A new single-ingredient cocoa powder alternative from Planet A Foods promises to insulate manufacturers from a looming one-two punch of rising cocoa costs and declining sales of chocolate-based sweets and snacks driven by the surge in use of GLP-1 weight-loss medications.
The German-based food-tech startup this week debuted Cocoa Booster – a functional cocoa powder replacement made from a single, undisclosed ingredient that it says is made via a fermentation-inspired process before it is roasted and milled to a particle size similar to cocoa powder.
The flour-like ingredient builds on the same technology platform used to create Planet A Foods’ flagship ingredient ChoViva, a cocoa-free liquid chocolate alternative made from sunflower seeds that is now used in more than 230 products in 12 countries.
The Cocoa Booster is available in three profiles – natural, alkalized and dark – and is designed to replace cocoa powder up to 100% in baked goods, fat-based cream fillings, beverages and puddings without any other process changes, according to Planet A Foods.
Planet A Foods’ Cocoa Booster joins a growing and increasingly diverse range of ingredients and technologies designed to help food manufacturers extend or replace cocoa in various forms. From wheat-based cocoa replacers and citrus fibers to flavor systems, carob-based ingredients and cocoa-free chocolate alternatives, suppliers are exploring different ways to reduce reliance on conventional cocoa while maintaining the taste, color and functionality consumers expect.
These solutions vary in their application and degree of cocoa replacement, with some designed to partially substitute cocoa powder in specific formulations, while others aim to recreate chocolate itself or offer alternative sources of cocoa ingredients.
Planet A Foods Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Sara Marquart said that the company’s Cocoa Booster solves formulation challenges that other existing products don’t.
“When we spoke to R&D teams, the message was consistent: They had tested alternatives, but existing powder extenders either brought an off-taste, matched only the color but not the taste, or came with added sugars and flavors,” she explained in a statement. “We set out to solve this one ingredient that works in the recipe they already have – and adds fiber at the same time.”
Snacks and sweets suffer as GLP-1 medication use rises
According to the company, Cocoa Booster includes around 69 g of fiber per 100 g, compared with around 37 g in cocoa powder – an added boost that could help finished products appeal to consumers taking GLP-1 medications for weight loss.
“GLP-1 medication is changing how people eat: Users consume 15-20% fewer calories and favor smaller, more nutrient-dense portions,” Planet A Foods said.
It adds that some of the hardest hit categories are snacks and sweets.
But GLP-1 users are not opting out of these segments completely – rather they are being more selective and seeking products with functional benefits, including fiber, according to industry experts speaking at FoodNavigator’s free webinar, The metabolic health revolution, airing Nov 5 and available on demand after.
Manufacturers can meet this rising demand by swapping in Cocoa Booster for some or all of the cocoa powder currently in their products, and in doing so raise the fiber content of their recipe without altering the taste or color, Planet A Foods said.
Navigating El Niño
Cocoa Booster, along with other cocoa extenders and replacers already on the market, can also help manufacturers hedge against volatile cocoa prices.
“Cocoa volatility is not a one-off crisis, and manufacturers need ingredients they can plan with for years, not seasons,” Planet A Foods Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Maximilian Marquart said in a release.
The company cited sources predicting the risk of a strong El Niño this year is more than 90% – which it says “threatens harvests in Ghana and Ivory Coast, the source of around 60% of the world’s cocoa.”
Maximilian Marquart added that the company’s flagship ingredient ChoViva showed how alternative ingredients can work at an industrial scale and alleviate pricing pressure and supply chain uncertainty.
“With our Cocoa Booster, we are bringing that experience to one of the most widely used cocoa ingredients – and we are just getting started,” he added.
