KEY INTERVIEW: Barry Callebaut Eyes 3D Printing Technology and Heat Stable Chocolate

11 May 2015

11 May 2015 --- For chocolate makers around the world, the name Barry Callebaut is synonymous with quality and innovation in the industry. As a leading multinational cocoa buyer, which buys some 20% of all the cocoa beans grown worldwide, Barry Callebaut is a leader in innovation and setting the trends that all chocolate lovers follow. Peter Boone, Chief Innovation and Quality Officer at Barry Callebaut spoke to FoodIngredientsFirst about 3D printing and creating a heat stable product for hotter climates.

Innovation in chocolate is all about telling a story, making the act of eating chocolate an experience. For many people around the world, chocolate is an experience, to be enjoyed without guilt. Chocolate, however mainstream it becomes, will remain a luxury and while the small, artisan chocolate makers lead the trends, the mass producers will follow and ensure that some niche products become mainstream. Recent trends have seen caramel inclusion change the chocolate experience, as well as coloured chocolate.

So what is new?
“3D printing of chocolate remains a challenge, but it is becoming increasingly popular. Why? Well, while chocolate sits in most consumer cupboards, the opportunity to differentiate yourself becomes harder,” says Boone. “Personification is big at the moment. We see that in the demand for color, texture, and 2D printing. I am therefore sure that 3D printing will be in demand when we can do it in a scaled up way."

The health trend shows no signing of abating either, although Boone still thinks that chocolate is first and foremost an indulgent treat.

With the current focus on health over-riding many food manufacturers’ new product development choices, Boone doesn’t think that chocolate will suffer in the same way as some of its high fat/sugar/salt counterparts.

“The reason is that people want to eat chocolate as a treat or reward. When eaten in moderation, chocolate can fit a healthy diet and they don’t need to compromise on taste or texture, generally,” explains Boone. “From my point of view, we won’t see the demand for chocolate reducing, rather a demand for a smaller, more sensorial complex product increasing."

"If the demand for a healthy alternative remains, however, then of course Barry Callebaut has a solution. In the near future we will achieve chocolate products with 30-40% calorie reduction. It will come from a combination of less fat and less sugar. This is where our patented fat reduced product can be used. Through breakthrough in our processing capability we can produce chocolates with reduced fat, and therefore reduced calories. An additional advantage of this new product is that it is more heat stable and therefore can be used in temperature challenged supply chains or hot climates."

The one market where fat reduction is inevitable is in Asia, but this is largely by default. “In developing a more heat stable product, we remove some of the fat to make the chocolate more resistant to warm weather. We need to tailor our chocolates anyway to local taste and preferences as most people in Asia are only recently introduced to chocolate as we know it in Europe and are not so keen on our sweet, milky variety.”

So a reduced fat, heat stable product could suit the Asian market perfectly. And in terms of health benefits, it is Japan that leads the world in the demand for a chocolate product that is rich in nutrition.

“In the process of finding out all that we can about our cocoa bean, we have discovered a rich product with great taste, color and, it appears, potential health benefits. A cocoa bean is rich in flavonoids, which we found could be destroyed in the production process. However, if you source the beans carefully and process them properly, you can develop chocolate product which is high in flavonoids that promote elasticity of the blood vessels, leading to reduced cardiovascular disease risk. We received permission from the European Commission to market its benefit as an official health claim."

Boone does think that the trend for chocolate with nutritional benefits will remain a niche and it will be bigger in drinks than any other form of chocolate delivery, simply because chocolate is not bought as a health item.

Sustainability is the word on everybody’s lips right now and when you’re dealing with a crop from source in countries that suffer from poor farmer relations, it is important to keep ahead of the times with a plan for the farmers and the supply chain. Boone is confident that Barry Callebaut is doing all it can to provide the most sustainable process.

“We are working very closely with farmers to ensure that they are educated, along with their families; this leads to a better understanding of how to treat the environment and how to get the most from the land that the farmers work on.

“Consumers want an honest product with as few ingredients as possible. This is evident from the clean label trend, which demands premium desirable products, with a clear discussion on how the product is sourced.”

Ultimately, it is the niche artisan producer that will decide the trends of the future. When this small chocolatier has a successful product, that product will soon become mainstream and large chocolate confectionary producers will want to find ways to replicate that success. This has already been seen with trends such as color and caramel in chocolate products in recent years, and will continue with 3D printing in the future.

“Just a few months ago, nobody was offering 3D printing for chocolate products. But the trend has really picked up and it will become more common in the coming years,” predicts Boone.

But while innovation in any industry is important, Boone is keen to promote the simplicity of good, honest chocolate, with a melting point in the mouth that releases all the aroma that makes the difference between a mediocre product and a true eating experience.