Barry Callebaut

NEW WHOLEFRUIT CHOCOLATE CUTS WASTE BY USING ENTIRE CACAO FRUIT

Recipe is the latest innovation from Swiss chocolatier Barry Callebaut. It is being hailed by its manufacturer as the newest chocolate since the hugely popular pink or ruby variety, and aimed unashamedly at the younger generation seeking healthier and more sustainable products.

Swiss chocolate maker Barry Callebaut – one of the largest in the world – has launched a new recipe which it claims is the first to use the entire cacao or cocoa fruit – as opposed to just the beans – to pack a more fruity punch in the flavour.

As modern consumers prioritise less sugar, more nutrients and less damage to the environment, the company is playing to the trend with products based on a recipe using 100% of the fruit. About 70% of the cacao fruit is typically discarded in the traditional process of making chocolate, which is increasingly regarded as very wasteful.

The company said using the entire fruit, from beans to peels, pulp and juice, “results in a range of high-quality ingredients that can be used in … juices, smoothies, frozen desserts, bakery and pastry products, and snacks all the way to chocolate”.

The so-called WholeFruit chocolate is the latest innovation from the Swiss chocolatier, which is facing pressure to innovate and experiment with new products amid growing competition in the global market. Higher cocoa prices have squeezed the profits of chocolate-makers already under pressure as consumers shift toward healthier alternatives.

The company develops and supplies chocolate to major brands such as Nestlé, Hershey, Unilever and the confectionery giant Mondelez International, which owns brands including Cadbury and Toblerone.

Mondelez will make the first new products under a new CaPao brand, being launched in the US this week, while a new line for artisan chocolate-makers will follow in May. Launch in the UK and Europe is planned but is subject to regulatory approval.

A Mondelez spokesman said: “We’re excited about the launch of CaPao, which offers consumers a new range of plant powered snacks by making greater use of the cacao fruit. The products have been launched to start with in the US, but we will be looking to roll them out to other countries, including the UK, in the future.”

Last year, Barry Callebaut launched ruby chocolate, a pink blend with a berry flavour that has been used in Nestle’s KitKat bars. The ruby chocolate KitKat was launched last year in Japan and Korea, followed by the UK, Europe and the US. Ruby chocolate – a fourth chocolate variant after traditional dark, milk and white – attracted huge interest from chocolate connoisseurs throughout the world since it was first revealed in September 2017. It is now on sale in more than 50 countries, under 75 brands.

In July, Nestlé said it had developed a new chocolate made entirely from cacao beans and pulp, with no refined sugar added. That month Cadbury released a new version of its Dairy Milk bar that contains 30% less sugar and more fibre.

Pablo Perversi, chief innovation, sustainability and quality officer at Barry Callebaut, said: “Our goal is to develop innovations that are on trend, satisfy unmet consumer needs and taste great. This will respond to the needs of millennials and centennials for ‘healthy indulgence’. By using more of the cacao fruit and wasting less, we are having a positive impact on the planet.”

This article first appeared in www.theguardian.com

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