Sugar Reduction
Guest Post: Boulder’s Chocolove rolls-out a no-added-sugar bar
When Chocolove first started selling premium chocolate bars in August 1995, the goal was to deliver delicious, premium-quality, European-style chocolate with less sugar. Sugar reduction was built into the brand promise from day one, 27 years ago.
Back then, Chocolove was the only US-based chocolate bar maker to declare cocoa content on the front of the wrapper. To us, this transparency showed respect for the consumer in two ways: 1) it let the consumer know the value proposition, which was that Chocolove provided more cocoa and less sugar at a good price, and 2) it began to drive the subject of cocoa content as an indicator of quality.
Our early efforts towards sugar reduction were natural and easy: we simply removed it
Chocolove then proceeded to introduce stronger cocoa-content chocolates, at 65% and 70%, with a view to making chocolate with less sugar to meet the needs of chocolate lovers in the natural food category, a category where consumers actively sought to find foods with less sugar.
Our early efforts towards sugar reduction were natural and easy: we simply removed it. Specifically, we selected top-quality beans that had enjoyable flavour on their own and taking care of the beans through the roasting and grinding process didn’t require adding excess sugar to dilute bitterness or poor quality – the good quality was inherently present and allowed to shine with less sugar. This high-quality cocoa needed less sugar, and it fit well with the Chocolove brand promise and respect for our discerning consumer.
As time went on, Chocolove consistently offered higher cocoa contents of 73%, 77% and 88%, all reflecting less sugar and without the addition of highly synthesized, non-nutritive sweeteners. Our 88% dark chocolate bar is enjoyable and offers a great exploration of cocoa flavour, with only 12% sugar present. Those who count carbs can easily choose to have a square or two as part of their diets.
Tipping point
Once we reached a tipping point of cocoa content at 88%, and of reducing sugar to a point where enjoyment would be limited – to a number of people comparable to those who like double espressos, for example – Chocolove began to explore no-sugar-added bars with inulin from chicory as a sweetener. Chicory is the most natural of all alternative sweeteners, and the one that is the least processed. These elements made it the right fit for us and allowed us to create a no-sugar-added chocolate bar – called Chocolove XO.
Our commitment to our consumers and guiding principle through the Chocolove XO research and development process was to make a no-sugar-added, non-glycemic-increasing chocolate bar that offers the same high-quality and same great taste as our original Chocolove bars. We think we delivered.
Giving the consumer a choice is always our preference, whether it’s a delicious, high-cocoa-content bar that is naturally lower in sugar or a no-sugar-added chocolate bar with the same great taste as our original Chocolove. We’re proud to offer a variety of flavours of both.