"No-child labour" labels for chocolate

In the US, a new legislation is in the work for food labels that would let consumers know where the chocolate comes from and if it's grown using child labour, reports Reuters. Last week, the US House of Representatives gave first-round approval to the language, and was expected to pass the bill next week, sending it to the Senate for action. "We want to ensure that when people of this country eat chocolate, they are not eating chocolate that was processed by child slavery,"​ comments Representative Engel. Under his plan, the US Food and Drug Administration​ would develop a voluntary "no child labour"​ label that makers could put on foods containing chocolate or cocoa. Engel and supporters pointed in particular to accounts of child labour in Ivory Coast, including children sold into slavery and employed on cocoa plantations. The Ivory Coast is the source of half of US imports of cocoa beans for processing into chocolate. It also is a leading US source of cocoa paste and cocoa powder. The International Cocoa Council was scheduled to consider a resolution encouraging its member nations "to investigate and eradicate any criminal child labour activity that might exist in agricultural working practices."​ The council should meet in London on July 9 and 10. Staff workers for Engel, who noted "dolphin-safe"​ labels appeared on tuna cans, claimed the voluntary no-child-labour label would reward food-makers who took steps to assure how their cocoa was grown. "We're not going to ban the import of chocolate,"​ said one staffer. The Chocolate Manufacturers Association said it did not oppose Engel's proposal but questioned if there was adequate information. Source: Reuters​