Cargill is bringing a cocoa-free chocolate alternative called NextCoa to the U.S. market in partnership with Voyage Foods, betting that price and supply stability will accelerate adoption of plant-based substitutes in North America.
The ingredient uses grapeseeds and sunflower seeds to mimic the taste, texture, smell and look of traditional chocolate, according to Mia Divecha, senior product line specialist at Cargill. Grapeseeds can be upcycled from beverage processing, and sunflower seeds are less volatile than cocoa as a commodity.
Why chocolate makers are looking elsewhere
Cocoa prices hit record highs last year as climate challenges in West Africa disrupted supply. The volatility has pushed confectionery makers to rethink formulations and reduce cocoa dependency. Cargill holds exclusive distribution rights to Voyage's products and added a 284,000-square-foot facility in Mason, Ohio, to expand domestic supply.
"Some of these commodities, especially ones that have big supply chains, global supply chains, [we're] rethinking that to say, can we domestically source some of these products," Divecha said.
Market momentum in Europe, expansion to North America
European food makers have moved faster on chocolate alternatives than their U.S. counterparts. Nestlé became the first major food company to sell a chocolate product with alternative cocoa ingredients in March, using Choviva's sunflower seed-based substitute in a snack sold in Germany. Mondelēz recently tested Celleste Bio's cell-cultured cocoa-butter, positioning the startup to scale production within two years.
Cargill has seen demand increase for cocoa-free products across Europe and expects that momentum to translate to North America. The company says the NextCoa formulation has a 67% lower carbon footprint than traditional chocolate and is free from common allergens including dairy, soy, peanuts and tree nuts.
What manufacturers can use it for
NextCoa comes in mild and dark varieties and can be used in food bars, baked goods, ice cream and confectionary coatings. The ingredient is manufactured in the U.S., which sidesteps some of the supply constraints that plague traditional cocoa.
Barry Callebaut, the world's largest chocolate maker, announced its own cocoa-free alternative called ChoViva, signaling broader industry movement toward chocolate substitutes.