# Sweet chocolate and vegetable fat coating — What a food must legally contain to use its name: FDA standards of identity, in one table

For Sweet chocolate and vegetable fat coating, cfr section is 21 CFR 163.153; category (cfr part) is Cacao Products; composition requirements is conforms to the definition and standard of identity, and is subject to the requirements for label declaration of ingredients for sweet chocolate in  § 163.123 , except that one or more optional ingredients specified in  paragraph (b) of this section are used; notable permitted / prohibited ingredients is Safe and suitable vegetable derived fats, oils, and stearins other than cacao fat. The fats, oils, and stearins may be hydrogenated, recorded from its source on 2026-08-11.

- **CFR section:** 21 CFR 163.153 _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Standardized food:** Sweet chocolate and vegetable fat coating _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Category (CFR part):** Cacao Products _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Composition requirements:** conforms to the definition and standard of identity, and is subject to the requirements for label declaration of ingredients for sweet chocolate in  § 163.123 , except that one or more optional ingredients specified in  paragraph (b) of this section are used _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Notable permitted / prohibited ingredients:** Safe and suitable vegetable derived fats, oils, and stearins other than cacao fat. The fats, oils, and stearins may be hydrogenated _(verified: appears in the quote below)_

## What the source says

> § 163.153 Sweet chocolate and vegetable fat coating. ( a ) Description. Sweet chocolate and vegetable fat coating is the food that conforms to the definition and standard of identity, and is subject to the requirements for label declaration of ingredients for sweet chocolate in <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-163.123> § 163.123 , except that one or more optional ingredients specified in <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-163.153#p-163.153(b)> paragraph (b) of this section are used. Compliance with the requirement in <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-163.123#p-163.123(a)(2)> § 163.123(a)(2) limiting the total milk solids content to less than 12 percent by weight shall be calculated by including only those dairy ingredients referred to in <https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/section-163.123#p-163.123(b)(4)> § 163.123(b)(4) , exclusive of any added sweetener or other dairy-derived ingredient that is added beyond that amount that is normally present in the specified dairy ingredient. ( b ) Optional ingredients. ( 1 ) Safe and suitable vegetable derived fats, oils, and stearins other than cacao fat. The fats, oils, and stearins may be hydrogenated

## Source

- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-163

Last verified: 2026-08-11. Review by: 2027-08-11.
Part of [What a food must legally contain to use its name: FDA standards of identity, in one table](https://referencesource.org/food-standards-of-identity/).