Barry Callebaut Group, the same company that debuted a new fourth kind of chocolate back in 2017 called ruby chocolate, has just unveiled another new chocolate type that is a game changer in respects to sustainability and nutrition. Dubbed WholeFruit chocolate, this new type utilizes 100 percent of the cacao fruit.

For context, chocolate producers have used just 30 percent of the cacao fruit, which for the most part were the seeds or beans. The rest of the fruit, along with the husk and juice were junked and thrown out. "We take everything that's in the fruit and utilize it in different products which are fresh and fruity," commented Peter Boone, Barry Callebaut president and CEO of the Americas."

Boone continues, "It's also nutritious as we take advantage of all the nutrients in the cacao fruit. We have a bold commitment to work with smaller chocolate farms around the world. We want to pull them out of poverty by working with them on how to create, in the end, the farm of the future. Part of that is using the whole fruit of the cacao from their farms. So overall, we hope this brings prosperity to smaller farms as well as reduce the risk of child labor and puts less pressure on the forests affected by chocolate production."

As the issue of sustainability in various retail sectors has inserted itself in the forefront of concern, as well as the public being more aware of their own consumption habits, WholeFruit chocolate's hopes to address such concerns are a step in the right direction. Barry Callebaut's Forever Chocolate initiative ensures to fulfill that plan.

In terms of taste, with the whole cacao fruit being used, the chocolate yielded a flavor akin to dark chocolate, with a fresh, fruitier complexity to it. The milk chocolate variety of the WholeFruit had the same similar characteristics in flavor, but with a more velvety texture and mouthfeel.

With regard to availability, 30 of the world’s top chocolatiers, pastry chefs, and artisans will have access to WholeFruit in May 2020. A wider launch for industrial producers is anticipated in 2021, with public retail soon thereafter.