Albertus Eskes and Dario Ahnert, cocoa breeders from agriculture research firm CIRAD and UESC has invented a fermentation technology called TropMix to help cocoa beans enhance its natural fruity flavors.
Barry Callebaut has extended its partnership with health-focused chocolate brand FlavaNaturals throughout 2018 to develop flavanol-rich products in the US.
Mars Wrigley Confectionery has defended accusations it is fueling an unjust association between chocolate and health by funding cocoa flavanol research and says chocolate ‘should not be considered a health food’.
Barry Callebaut has made available a range of low-sugar chocolate designed to promote an improved nutritional profile to confectionery that doesn’t compromise on taste.
Sugar may help cocoa flavanols to be better absorbed in the digestive system, however this will provoke a spike in insulin, undoing its beneficial effect, speculates a researcher at Coventry University.
Researchers say commercial prospects for extra virgin olive oil enriched dark chocolate are strong after finding potential cardiovascular health benefits.
Flavanol-rich chocolate is well known for its beneficial effect on the brain, but a review by Italian researchers point towards its neuroprotective effects in vulnerable populations over time.
