Mars goes cocoa-free with trail mix launch
- Mars launches Balisto trail mix using cocoa-free chocolate alternative
- Product pilots exclusively at Rewe in Germany from April to October 2026
- Mars partners with Planet A Foods for ChoViva ingredient
- ChoViva uses fermented sunflower seeds replacing cocoa in chocolate applications
- Pilot success could accelerate cocoa-free adoption
With brands such as Maltesers, M&M’s and Snickers in its portfolio, Mars Inc. is a powerhouse in chocolate – and has officially been named the world’s largest confectionery company.
Yet while rivals grapple with cocoa shortages and soaring prices by backing alternative‑cocoa start‑ups or experimenting with cocoa‑free products, Mars has stayed firmly committed to chocolate. Instead, it has doubled down on cocoa resilience, investing in regenerative farming and novel CRISPR‑based breeding techniques.
Until now.
Mars launches trail mix with cocoa-free ‘chocolate’
Mars is launching an extension to its Balisto product line in Germany with a trail mix – combining nuts, raisins and a cocoa-free chocolate alternative.
The new product will be sold exclusively at Rewe supermarkets from April to October 2026 as a pilot launch, allowing the company to evaluate how shoppers respond before committing to a permanent fixture.
So which supplier is Mars working with on the cocoa-free ingredient? Once again, Planet A Foods in Germany has secured the contract – the same start-up that’s working with other big names in chocolate, like Barry Callebaut and Nestlé.
For Planet A Foods, the Mars partnership represents yet another sign that Big Chocolate is open to new ingredients and technologies.
“Even large, global icons like Mars are embracing a new technology like ChoViva,” says co-founder and CEO Dr Maximilian Marquart. “It’s a signal that the food industry is ready to champion the value of innovations – as long as the taste is right."
What’s inside the ‘chocolate’, if not cocoa?
Planet A Foods’ ingredient, branded ChoViva, promises “chocolatey indulgence” but is made from a blend of sunflower seeds, sugar, plant-based fats and milk powder.
The start-up produces it by fermenting the seeds, then roasting and grinding them into a concentrate before blending them with other ingredients. Once plant-based fats are added, the mixture is “conched” – an industry term for the process that turns raw cocoa into a smooth, homogeneous liquid.
Planet A Foods is far from the only innovator working on cocoa‑free chocolate. Others in the space include Win‑Win, Foreverland and Voyage Foods, the latter of which has partnered with Cargill on its NexCoa confectionery alternative ingredient.
But at least publicly, it’s Planet A Foods that’s gaining the most traction of late. ChoViva features in more than 120 products across 10 countries, with notable partnerships including tie-ups with supermarket retailers Aldi and Kaufland, and a limited-edition run with Lindt & Sprüngli.
Cocoa-free: How Mars differs from Nestlé
Mars’ pilot launch comes less than two months after another confectionery heavyweight, Nestlé, made its first move into cocoa-free chocolate. While there are some similarities between the two launches, including the decision to roll-out cocoa-free products in the same country, the differences are more striking.
For one, Nestlé’s Choco Crossies Snack Vibes range is not a test-run but a permanent addition to its portfolio.
Marketing strategy also sets the two apart. Nestlé, which already sells Choco Crossies, makes a point of clearly signposting that its new products use a cocoa-free chocolate alternative, with bold front-of-pack messaging. Mars, by contrast, labels its Balisto Trail Mix as containing ChoViva pieces front-of-pack, but only clarifies in small-print, asterisked text that these are a “chocolate alternative with sunflower seeds instead of cocoa”.
The products also appear to be targeting different consumers. Mars says it is aiming for shoppers seeking “convenient, delicious and brand-familiar snacks” – a broad audience. Nestlé’s more explicit cocoa-free positioning, meanwhile, suggests a focus on younger consumers, particularly Gen Z. According to the company’s own research, Gen Z shoppers are “largely positive” about chocolate alternatives.
The same pressure remains, however, both on Planet A Foods and on the cocoa‑free sector more broadly. If these products gain traction, they could help secure the future of alternative cocoa. But if consumers fail to engage, products could quickly be pulled from shelves – taking investor appetite for this fledgling sector with them.
