GIMME A KISS!

Wait for the food and fat police to weigh in on this story.

Sculpted in the shape of a giant kiss and coated with a love message, the gargantuan chocolate took more than 1,000 hours to make, stood more than two metres high and has already found a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

Italy's most famous chocolate-maker, la Perugina, prepared the record-breaking sweet along the lines of the popular "baci perugini" nut-centered chocolates for Perugia's annual Eurochocolate Fair.

The central Italian town has been holding its chocolate fair for the last 10 years. The latest has set out to promote 'true' chocolate, without additives other than cocoa butter.

The theme was chosen to take aim at European Union regulations adopted in August, allowing the merchandising, under the name of chocolate, of products with up to five per cent of vegetable fat such as palm oil.

I am positive the food police would have a fear-of-fat infarction if an Americhocolate Celebration was planned. Many people in my circle of acquaintances would enthusiastically support such an event. Food cops or no food cops.