The US chocolate manufacturers' association has given a cautious welcome to proposed legislation designed to deter forced labour which, it is alleged, is used on cocoa plantations in West Africa.
It proposes the use of a label that manufacturers can attach to chocolate bars to reassure consumers that the cocoa in them did not go through slave hands.
The "No child labour" label would appear on a voluntary basis with standards developed and enforced by the US Food and Drug Administration.
It is not clear how manufacturers would be able to provide such a reassurance without full traceability in the cocoa supply chain, however.
The US association told The Grocer: "It's a good idea but too vague. The FDA would have to set up labelling guidelines, and it isn't clear how manufacturers could comply."
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