Cémoi has launched "Frenchoc Premium," a research program designed to develop premium chocolate for export.

The project is run in partnership with Lallemand, the world leader in the production and sale of yeast and bacteria for specialist markets, and Cirad, the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development.

The program aims to manage the aromatic profiles of products throughout the manufacturing process and to achieve the desired aromatic profile while maintaining the chocolate's premium quality. Using Cémoi's expertise in the cocoa sector, the project will strengthen the company's growth in major exports and meet the requirements of the American and Asian markets.

The project is built on a €2-million investment over 5 years. It is supported by European funds granted by the Languedoc-Roussillon Midi-Pyrénées Region as well as national funds through the Fonds Unique Interministériel, and accredited by the Qualiméditerranée competitiveness cluster.

"Frenchoc Premium" will allow Cémoi to redefine its offering to suit the requirements of major export markets. It will use Cémoi's expertise to conduct research meant to determine a new method for fermenting cocoa.

The studies will focus on two main points:

1.    Amassing knowledge of aromatic molecules by developing methods for identifying and quantifying them.

2.    Understanding the parameters that influence aromatic components of cocoa at the time of fermentation, which will lead to the creation of standardized procedures that create the desired aromatic qualities.

Building on the "Frenchoc Premium" project, Cémoi also intends to increase the volume of premium chocolate sold for export between 2018 and 2023.

In 2015 alone, the company produced 260,000 tons of chocolate generating €800 million in sales, 46 percent of which came from exports.

The "Frenchoc Premium" project will allow Cémoi to refine its practices and continue to develop premium products with the support of local businesses that have long traditions in chocolate-making.