Finnish company Fazer partnered with research and development company VTT to research the possibility of using cell-cultured cocoa for the sustainable production of cocoa raw material. Research team leader Heiko Rischer, PhD, a principal scientist at VTT, says "Cellular agriculture means biotechnological production instead of farming, with minimal land and other natural resources required for the production."
This long-term project supports more ethical, sustainable production of confectionery products, and fewer natural resources and land are needed.
Although cell-cultured cocoa is a novel food in the EU, it needs to be approved according to the European Food Safety Authority) process. And with this in mind, Fazer Confectionery recognizes that it will still be a few years before cell-cultured cocoa is launched on the market.
Cell-Cultured Cocoa Bars
Fazer is Exploring More Ethical, Sustainable Means of Production
Trend Themes
1. Cell-cultured Foods - Investing in the biotechnological production of otherwise farmed foods could prove to be a more sustainable means of resource utilization.
2. Sustainable Confectionary - Focusing on more sustainable production methods for all types of confectionary products can lead to ethically-conscious business solutions.
3. Clean Meat Production - Investing in the development and approval of novel, biotechnological foods can contribute to a broader movement towards cleaner, more humane meat production.
Industry Implications
1. Food Production - The development of new, biotechnological methods to produce raw food materials can play an important part in making the food industry more sustainable.
2. Confectionary - Businesses in the confectionary industry can consider investing in alternative, more environmentally-friendly and ethical production methods like cell-cultured foods.
3. Agriculture - As biotechnologically-produced foods become more commonplace, the agriculture industry can transition to producing more sustainable and environmentally-friendly crops and materials.