Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate has launched a new cocoa powder, Gerkens CT70, to its cocoa powder brand Gerkens. The launch is specifically designed for baked goods and aims to create “consumer preferred” bakery products by “exceeding their expectations in aroma and chocolate taste.”

Gerkens CT70 was developed over nine months, Dick Brinkman, Technical Service Manager, Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate, tells FoodIngredientsFirst. “Initially, we ran customer and consumer surveys to understand how we could bring value to this category. This led us to the conclusion that there was a need for a cocoa powder which can deliver an outstanding chocolate aroma and taste as well as offering an appealing color.”

The research showed a significant consumer preference, in direct comparison with goods baked with some of the industry’s other best-selling cocoa powders. Baked goods prepared with Gerkens CT70 were chosen as the preferred product by the majority (54 percent) of consumers, with the overall preference for other products far behind at 24 percent and 21 percent, respectively, the company reports.

Consumers especially preferred the product made with Gerkens CT70 for its taste (51 percent) and its “chocolatey” smell (41 percent).

For baked goods food manufacturers Gerkens CT70 provides:

•    A genuine chocolate aroma and taste in baked products. 

•    An appealing red-brown color that reflects the sensory profile of the powder. 

•    Less complexity when baking – Gerkens CT70 can be used for both the body of chocolate cakes as well as the coating and filling, giving taste and aroma to both.

Brinkman expects the sweet bakery category to grow. 

“This will be driven mostly by the Asian market, but in mature markets like Europe or North America we are also expecting growth,” he notes. “While consumers’ tastes and expectations are changing, they still want their sweet baked goods to be indulgent. Gerkens CT70 responds to this by offering a true chocolate experience that will help our customers develop products their consumers enjoy.”

“We designed Gerkens CT70 with a focus on the bakery industry. We know this new cocoa powder brings a genuine chocolate taste and aroma to baked goods and are looking at how it may work in other categories,” he adds.

Ilco Kwast, Marketing Director Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate, concludes: “Ultimately it’s all about the taste – and we were delighted at the consumer response to baked goods made with CT70. Gerkens CT70 cocoa powder gives bakery products the chocolate taste and aroma that consumers prefer, making baked goods stand out from the competition by bringing a unique chocolate experience to consumers.”