The mask-wearing chocolate Santa Clauses were very successful and the confectioner thought that he would come up with a new concept for Easter.Continue reading
In the spring of each year, the Food and Chemistry Laboratory of the Ministry of Innovation and Technology (ITM) tests the typical products of the Easter season: chocolate bunnies, chicks, and eggs have been in their usual form for several years, all having passed the laboratory testing, similar to Hungarian pálinka. Of the sixty products tested this year, only five hams had problems with salt, just like last year.
This article was originally published on our sister-site, Ungarn Heute.
As for the Easter chocolate figures, all 20 products tested met the Hungarian Food Codex requirements for the designation of chocolate. The composition of the products was checked on the basis of the legal requirements and the information on the label. Four items contained vegetable fats other than cocoa butter in a proportion of no more than 5%, which was clearly indicated on the packaging. The actual fat content of the products matched the nutritional information on the label without exception.
The Consumer Protection Authority examined twenty brandies (pálinka), none of which had their alcohol content measured in the laboratory above the level specified in the spirits labeling ordinance of 0.3%, and none of them deviated from the information specified in the information.
Four of the twenty hams tested, one raw and one cooked, had a salt content above the legal limit. The affected products may only be sold as “other meat products” if the name ham is removed.
According to the food code, raw ham may contain 5% salt, cooked ham 3.5% and mechanically cooked ham 2.7% salt, based on a moisture content of 58%.
“To ensure a peaceful preparation for the holidays, Consumer Protection has checked 400 stores nationwide with test purchases. Our colleagues imposed fines amounting to more than 2 million forints (EUR ) for the shortcomings,” revealed Nikoletta Keszthelyi, deputy state secretary for consumer protection.
The detailed results of the Easter laboratory tests are available here.
Featured photo illustration by Zsolt Czeglédi/MTI