Puratos USA adds sustainable Amber caramel chocolate to its lineup

Company: Puratos USA

Ingredient Snapshot: Puratos USA has announced the newest jewel in their real Belgian Chocolate portfolio for chocolatiers, bakers, and confectioners: Belcolade Selection Amber Cacao-Trace.

As the name implies, Amber chocolate features a bright and warm color with a rich flavor experience that starts with a naturally salted-butter caramel boost and finishes with sweet cooked and creamy milk notes. Just like the gem, it is also all natural, clean label, non-GMO, with no artificial flavors; it is given time to express taste at its fullest through a slow and gentle conching process. As a result, it offers a complex bouquet and long-lasting caramel taste.

The product is made with sustainably sourced cocoa beans from Puratos’ unique Cacao-Trace sustainability program, which uses expert fermentation techniques to produce superior chocolate and rewards its cocoa farmers with a Chocolate Bonus of $0.05 per lb. of sold. This can add up to 1 to 2 months of additional salary for the farmers.

As Jaina Wald, vice president marketing, explained, “the expanding Belcolade Selection range is special because we can explore flavor innovation and meet the needs of consumers who are looking for unique indulgent experiences and high-quality ingredients. Taste is a crucial factor in the decision-making process when buying baked goods and confectionery products and consumers want to be wowed by all their senses.”

It’s good timing, as the country looks to familiar flavors with a twist. According to research provider Innova, caramel is the 3^rd most popular flavor in confectionery and expected to achieve 7 percent growth through 2025.

Amber is expertly crafted for use in a wide variety of applications, including thin to thick enrobing, molding, panning, mixed as a filling, mousses, ganaches, and more.