Pesticide Statement
At Santa Barbara Chocolate we take safety and conformity with legislative standards very seriously and therefore we have an annual Surveillance Program which includes monitoring pesticide residues.
In this program we screen for a very broad group of pesticides including organophosphor, organochlor, benzoylurea, chloro-nicotinyl, halogenated organic, neonicatinoid, N-methyl carbamate, thiocarbamate, phenylamide, pyrethroid pesticides. For the analysis Santa Barbara Chocolate contracts with ISO 17025 accredited labs.
These analysis are carried out on a significant number of samples consisting of cocoa beans, cocoa semi-finished products and finished chocolate products. Our program also includes analysis of dairy and nut ingredients. All samples are collected by Santa Barbara Chocolate production sites.
In addition, we require our suppliers to monitor pesticide residues in the products they supply to us.
We thus have systems and controls in place to ensure that our products are in compliance with relevant pesticide legislation in the Codex Alimentarius (CAC/MRL), US (40 C.F.R. Part 180) and Canada, Japan (The Japanese Positive List System for Agricultural Chemical Residues in Foods of The Japan Food Chemical Research Foundation), in the European Union (EU Regulation 396/2005) and Switzerland (MRLs listed in the Annex I of Ordinance 817.021.23: Ordinance du DFI du 1995 sur les substances étranères et les composants dans les denrées alimentaries (Ordonnance sur les substances étranères et les composants, OSEC)), in Hong Kong (Pesticide Residues in Food Regulation (Cap. 132CM)) and in Brazil (Resoluçoãnº 165/2003).
*This communication is intended to provide advice to Santa Barbara Chocolate customers upon their request. Our interpretation of the law does not represent a formal legal opinion, as we have not sought concurrence with the competent authorities. Customers are encouraged to consult with their own legal counsel.