Reserved designations

Amendment of certain Commodities Act Decrees due to technical changes

Articles II and VII of the draft Decree may contain technical regulations. Article II corrects a typo in the Commodities Act Decree on amusement and playground equipment [Warenwetbesluit attractie- en speeltoestellen].

Article VII amends Article 3 of the Commodities Act Decree on reserved designations [Warenwetbesluit Gereserveerde aanduidingen]. This article states: ‘The designation “vinegar” shall only be used for a liquid good that contains acetic acid as a distinctive ingredient, and whose acetic acid content is at least 4 grams per 100 ml.’ This definition does not distinguish between vinegar obtained by natural fermentation of agricultural raw materials and vinegar arising from a solution of synthetic acetic acid in water. The lack of statutory distinction between natural and synthetic vinegar may confuse or deceive consumers. To prevent this, a new paragraph is added to this article, which reserves the designation ‘natural vinegar’ for goods obtained exclusively from natural fermentation. Thus, goods that contain synthetic acetic acid cannot bear this designation. This provision applies even if vinegar is present in a good as an ingredient.