Barry Callebaut, one of the world’s largest chocolate and cocoa manufacturers, has announced a strategic investment and partnership with German food-tech startup Planet A Foods, marking a major industry shift toward cocoa-free chocolate alternatives. The move comes at a time when cocoa prices have reached historic highs due to failed crops and climate disruptions in West Africa.
Planet A Foods, founded in 2021, has rapidly gained traction for ChoViva, a cocoa-free chocolate alternative created using sunflower seeds, plant-based fats, sugar, and milk powder or sunflower seed flour. Designed to mimic the taste, aroma, and texture of traditional chocolate, ChoViva is already being used across bakery, confectionery, coatings, fillings, cereals, ice creams, and hollow figures.
ChoViva’s production involves a fermentation-style process followed by roasting and grinding, yielding a concentrate similar to cocoa powder—without the need for cocoa beans.
“Our goal has always been to scale ChoViva into a global ingredient platform,” said Dr. Maximilian Marquart, CEO and co-founder of Planet A Foods. “This equal partnership helps us do just that. With Barry Callebaut’s global footprint and capabilities, we can scale responsibly and bring more products to markets worldwide, faster than ever.”
A Timely Pivot Amid Cocoa Market Turmoil
Cocoa prices have been extremely volatile throughout FY25, surging from £5,332 ($6,917) per tonne to a peak of £9,425 before easing to £7,342 per tonne in late February. The primary cause: dramatically poor harvests in Ghana and the Ivory Coast, which together supply nearly 60% of the world’s cocoa.
Barry Callebaut has already been exploring alternative pathways. In April, the company announced plans to develop non-cocoa products through precision fermentation and increase sourcing from South America to diversify supply risks.
Signals a New Era for Chocolate and the Food Industry
This partnership underscores a broader shift in the global food sector where companies are increasingly turning to novel ingredients, fermentation-based platforms, and sustainable alternatives to combat supply chain instability.
The rise of cocoa-free and climate-resilient chocolate coincides with the food industry’s wider pivot toward:
Alternative fats and proteins
Low-emission ingredient innovation
Next-gen flavors for bakery, snacking, and dairy brands
Sustainable sourcing strategies to counter commodity volatility
As the world confronts climate-driven agricultural uncertainty, Barry Callebaut’s alliance with Planet A Foods marks one of the clearest signs yet that the future of chocolate may not depend solely on cocoa beans.