Cacao Barry, by Barry Callebaut, releases WholeFruit chocolate, made from cacaofruit

Company: Barry Callebaut

Ingredient Snapshot: In 2019, Barry Callebaut embarked on a collaborative journey together with 30 pastry chefs and chocolate makers from around the world to explore the perfect expression of WholeFruit Chocolate for chefs and artisans. And here it is: the first expression of a unique couverture chocolate made from 100 percent pure cacaofruit: WholeFruit Evocao.

Millennials and centennials, but also older generations, earnestly want to live a happy, healthy life, in symbiosis with the world around them. They want chocolate that is tasty, good for them and good for the planet. WholeFruit chocolate responds perfectly to this need: a fresh, fruity taste, 40 percent less sugar than the most consumed dark chocolates, and made from 100 percent pure cacaofruit—a fruit of which 70 percent is normally discarded as waste.

To achieve this, Cacao Barry partners with Barry Callebaut's brand Cabosse Naturals, who upcycles the pulp and peel into a range of 100 percent pure cacaofruit ingredients. Cabosse Naturals collaborates closely with local cacaofruit farming communities in Ecuador, who are part of the Cocoa Horizons sustainability program, to source the highest quality fruits. Through this collaboration, the time between harvesting and processing the fresh cacaofruit into ingredients has been shortened to no more than 5 hours. Freshly harvested cacaofruit is essential to preserve the fresh fruity taste and nutrients of the fruits that distinguish WholeFruit chocolate.

"WholeFruit, the new type of chocolate, reflects a profound change in the way cacaofruit is perceived and used, and also in the way chocolate is made. It brings to life the common desire of farmers, chefs and consumers to leverage nature for completely new and unforgettable taste experiences," says Dries Roekaerts, global gourmet VP, Barry Callebaut Group.

WholeFruit’s natural acidity and fruity notes, reminiscent of exotic fruits, make it a powerful chocolate without comparison with what is available on the market today. For the first time, consumers can enjoy all the flavors and natural freshness of the cacaofruit.

Cacao Barry’s WholeFruit Evocao is the first signature expression of WholeFruit chocolate, and other exciting flavor profiles will follow as of 2022. The WholeFruit Evocao chocolate is now available in limited quantities for professional artisans in France, the UK, Italy, Canada, the U.S., Brazil, and Japan. From December 2021, its distribution will be progressively extended to other countries.

WholeFruit Evocao intends to be the first chocolate worldwide that qualifies for the Upcycled Certified mark, which will be implemented this year in the United States by the Upcycled Food Association. This helps consumers to make conscious choices and have a positive impact on the environment they appreciate so much.

Barry Callebaut's global brand Cacao Barry, founded in 1842 and deeply rooted in its French pastry heritage, is a favorite among creative chefs in more than 90 countries and renowned for its wide offering of fine flavor chocolates. Its cacaofruits and beans are carefully selected from plantations in Latin America, Africa, and Asia and are 100 percent sustainably sourced.