Why work with chocolate flavours?
Imitating chocolate's dark, rich and aromatic flavours
How cocoa flavours can play a role in confectionary and beverage applications.
Cocoa flavours, as an alternative to raw cocoa, offer several advantages, which are particularly useful in the food and beverage industry. Depending on the type of chocolate flavour profile our highly skilled flavourists can help identify the right aromas and top notes to create just the right flavour for your next cocoa-free – or cocoa-reduced chocolate product.
- Cost-Effectiveness: Cocoa flavors can be more affordable than raw cocoa due to lower production and transportation costs. This is particularly appealing in regions where cocoa production may be expensive or subject to market fluctuations.
- Sustainability: The production of cocoa flavours can be more sustainable, especially when the raw material source is under environmental pressure, such as deforestation and overharvesting in cocoa-producing regions. Using cocoa flavors can reduce reliance on raw cocoa and contribute to more sustainable sourcing practices. Moreover, recent studies from Nielsen and McKinsey have shown that products with ESG claims produced 2,5 times higher sales growth than their counterparts, making no claims.
- Flavour Consistency: Cocoa flavors allow for more consistency in taste. Natural cocoa varies in flavour depending on factors such as origin and climate, but cocoa flavors are manufactured to provide a consistent taste profile across batches.
- Customizability: Cocoa flavors can be tailored to specific needs, offering manufacturers the ability to create a wide range of flavor profiles, from light and sweet to deep and bitter, without depending on the variability of raw cocoa beans.
Cocoa production
Cocoa beans are grown in tropical regions near the Equator, where the climate is ideal for cultivating cocoa trees. Approximately 70 percent of the world’s cocoa beans are sourced from four West African countries: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon. Cocoa beans are grown in tropical regions near the Equator, where the climate is ideal for cultivating cocoa trees. Approximately 70 percent of the world’s cocoa beans are sourced from four West African countries: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, and Cameroon. The ICCO trimmed its forecast for 23/24 to 4.332m tonnes resulting in the highest global deficit in nearly 60 years.
In 2021, the Ivory Coast produced approximately
Million metric tons of cocoa beans
The same year second largest cocoa bean producer Ghana produced approximately
Million metric tons of cocoa beans
International Cocoa Organization I Confectionery Production
Foodnavigator I Cocoa innovation
Mckinsey I Consumers care about sustainability and back it up with their wallets.
Statista I Forget Nvidia, here comes cocoa
Statista I Global cocoa bean production
ICCO I Cocoa market report August 2024
Mintec I Cocoa market insight – October 2024
Redefining chocolate
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade – or in this case chocolate. In recent years a rise in start-ups offering chocolate alternatives. The cocoa-free products use a combination of the right base e.g. Carob, Faba beans, roasted grains, or milk solids, and added flavours to provide the right mouthfeel, texture, and that dark, deep and rich chocolate flavour familiar to consumers all around the world. The start-ups produce an array of different applications, ranging from ice cream, bars, to flavoured milk and chocolate-free protein bars.
Examples of Chocolate flavours
