The ECJ has decided: eggnog may not contain milk

Luxembourg – Eggnog can not contain milk according to a judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Communities (ECJ). A spirit drink can only be labeled as eggnog in the EU if it contains only the ingredients listed in the relevant EU legislation, the Luxembourg judges said Thursday. In addition, eggnog, in addition to alcohol, may contain only egg yolk, egg whites, sugar or honey and, if appropriate, flavors.

The background of the decision of the highest court of the EU was a dispute between Germany and the district court of Hamburg. A company in Saxony-Anhalt had marketed egg liqueurs which also contained milk. The district court had referred the case to Luxembourg.

If the list of ingredients listed in the EU legislation is not considered exhaustive, the protection of consumers and the good reputation of European spirits could suffer, concluded the Luxembourg judges. (AP)