photo #7552354

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a novel type of chocolate that utilizes the entire cocoa fruit, enhancing its nutritional value and sustainability compared to conventional options. This innovative chocolate replaces powdered sugar with cocoa fruit jelly, significantly reducing sugar content while increasing fiber levels. The study, led by emeritus professor Erich Windhab and in collaboration with the start-up Koa and Swiss manufacturer Felchlin, aimed to maximize the use of cocoa fruit, which has been largely underutilized.The team conducted extensive testing to achieve the right balance between sweetness and texture, finding that up to 20% of gel can provide equivalent sweetness to traditional chocolate with much less sugar. This new cocoa-fruit chocolate contains 15 grams of fiber and only 23 grams of saturated fat per 100 grams, compared to 12 grams and 33 grams in typical dark chocolate, respectively.The approach not only promotes healthier chocolate but also offers small-scale farmers additional income streams by allowing them to sell various components of the cocoa fruit.While promising, the widespread production of this chocolate will require adjustments throughout the supply chain. ETH Zurich has filed a patent for this recipe, marking a significant step toward sustainable chocolate production.Paper Title: Valorisation of Cocoa Pod Side Streams Improve Nutritional and Sustainability Aspects of ChocolateAuthors: Kim Mishra et al.Journal: Nature Food