knows" how to make "good" chocolate, but those regulations question that. However, the rules only set minima, not maxima as well, so it's quite likely that those countries' chocolate-makers are producing much richer or less sweet confectionery anyway.

In the end, provided the sweet meets the minimum standards, there is no "better" or "worse" than; but what its eaters like while confusing holiday experiences and personal preferences with objective quality.

The EU does not make clear rules, really, but sets "Directives" stating general policies and minimum standards for member-countries to put into their own laws. Despite its monolithic behaviour I think it probably recognises that food preferences and loyalties differ considerably from country to country, so it cannot be too prescriptive. After all, even the Commissioners and the anonymous committee-members "advising" them, like to eat even if most of the rest of their river of Directives will have little or no effect on them personally!

(They like to drink too. They closed the duty-free shops on inter-EU country ferries, but allegedly kept the staff tuck-shop in their Brussels HQ still on very low duty...)