Yet while rivals grapple with cocoa shortages and soaring prices by backing alternative\u2011cocoa start\u2011ups<\/a> or experimenting with cocoa\u2011free products<\/a>, Mars has stayed firmly committed to chocolate. Instead, it has doubled down on cocoa resilience, investing in regenerative farming<\/a> and novel CRISPR\u2011based breeding techniques<\/a>.<\/p>\n Until now.<\/p>\n Mars launches trail mix with cocoa-free \u2018chocolate\u2019<\/p>\n Mars is launching an extension to its Balisto product line in Germany with a trail mix \u2013 combining nuts, raisins and a cocoa-free chocolate alternative.<\/p>\n The new product will be sold exclusively at Rewe supermarkets from April to October 2026 as a pilot launch, allowing the company to evaluate how shoppers respond before committing to a permanent fixture. <\/p>\n So which supplier is Mars working with on the cocoa-free ingredient? Once again, Planet A Foods in Germany has secured the contract \u2013 the same start-up that\u2019s working with other big names in chocolate, like Barry Callebaut<\/a> and Nestl\u00e9<\/a>.<\/p>\n For Planet A Foods, the Mars partnership represents yet another sign that Big Chocolate is open to new ingredients and technologies.<\/p>\n \u201cEven large, global icons like Mars are embracing a new technology like ChoViva,\u201d says co-founder and CEO Dr Maximilian Marquart. \u201cIt\u2019s a signal that the food industry is ready to champion the value of innovations \u2013 as long as the taste is right.”<\/p>\n What\u2019s inside the \u2018chocolate\u2019, if not cocoa?<\/p>\n Planet A Foods\u2019 ingredient, branded ChoViva, promises \u201cchocolatey indulgence\u201d but is made from a blend of sunflower seeds, sugar, plant-based fats and milk powder. <\/p>\n The start-up produces it by fermenting the seeds, then roasting and grinding them into a concentrate before blending them with other ingredients. Once plant-based fats are added, the mixture is \u201cconched\u201d \u2013 an industry term for the process that turns raw cocoa into a smooth, homogeneous liquid.<\/p>\n Planet A Foods is far from the only innovator working on cocoa\u2011free chocolate. Others in the space include Win\u2011Win<\/a>, Foreverland<\/a> and Voyage Foods<\/a>, the latter of which has partnered with Cargill on its NexCoa confectionery alternative ingredient.<\/p>\n But at least publicly, it\u2019s Planet A Foods that\u2019s gaining the most traction of late. ChoViva features in more than 120 products across 10 countries, with notable partnerships including tie-ups with supermarket retailers Aldi and Kaufland, and a limited-edition run with Lindt & Spr\u00fcngli.<\/p>\n Cocoa-free: How Mars differs from Nestl\u00e9<\/p>\n Mars\u2019 pilot launch comes less than two months after another confectionery heavyweight, Nestl\u00e9, made its first move into cocoa-free chocolate. While there are some similarities between the two launches, including the decision to roll-out cocoa-free products in the same country, the differences are more striking.<\/p>\n![\"Vector](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GXNOQ4SOJNFW7M57GZYI3JZBOY.jpg\")
Mars, Inc,’s foray into cocoa-free chocolate is here. (Image: Mars \/ Realstockvector)<\/p>\n