Barry Callebaut unlocks new categories for Cabosse Naturals’ cacaofruit innovation

12 Jan 2024 --- Barry Callebaut’s brand Cabosse Naturals is breaking into the wine segment with its upcycled cacaofruit. Adding value back into an often discarded byproduct from the chocolate industry, the solution has already proven its worth applicability across a line of ingredients including cacaofruit juice, pulp, concentrate and powder.

Launched more than four years ago, the upcycled cacaofruit innovation has already been utilized for a range of beers, but now Cabosse Naturals, a subsidiary of the chocolate and cocoa giant, expects Cacaofruit to excel in 2024 with more beer and now wine brands exploring its flavor.

“Cabosse Naturals has begun upcycling the cacaofruit into a range of natural and 100% pure ingredients - juice, pulp, powder and concentrate - which can be used in food production,” William Angleys, sales director at Cabosse Naturals tells Food Ingredients First.

“By using Cabosse Naturals’ upcycled cacaofruit ingredients in their applications, artisans and brands are also able to apply for an Upcycled Certified mark on packaging - the world's first mark certifying upcycled food in products– enabling consumers to make an impact-informed purchase and help prevent food waste.”

The ingredient range contains no preservatives, no additives and can help reduce the use of refined sugar, thus helping to have cleaner labels, he continues.

Non-alcoholic beer Cacao IPA was recently launched in the US.The company previously explored the fruit to formulate the “first” nutraceutical drink by leveraging the fruit’s flavanols for cardiovascular health.

Cacao drink innovation
The company’s recent report expects fermented beverages to gain traction this year, with cacaofruit fruit wine made from 100% pure cacaofruit being viewed as a potential drink to cater to consumers’ taste and sustainability demands.

“As consumers are searching for different and unique flavours, the fermented beverages manufacturers are craving for innovations that make sense for their brand, both on a taste level but also on a sustainability and social level,” Angley notes.

“And cacaofruit is definitely bringing these aspects: tasty with a subtle tanginess and fruity essence that provides a refreshing and intriguing contrast to traditional beer and wine, good for the planet as these ingredients are made from upcycled cacaofruit and with a positive social impact as it allows to increase the farmers’ income.”

Cabosse is reportedly already witnessing the trend, stating that there is an increase in both non-alcoholic drinks by 30% and alcoholic beverages by 70%.

“Pioneering brands have discovered the upcycled fruit. That’s why when looking at our pipeline and the trend reports, we expect for 2024 that the growth will continue and further grow by 135%,” says Angleys.

Recent launches include a non-alcoholic beer Cacao IPA, from Athletic Brewery in the US, the Cacoboa Wine and Pulpoca (seltzer) from Pulpa Mulpa in Switzerland, an alcoholic beer It’s All Good Imperial Latin Gose from Kehrwieder Brewery in Germany and a non-alcoholic alternative, the Acan’s Mallow Tree, which is a cacaofruit sour ale, from North Antwerp Brewery in Belgium. 

The Talking Heads — a cacaofruit sour — from Frontaal Brewery x Friandries Chocolates in Belgium and Melting Pod — a cacaofruit Sour Ale — from Coedo Brewery and Dandelion Chocolate in Japan are other examples.

In 2019,  Cabosse introduced a  food and drink category formulated with a range of 100% pure cacaofruit ingredients that are “good for me and good for the planet and its communities.” 

Addressing environmental concerns
Traditionally, the cacaofruit pulp is left on the beans to support fermentation — a crucial step in making chocolate. However, only 30% of the pulp is needed for this process; the major portion, including the juicy white flesh (the pulp) and a hard, thick peel, is wasted, destined to end up in landfills. 

Nearly 70% of the cacaofruit pulp is discarded while making chocolate.The remaining 70% was traditionally discarded, comprising the juicy white flesh (the pulp) and a hard, thick peel.

Alternatively, if all harvested cacaofruit was used to the fullest, it would reduce the same amount of CO2 as planting 3.5 billion trees per year – which is an area bigger than France and Germany combined, as per the Upcycled Food Association’s calculations.

Barry Callebaut's global research also pointed out consumers’ concerns about the environment and their health and preference for more natural products and ingredients. Almost 7 out of 10 (65%) surveyed consumers prefer products that minimize waste and use upcycled ingredients.

Wine and beer evolving
According to Anleys, there has been an increased interest from brands who are specialized in fermented drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

“We’ve seen introductions in leading beer markets such as the US, Belgium, Germany and Japan to name a few, and it is expected that this will continue to increase.”

On the wine side, it remains a recent trend but some successful launches were by the company in Switzerland, with more expected in Germany.

Cacaofruit beer is already launched in US, Belgium, Germany and Japan.“Cacaofruit’s zesty signature flavour is deliciously refreshing and brings complex notes and natural sweetness to the wine.”

Consumers are increasingly demanding fruit wines as they bring a much lighter taste, are easier to drink as they are very refreshing and address the demand of the Gen Z, he adds.

Projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.4% from 2021 to 2028, the wine has piqued the interest of researchers too.

For instance, Spanish research found that Trichloroanisole — a highly volatile organochlorine compound that migrates from corks to wine — is reportedly the reason behind the distinct “corked wine aroma.” The findings could help beverage manufacturers preserve wine quality by preventing organoleptic deterioration in the drink.

The way it is packaged matters to consumers as well, with experts pointing to the importance of investing in new technologies and processes to support the use of recycled materials in packaging. New labeling requirements for wines sold within EU member states also have strict penalties for non-compliance.

Last year, the wine industry faced some heat from the European Court of Auditors, which criticized the EU’s wine policy for not meeting its environmental and competitiveness objectives. The EU reportedly spent around €500 million (US$529.2 million) annually on improving vineyards without ensuring that the projects positively impacted the climate or market competitiveness.

By Insha Naureen