Cargill is the latest global food manufacturer looking beyond cocoa to scale chocolate alternatives that help the company better navigate market volatility and offer new benefits like allergen-free profiles. <\/p>\n
The food giant joins other global food manufacturers, including the world\u2019s largest chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut, in the race to develop their cocoa-free chocolate portfolios. Barry Callebaut has already announced<\/a> partnerships with cocoa-free chocolate makers NotCo AI<\/a> and Planet A Foods<\/a>. <\/p>\n Confectionery leader Nestl\u00e9 announced<\/a> its own partnership with Planet A Foods in April to develop a cocoa-free ingredient for its Nestl\u00e9 Choco Crossies Snack Vibes<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, companies like WNWN Food Labs<\/a>, Nukoko<\/a> and Foreverland<\/a> are growing their own foothold in the industry.<\/p>\n Cargill\u2019s NextCoa <\/p>\n Cargill joined forces<\/a> with Voyage Foods in May to begin offering NextCoa cocoa-free chocolate in North America. <\/p>\n The food company said the release of NextCoa is about expanding choice, rather than replacing chocolate. <\/p>\n Cargill works closely with the startup community to help new companies scale products, according to Kojo Amoo-Gottfried, vice president and managing director of cocoa and chocolate for Cargill Food North America.<\/p>\n \u201cThe technology Voyage Foods<\/a> was able to unlock uses the grape seed \u2013 it\u2019s an upcycling of grape seed to give that sensation of chocolate,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n Cargill noted that NextCoa has a 67% lower carbon footprint relative to traditional chocolate. It is vegan and free of dairy, allergens, peanuts, tree nuts and soy. It is available in Mild and Dark Mild varieties.<\/p>\n The launch came one month after Cargill announced a partnership to be the exclusive B2B global distributor for Voyage Foods.<\/p>\n \u201cThese alternatives to cocoa-based products \u2013 or the cocoa-free confectionery range \u2013 will be used in the recipe formulation for categories such as bakery, ice cream and confectionery, complementing and diversifying Cargill\u2019s traditional chocolate portfolio to provide a broader range of solutions that are vegan, label friendly and produced with no nut nor dairy allergens used in the recipe formulation,\u201d Cargill said. <\/p>\n Cargill\u2019s customer base ranges from name brand companies to private label players in bakery, snacks and confectionery. Amoo-Gottfried, however, was unable to disclose specific customers. <\/p>\n Confectionery trends: Balancing better-for-you trends and indulgence<\/p>\n This story is part of a special edition focused on how the confectionery category is walking a fine line between indulgence and intention. Check out the full selection here<\/a>. Or to receive special editions in your email inbox, register for the newsletter by clicking the yellow ‘register’ button in the top right corner of the homepage.<\/p>\n NotCo and Barry Callebaut<\/p>\n The Cargill announcement comes about six months after Swiss-Belgian chocolate leader Barry Callebaut announced partnerships with NotCo AI and Planet A Foods.<\/p>\n Barry Callebaut\u2019s partnership with Planet A Foods \u2013 maker of ChoViva<\/a>, a chocolate derived from sunflower seeds, grape seeds and oats \u2013 acts as a hedge against volatile cocoa prices, according to<\/a> the company. <\/p>\n The food manufacturer\u2019s partnership with NotCo AI ties Barry Callebaut\u2019s vast database of chocolate knowledge with NotCo\u2019s AI platform, Giuseppe, empowering the chocolate giant to speed up research and development. <\/p>\n Planet A Foods<\/p>\n While major players are entering the cocoa-free market over the last few months, Planet A Foods has been selling its proprietary ChoViva product in Europe since September 2023<\/a>.<\/p>\n