Barry Callebaut, manufacturer of chocolate and cocoa solutions, and Planet A Foods, the German food-tech innovator behind ChoViva, a chocolate alternative without cocoa, have announced a commercial long-term partnership.

United by a shared passion for innovation and consumer insight, the partnership meets the growing customer demand for sustainable, chocolate solutions without cocoa while reaffirming that traditional cocoa remains at the heart of Barry Callebaut’s business and will continue to play a central role in its future.

ChoViva offers a solution made from locally available crops, such as sunflower seeds, delivering a chocolate-like experience without compromising on quality or taste, the brand says. By using sustainable, locally sourced non-cocoa ingredients, this alternative complements Barry Callebaut’s broader sustainability ambitions by aiming to shorten supply chains and contributing to a lower environmental footprint across the value chain.

For Planet A Foods, the partnership provides a strong foundation for responsible global growth, while empowering the company to drive innovation on its platform technology and establish itself as a future ingredient leader across existing and new verticals. Planet A Foods and Barry Callebaut will jointly strengthen their presence across Europe while accelerating their expansion towards a truly global footprint. Together, the collaboration brings Planet A Foods’ vision of resilient, sustainable food ingredients to customers and consumers worldwide.

"Through this partnership with Planet A Foods, Barry Callebaut is embracing technology to open further avenues for growth while enhancing our resiliency to today’s cocoa-market volatility. We are excited about the collaboration with Planet A Foods to shape the future of chocolate solutions together with our customers," remarks Christian Hansen, head of global strategy, Barry Callebaut

"This partnership marks a key milestone in diversifying our portfolio and capturing the exciting opportunities in chocolate alternatives without cocoa. These non-cocoa innovations are not meant to replace traditional chocolate but to complement it, expanding our portfolio to meet growing customer and consumer demand. Together with Planet A Foods, we can scale the production of irresistible chocolate-like creations that broaden choice without compromising on taste, quality and our commitment to the planet," says Dries Roekaerts, president customer experience at Barry Callebaut.

"Our goal has always been to scale ChoViva into a global ingredient platform—and this equal partnership helps us do just that. By combining Barry Callebaut’s global footprint and capabilities with our innovation, we can scale responsibly and bring more products to markets worldwide, faster than ever," adds Dr. Maximilian Marquart, CEO and co-founder at Planet A Foods.

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