Incoa is a brand-new 70% dark chocolate bar from Nestlé that's free from refined sugar and naturally sweetened with cocoa pulp. The bar made exclusively with cocoa fruit sets itself apart as a product that's naturally sweetened with cocoa pulp, which also helps to reduce food waste. Typically, only a portion of the pulp is used in the fermentation of cocoa beans after they're harvested and this natural approach to incorporating it into chocolate bars helps to make the most of this usable material.
Many companies are exploring side-streams to create new ingredients and products that can be used to support a circular economy. As Nestlé notes, "Chocolatiers are beginning to understand more about how to bring out the flavors of this magical fruit whilst farmers and manufacturers are becoming aware that 31% of the pod can be used versus 22% now."
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Naturally Sweetened Chocolate
- Opportunity for chocolate companies to explore alternative sweeteners such as cocoa pulp to cater to consumers who prefer natural ingredients.
- Circular Economy Ingredients
- Companies can explore using side-stream resources and turning them into ingredients to reduce food waste and promote sustainability.
- Maximizing Usable Materials
- Opportunity to use more parts of raw materials, such as cocoa pods, to create new products and reduce waste.
Industries Being Reshaped
- Chocolate Industry
- Chocolate companies can innovate by incorporating alternative sweeteners and exploring sustainable ingredients.
- Food Industry
- Maximizing usable materials from raw ingredients can be implemented across various sectors in the food industry.
- Agriculture Industry
- Farmers and manufacturers can produce more efficiently and sustainably by utilizing more parts of raw materials such as cocoa pods.
