Products having a minimum of 35 per cent cocoa content will now be eligible to be marketed and traded internationally as 'chocolates.'

Even 'chocolate type' products, such as chocolate flakes, would have to have a minimum 20 per cent cocoa.

This is the result of the adoption of new quality standards for over 50 food products by the Codex Alimentarius Commission that fixes the globally accepted quality norms for edible products.

Commonly called 'Codex standards,' these norms are followed by most importers and exporters of food products the world over.

The Codex Commission is a subsidiary body of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation and the World Health Organisation.

Its food code includes, besides the quality standards, the code of practices and guidelines for ensuring these standards. It has 169 member countries.

According to the revised quality standards for chocolate, manufacturers will be required to clearly state the cocoa content on the packaging of all chocolate flavoured products.

The commission took some significant decisions in its 26th session held recently at Rome. These include extending food safety systems to small and medium-sized enterprises, especially in developing countries.

This is intended to help these small businesses produce safe food for consumers and improve their trade prospects.

Besides, the commission adopted guidelines for assessing the food safety risks posed by foods derived from biotechnology and new standards for irradiated foods that accept higher levels of radiation on food products.

The guidelines for genetically modified foods call for pre-market safety evaluation, product tracing for recall purposes and post-market monitoring.

These guidelines cover the scientific assessment of DNA-modified plants, such as maize, soyabean, potato and foods and beverages derived from DNA-modified micro-organisms, including cheese, yogurt and beer.

Adherence to these guidelines will ensure that the safety assessment of genetically modified food products done in one country will be accepted by other countries as well.

They will not have to repeat the tests and can directly go in for marketing of that food.

In the case of irradiated food, the commission has decided that allowing high levels of irradiation will eliminate bacterial spores and make the food safer.

Besides, higher irradiation will reduce the need to use toxic chemicals for combating bacteria. Food irradiation, using gamma rays, is done to make it safe by killing bacteria and increase its shelf life.

Taking note of the increased concerns over the safety of meat and other livestock products, the codex has outlined principles of meat hygiene.

The code of practices on good animal feeding calls for stricter and more systematic controls over sources of contamination.