Belgian chocolatiers seek praline protection

Belgian chocolate makers believe their pralines should have similar protection to that enjoyed by French champagne or Parma ham, writes Reuters’ Philip Blenkinsop. They want the term ‘Belgian chocolate’ to be their exclusive preserve and also want to crack down on foreign rivals dressing up their products as ‘Belgian style’ or from a ‘Belgian recipe’. Copycats, they say, eat into sales and undermine a stamp of quality built up over the century since Jean Neuhaus invented the hard-shelled, cream-filled praline in 1912.

The industry federation will meet regional governments from next month to decide how Belgium might apply to the EU to protect Belgian chocolates or seek a trademark to safeguard their treats. “What makes us sad is that very often the copies are not up to the standard of the originals,” Jos Linkens, chief executive of Neuhaus and president of Belgian biscuit, chocolate and confectionery federation Choprabisco, told Reuters. “If top chocolatiers around the world copied us, perhaps we would be happy. We don’t want the image of quality to suffer.” Overall exports of Belgian pralines rose just 1% between 2007 and 2011, but shot up 60% in Asia and 82% in Africa. Sales to Asia in 2011 were three times their level a decade earlier. Individual chocolate makers talk of expansion in China and India last year of up to 50%.

Switzerland, famous for its milk chocolate, has been more active in its protection of domestic brands. The Chocosuisse federation of chocolate makers has trademarked the terms ‘Swiss’ and ‘Switzerland’ in the EU, the US and Canada, and it works to enforce those rights. The federation has a staff member dedicated to the problem and can spend up to 80,000 Swiss francs (€65,600) a year on lawyers’ fees.