Chocolate is no longer just a sweet treat, with the ingredient now appearing in applications from meat and bread to alcoholic beverages. The COVID-19 pandemic has also given a new twist to this space as people turn to cocoa’s mood-boosting properties. 

FoodIngredientsFirst speaks with experts from Kerry and Cargill about the current market conditions shaping the world of cocoa.

“Cocoa and chocolate have been used in many new applications over the years, ranging from sweet to savory. Now, chocolate is being increasingly used in exciting new applications that encompass both the savory and spicy palates,” says Coralie Garcia Perrin, global strategic marketing director at Kerry.

She notes that there aren’t many truly “new” innovative applications, given that a lot have already been fully explored. However, experimenting with new and unusual combinations and formats has never been more acceptable than it is today.

“There appears to be a renewed willingness by consumers to sample new and intriguing recipes – chocolate sauce for meat dishes is one very interesting example,” says Garcia Perrin.

Some examples of savory recipes using chocolate include chili con carne with dark chocolate; venison with chocolate and fig; and Mexican mole sauce. 

Philippe Bernay, commercial marketing lead EMEA at Cargill cocoa and chocolate, also observes new applications for chocolate and cocoa opening up. 

He illustrates this with the rise of cocoa powder as an ingredient for bread dough within gourmet channels in Japan.  

A sweeter sip
New applications for cocoa have also been seen in the alcoholic drink domain. Bernay is seeing chocolate flavored beer becoming more popular. It is particularly successful in darker beers such as stout, wher it delivers both appetizing flavor and color. 

“This further illustrates the ubiquitous nature of this multi-functional ingredient that benefits from a true natural advantage,” he states.

In addition to spotting chocolate in beer, Garcia Perrin also has seen it appear in soft drinks. For harder beverages, Kerry offers a chocolate extract called Chocolate Ext U09.

“This extract is designed to be used at around a 1 percent dose in beverage applications. It provides flavor notes such as ‘cocoa alcoholic,’ ‘cocoa liqueur’ and ‘rummy,’ as well as dried fruit tones and the always-loved vanilla.”

Mood-boosting offerings
Unsurprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic is significantly influencing the chocolate market. Garcia Perrin speculates that it is the reason for a surge of interest in chocolate in new applications. 

“The advent of COVID-19, with its associated lockdowns, has affected public eating habits by leading more consumers to take up creative cooking,” she explains. 

Conversely, some consumers are also turning to chocolate as a source of comfort in tumultuous times. Bernay explains that COVID-19 has led to greater consumer emphasis on mental health amid increased anxiety and concern about the pandemic’s financial and health impacts.

“This is now also being confirmed in the latest survey data, wher consumers said they have adopted a more holistic approach to their health, including mental and spiritual well-being. Two in five EU consumers say they are more focused on their mental health since COVID-19 began,” he details. 

Additionally, six in ten EU consumers have sought out mood-boosting foods more frequently in the last month due to COVID-19. 

“Chocolate is well known among consumers as a mood-boosting ingredient. In fact, proprietary European consumer research from early 2020 found that 63 percent of consumers to agree with the statement ‘I eat chocolate to improve my mood.’”

The number of consumers doing this was particularly high in the UK (80 percent), Germany (80 percent) and Belgium (78 percent).

Bernay also points to a host of research linking dark chocolate to reduced risks of depression. Garcia Perrin also says cocoa is associated with improved cognitive function, stress relief and mood management, particularly when consumed as dark chocolate.

However, Bernay stresses that for most consumers, chocolate is an indulgent treat that is not consumed for any reason apart from having something sweet and relaxing. 

“Nonetheless, the enjoyment and relaxation benefits that chocolate brings are undoubtedly important in themselves for improving the mood during these challenging times.”

Highlighting health benefits
While chocolate as a finished product usually contains added fat and sugar – making it appropriate as an indulgent treat in moderation – the pure ingredient contains a host of healthy compounds that are becoming increasingly well-known. 

Garcia Perrin notes that the perception of cocoa has evolved markedly in recent years. Previously, it was considered a “permissible indulgence,” but Kerry is now seeing more products targeted at exploring chocolate’s health benefits.

Notably, the ingredient is rich in polyphenols, catechins and epicatechins – all naturally occurring antioxidants. 

“Studies have also associated cocoa with heart health benefits such as reducing cholesterol and blood pressure, as well as blood glucose control. At Kerry, we even measure the level of catechins and epicatechins in some of our cocoa extracts,” she explains. 

Sugar reduction on the rise
Another way that the chocolate industry is appealing to the health-conscious crowd is by offering reduced sugar variants. In 2019, Cargill invested US$5 million in its Mouscron, Belgium, site to enhance its capabilities for producing chocolate with lower sugar levels.

“We created a sugar-reduced chocolate recipe using an optimized blend of sugar replacers, while still managing to get all the other elements like taste and texture right,” says Bernay. 

Stefan Vervliet, senior R&D specialist chocolate at Cargill cocoa and chocolate, adds that this was not without its challenges. 

“Sugar traditionally accounts for a large bulk of a chocolate product, but it also serves as a flavor carrier for the flavor particles. Removing the sugar and replacing it with something else therefore presents a big technical challenge, as you do not want to lose that flavor roundness or expression,” he explains. 

Cargill’s strategy is to work with natural fibers like inulin, which can serve as an alternative for calorie reduction without impacting taste and efficacy.

Naturality in focus
Another trend in the chocolate space is naturality. Cargill’s Gerkens cocoa powder range is set to expand its organic and clean label offerings soon.

Bernay explains that there is a growing demand for more clean label options that are lower in alkalization with reduced acidity.

“In this case, we have developed a new range, called GS, with a lower alkali content while still delivering the same flavor and color. On the back of this R&D success, we are now looking to develop an increased number of solutions to reduce the alkali content.”

Meanwhile, Garcia Perrin notes that many consumers are seeking natural flavors and extracts in chocolate applications.

“The challenge is to find a liposoluble extract to make them suitable for chocolate or biscuit filling. Another solution would be to aid chocolate in working as a non-soluble flavor or extract, perhaps by incorporating emulsification properties,” she concludes.