Belcolade launches ‘first of a kind’ plant-based white couverture

The Puratos-owned company said that as a result, Belcolade now offers its customers a comprehensive plant-based chocolate portfolio – dark, milk-alike and white – all of which carry the reassurance of Cacao-Trace certification.

‘The Plant-Based White Couverture is a first of its kind for the global professional chocolate industry as it boasts an outstanding taste profile and rich, creamy texture. It also has the perfect “snap” that consumers love, along with a clean, white chocolate colour. Differentiating itself even further, it is free of coconut, as well as nuts, soy and gluten – allergens typically found in other plant-based white options’, the company said in a statement.

“Our latest innovation is the result of a close collaboration between industry professionals and Belcolade chocolate experts,” said Youri Dumont, SBU chocolate director at Puratos. “Creating this unique innovation consisted of trials of more than 50 ingredients in various combinations. Belcolade’s Plant-Based White Couverture boasts distinctively versatile properties and so can be formed into truly delicious, creative products without compromising on texture, appearance, or quality. Offering customers more choice than ever, it is suitable for pralines, hollow figures, tablets, coatings, mousses, ganache, dipping and flavouring.”

Plant-based market

The plant-based market is more inclusive than ever with vegan, vegetarian and now flexitarian consumers influencing demand. The number of consumers purchasing plant-based products has grown to 60% from only 36% in 2018, according to Puratos’ Taste Tomorrow research.

It claimed that much of the plant-based market’s growth can be attributed to perceptions of health and wellbeing, sustainability, and ethical concerns. The latest data found that 60% of consumers believe plant-based food has a positive impact on the environment, while 56% perceive it to be healthier than animal-based food. Regardless of motivation, the appetite for these products is growing.

• Belcolade’s Plant-Based White Couverture is Cacao-Trace certified, a sustainable cocoa sourcing programme that focuses on premium taste while creating value for all, from cocoa farmers to consumers.