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Barry Callebaut announce ‘Cacaofruit Experience’

Barry Callebaut has announced ‘Cacaofruit Experience’, which it describes as an innovative range of products that celebrates the fresh, fruity taste and natural richness of the cacaofruit and marks the creation of a next-gen food and drink category.

The company also presented WholeFruit chocolate, which it says is a fresh, fruity delight made from 100% pure cacaofruit.

Whereas normally 70% of the fruit is discarded as waste, Barry Callebaut notes, ‘Cacaofruit Experience’ unleashes the full power of the cacaofruit as these products make use of the entire fruit: its beans, its nutrient-dense peel and its fresh and fruity pulp and juice. This, the company says, results in a range of high-quality ingredients that can be used in applications such as juices, smoothies, frozen desserts, bakery and pastry products, and snacks all the way to chocolate. These ingredients are said to have a fresh and fruity taste and to be rich in nutrients such as fibres, protein and magnesium. At the same time, Says the company, they are good for the planet and its people because the entire cacaofruit is utilized.

Antoine de Saint-Affrique, CEO of Barry Callebaut, said: “Innovation is one of the pillars of our growth strategy. Our unparalleled knowledge has enabled us to break new ground, unleashing the full power of the cacaofruit, which the Mayans cherished as ‘food of the gods’. Today, we have again unveiled a world first with ‘Cacaofruit Experience’. We are looking forward to starting a new journey with our customers and discovering the completely new range of applications that ‘Cacaofruit Experience’ and WholeFruit

SnackFutures, the innovation and venture hub of Mondelēz International, is the first company to introduce ‘Cacaofruit Experience’ in a consumer product under its new CaPao brand. CaPao is piloting two cacaofruit snack products – Smoothie Ball and cacaofruit Jerky Strips– with selected retailers in Los Angeles, California.

‘Cacaofruit Experience’ is also hitting the chef and artisan market as a new type of chocolate: WholeFruit chocolate, a fresh, fruity chocolate made from 100% pure cacaofruit. As of May 2020, WholeFruit chocolate will be available in two variants: WholeFruit Bold and WholeFruit Velvety. The launch event in San Francisco marked the start of a co-development journey with 30 top chocolatiers and pastry chefs.

A quantitative consumer study conducted by an independent global market research agency in the US, the UK and China is said to predict that WholeFruit is a winning value proposition.

Pablo Perversi, Barry Callebaut’s Chief Innovation, Sustainability & Quality Officer, said:

“Our goal in R&D is to develop innovations that are on trend, satisfy unmet consumer needs and also taste great. WholeFruit chocolate scores on all three points. It will respond to the need of millennials and centennials for ‘healthy indulgence’ just like our Ruby chocolate, launched in 2017, meets the need for ‘hedonistic indulgence’. Moreover, by using more of the cacaofruit and wasting less, we are also having a positive impact on the planet and its people.”