![]() Ĭontroversy about what can legitimately be called "Belgian chocolate" has been fueled by some traditional Belgian chocolatiers being purchased by non-Belgian companies and even moving production out of Belgium. Under this "Belgian Chocolate Code", refining, mixing and concheing must be done inside Belgium. In 2007, a voluntary quality standard (to which about 90 percent of the country's chocolate makers adhere) was introduced by the European Union which set certain criteria for a product to be considered "Belgian chocolate". An attempt by the European Economic Community (EEC) to introduce minimum standards about the amount of cocoa butter substitutes across Europe led to prolonged negotiation but the legislation finally enacted, in 2003, was viewed as excessively lenient in Belgium. Attempts to introduce industry standardisation have met with little success. The composition of Belgian chocolate has been regulated by law since 1894 when, in order to prevent adulteration of the chocolate with low-quality fats from other sources, a minimum level of 35 percent pure cocoa was imposed. The praline is an invention of the Belgian chocolate industry, as is the ballotin, a kind of packaging associated with high-quality chocolate that was designed by Louise Agostini, the wife of Jean Neuhaus Jr., in 1915. According to one study, Belgium first started to export more chocolate than it imported in the 1960s, with exports of "Belgian chocolates" growing exponentially since 1980. By the 1900s, chocolate was increasingly affordable for the Belgian working class. ![]() From the early 20th century, the country was able to import large quantities of cocoa from its African colony, the Belgian Congo. Among them was Charles-Alexander of Lorraine, the Austrian governor of the territory. By the mid-18th century, chocolate had become extremely popular in upper and middle class circles, particularly in the form of hot chocolate. A chocolatier producing easter eggs in Brugesīelgium's association with chocolate goes back as far as 1635, when the country was under Spanish occupation shortly after chocolate had been brought to Europe from Mesoamerica.
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