The refreshing cacaofruit conquers the taste buds of consumers in new drinks and products around the globe

The delicious zesty cacaofruit satisfies the need of millennials and centennials for food and drinks to be tasty and nutritious, as well as be good for the planet and its people

From chocolate to health drinks, two years after the introduction of this new food & drink category, consumers around the world get a taste of the cacaofruit

By upcycling one of the most discarded fruits on the planet, the cacaofruit is the most effective fruit to prevent global warming

Since it is the most discarded fruit on the planet, most people do not know what a cacaofruit looks or tastes like – unless they live close to where the cacaofruit trees typically grow. That is about to change. Over the last two years, brands are introducing new products with fruit around the world, because a global cacaofruit expert has been able to master the process of cultivating and preserving the fruit to turn it into a delicious range of ingredients.

Composed of almost 20,000 different types of molecules, the seed of the cacaofruit is one of the most complex food substances on earth, but that is only  30 percent of the whole sweet and zesty cacaofruit. 

Driving impact with upcycled cacaofruit

Annually about 14 million tons of cacaofruit are harvested around the world. Whereas previously 70% of the cacaofruit was thrown away (as much as 10 million tons), now not only its seeds (beans) are used to craft chocolate but also the dried peel, and the fresh and juicy pulp are crafted into delicious ingredients.

The Upcycled Food Association calculates that if all harvested cacaofruit was used to the fullest, it would reduce the same amount of CO2 as planting 3.5 billion trees per year – which is an area bigger than France and Germany combined.

According to Project Drawdown, the global leader in ranking climate solutions, preventing food waste is the single most effective solution to prevent global warming. Making cacaofruit the most impactful fruit to fully upcycle. 

Introductions around the globe 

Two years after the introduction of the next-gen fruit category, consumer and artisan brands in North America, the UK, Europe, and Asia-Pacific are introducing cacaofruit in beverages. Beverages include cocktails, mocktails, beers, energy drinks, health drinks, but also in ice-cream, snacks and of course -a fruity- chocolate called WholeFruit chocolate, which has no added sugars and is made from 100% pure cacaofruit.

Japan, known for its innovative taste culture, offers cacaofruit ice creams from Minimal and Dandelion, and Godiva recently launched WholeFruit chocolate, along with their 100% pure cacaofruit juice.

In the US, one of the first brands to introduce the fruit in a consumer-facing product was Capao with cacaofruit snacks. They are part of the world’s largest snacking company Mondelēz International. Blue Stripes, which was recently launched in Whole Foods Market throughout the US introduced, a range of cacaofruit waters,  amongst others. BevCacao introduced a range of functional cacaofruit water and Xoca, a probiotics drink. 

In Europe and the UK cacaofruit waters are popping up such as Kokojoo and Pacha de Cacao. The brand Kayu takes it to the next level with an energy drink made from the cacaofruit pulp. But it does not stop there: in Germany, a non-alcoholic cocktail base Kiukiu is on the market. And it will also launch soon in the UK through a national retailer. Last year, Ritter Sport and Lindt launched a 100% pure cacaofruit bar. In Belgium, land of the craft beers, Acan introduced a fresh, sweet-sour and fruity beer consisting of 80% beer and 20% cocoafruit juice, all available to purchase across borders. 

Receiving praise for the ingredients and products

The cacaofruit ingredients of the global cacaofruit expert, Cabosse Naturals, received the “Sustainable Ingredient Award” at the 2021 Sustainable Food Awards for making a sustainable difference in terms of its environmental and/or social impact. They were also a finalist during the World Innovation Awards 2021 in the category ‘Most Innovative Ingredient’. 

The new type of chocolate Evocao™ WholeFruit, made possible by Cabosse Naturals, is the first ever made from 100% pure cacaofruit, and it was introduced by Cacao Barry across the globe in 2021. The pioneer in fine flavor cacao and chocolate since 1842,  this year received the World Food Innovation Award for ‘Best Artisan Product’ for its strong proposition: tasty, good for the planet and its people. 

Another innovation made possible with the cacaofruit is the first nutraceutical fruit drink Elix, made from 100% pure cacaofruit. Due to the high amount of preserved cacaofruit flavanols, the fruit drink has an EFSA health claim. Promoting circulatory health. Elix was a finalist at the 2022 World Food Innovation Awards in the category ‘Best health or wellness drink’. 

The Belgian Chocolatier Vandenbulcke won the golden award in 2022 at the ISM, the world's leading trade fair for sweets and snacks. The jury reviewed hundreds of products, but awarded Vandenblucke for its unique taste and innovative upcycled character. 

Their innovative praline called ‘Cabosse’ has a unique filling of upcycled cacaofruit pulp, the delicious white flesh that surrounds the cacaofruit seeds. And will be available to consumers as of May 2022.