Researchers at ETH Zurich, in collaboration with start-up Koa and chocolate manufacturer Felchlin, have developed a new type of chocolate that fully utilizes the cocoa fruit. This innovation aims to improve sustainability, nutritional value, and farmers' income.
Traditional chocolate primarily uses cocoa mass and cocoa butter, neglecting other parts of the fruit that can still be valuable.
The new cocoa fruit chocolate from ETH Zurich maximizes the use of the entire fruit, enhancing its health benefits by boosting fiber content and reducing saturated fats. This innovation promises not only a healthier treat but also improves sustainability and farmers' income by utilizing more components of the cocoa fruit.
The new chocolate replaces powdered sugar with cocoa fruit jelly, thereby reducing sugar content and increasing fiber intake. This naturally sweet jelly is derived from the pulp and endocarp of the fruit. By using these components, the chocolate gains in fiber and reduces saturated fat content, making it a healthier treat. The resulting chocolate contains 15 grams of fiber per 100 grams (vs. 12 grams for standard chocolate), and 23 grams of saturated fat vs. 33 grams for traditional chocolate.
Sensory tests conducted by panelists at the Bern University of Applied Sciences confirmed that cocoa gel chocolate offers a sweetness comparable to conventional chocolate. The results show that up to 20% of the gel can be used without altering the texture of the chocolate, maintaining a sweetness equivalent to that achieved with 5 to 10% powdered sugar, while regular dark chocolate contains between 30 and 40%.
The illustration shows the use of the entire cocoa fruit.
Credit: Kim Mishra This approach also presents economic benefits for small farmers. By utilizing not only the beans but also the pulp and the endocarp, producers can diversify their products and increase their income. Farmers will thus be able to sell cocoa powders obtained by drying and grinding the pulp and endocarp, in addition to the beans.
Despite these advances, this chocolate will not be immediately available in the market. Large-scale production requires adjustments throughout the value chain, from drying facilities for farmers to industrial processing. However, ETH Zurich has filed a patent for this innovative recipe, marking a first step towards a sustainable and nutritional transformation of the chocolate industry. This initiative shows how technology, nutrition, and sustainability can combine to benefit both consumers and producers.