Cargill invests $5m in reducing sugar levels in chocolate

Cargill has announced it has invested $5m in its site in Mouscron manufacturing site in Belgium to enhance its capabilities for producing chocolate with lower sugar levels.

The cocoa supplier said the investment allows for the introduction of a range of bespoke and innovative sugar reduced chocolate recipes ‘to meet the increased consumer demand for sugar reduced chocolate products.’

New chocolate recipe

“As more consumers look for reduced sugar chocolate products, our customers are looking for new chocolate recipes that combine an indulgent sensory experience with lower sugar levels​,” says Inge Demeyere, managing director of Cargill’s chocolate activities in Europe.

“Cargill is able to deliver on that ask thanks to our unique R&D approach. Leveraging a deep chocolate and broad food ingredients expertise, Cargill created a unique sugar reduced chocolate recipe capability using an optimized blend of sugar replacers, while still managing to get all the other elements like taste and texture right. Our new, bespoke sugar reduced chocolate capabilities can produce a creamy, rich, indulgent chocolate taste with just the right level of sweetness​.”

Cargill’s 2019 study (Cargill’s Proprietary Perspective on Global Food & Beverage Trends 2019) on global food and beverage trends shows that sugar is the number one avoided ingredient in food products and that 54% consumers are willing to pay more for chocolate with no or reduced sugar.

According to Euromonitor’s EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) market data, the market demand for sugar reduced confectionery products is growing more than twice (9%) as fast as the general chocolate confectionery market (+4%).

Sugar replacers

Cargill says its state-of-the-art chocolate factory in Mouscron includes the option to use a wide range of sugar replacers and the necessary dosing systems to allow the company to reduce sugar levels gradually, or up to 30% or higher in its products.

“This result provides customers the ability to claim sugar reduction on the packaging of consumer products. It is also the latest in a long line of Belgian chocolate investments, focused on responding to and anticipating the demands of the industrial and gourmet segments​,” the company said.