Australian ingredients company The Product Makers (TPM) has gone for the gold and isolated a sugarcane extract called Saccharum officinarum to create a golden chocolate. The company says that the extract can be used as a natural colorant but also has properties that create a better-for-you nutritional profile in chocolate.

The company sells its gold-colored extract under the brand name Phytolin Plus which is made with TPM’s patented Modulex ingredient as well as supplemental fiber and protein. TPM discovered this sugarcane extract that helps control blood glucose levels in 2018 through a research and development process that was partially funded by the Australian government.

According to the company, these extracts are also polyphenol-rich, high in anti-oxidants, rich in minerals/nutrients & potent anti-inflammatories. When used to make chocolate, which the company accomplished by introducing the natural colorant into white chocolate, the extract creates an end product that is comprised of 16% total sugar as compared to conventional white chocolate which is generally made up of 45% sugar. This golden formulation also increases the chocolate protein content from 10% to 13% and fiber from 12% to 14%, Confectionery News reported.

TPM’s sugarcane extract can function as a natural sweetener in addition to its function as a colorant due to the presence of sucrose, glucose and fructose in the extract that is derived from sugarcane’s natural sugars.

Golden chocolate is not a new phenomenon. Two years ago, Barry Callebaut released a golden caramel chocolate as a part of its premium Belgian chocolate range because “consumers are prepared to pay more,” according to market research cited by the company. Similarly, Nestlé Australia launched KitKat Gold in 2018 that featured wafers covered in gold tinged, caramelized chocolate. Nestlé also released Gold KitKat bars in Japan that were covered in gold leaf and retailed for $16 apiece.

By producing an extract that allows confectioners to create chocolate that can not only reach a higher market value among consumers but that can produce products with an improved nutritional profile, TPM may have hit the jackpot. Traditional junk foods have received a better-for-you makeover in recent years as consumers look for cleaner labels and healthier alternatives to the treats they are familiar with, The Wall Street Journal reported last year. If confectioners are looking to take advantage of this trend, TPM’s new golden extract may just hit the sweet spot.