Rising interest in the quality of food is turning more and more everyday consumers into discerning foodies. They are increasingly demanding full transparency and provenance that takes them all the way back to the country of origin. It all means that an ingredient’s back story is often more important than the ingredient itself.

As a result of this origin trend, food & beverage manufacturers are taking great efforts to highlight the countries wher the cocoa-based ingredients, spices and fruit in their products are sourced from. There is a particularly strong trend towards traceability within the cocoa and chocolate sector, wherby cocoa-based ingredients (liquor & powder, not butter) are all being traced back to the country of origin.

For the cocoa and chocolate segment, this trend is leading to the increased calling out of percentages of cocoa, even within white chocolate. As a result, we’re seeing the marketing of cocoa from Venezuela, Caribbean, Peru, Cuba, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Bali, Amazon, Tanzania, Honduras, Philippines etc., and of course the dominant countries for cocoa sourcing: Ghana and Ivory Coast.

Gerkens® AM70: A journey to Ivory Coast

Cargill is always at the forefront of trends, with a solutions-driven portfolio that includes the Gerkens® Cacao range of high quality, consistent, and reliable cocoa powders. Recognizing today’s origin trend, we recently introduced Gerkens® AM70, a medium reddish-brown cocoa powder from Ivory Coast. This solution is created with beans originating from this West African country. Since the powder is produced at our factory in Ivory Coast, it is fully traceable back to the country level.

Single origin Gerkens® AM70 offers a unique flavor profile that’s determined by Ivory Coast soil, climate and farmer knowhow. It delivers a nice chocolatey and mild taste, but with the trending fruity flavors of Ivory Coast like tropical fruits, sour berries and raisins. Its delightful and recognizable flavor and applications versatility make it the perfect solution for end-products to stand out, in anything from confectionery, to bakery, beverages, and even dairy. The latter is a particularly interesting application for AM70, as dairy is by far the most sensitive application when it comes to sensory.

Sensory voyages of discovery

The Gerkens® portfolio serves a large range of applications in the market. Each product in the extensive range has its own characteristics, depending on their origin and manufacturing. The combination of these characteristics with our customers applications makes for a unique product. But whatever cocoa powder our customers are considering for their next application, the dedicated and knowledgeable team of Gerkens® Cocoa Engineers helps take their products to the next level.

Consumers are becoming more demanding when it comes to taste and origin. New and innovative solutions like Gerkens® AM70 will help take your consumers on a sensory voyage of discovery.