IngredientsCandy IndustryCandy Ingredients

Cargill, Voyage Foods release cocoa-free alternative

The confectionery ingredient uses plant-based ingredients.

Cargill, Voyage Foods release cocoa-free confectionery alternatives — Courtesy of Voyage Foods

Cargill and Voyage Foods are bringing NextCoa, an award-winning confectionery alternative to chocolate, to North America, starting in the U.S. The product reportedly delivers a chocolatey-like taste consumers expect without cocoa, using innovative ingredients and familiar chocolate-making processes.

“The NextCoa line is about expanding choice, not replacing chocolate but redefining what’s possible,” says Kojo Amoo-Gottfried, vice president and managing director of cocoa and chocolate for Cargill Food North America. “It unlocks a new way for manufacturers to create the flavors and indulgent experiences people love while building resilience into the food system.”

NextCoa confectionery alternatives to chocolate are crafted from plant-based ingredients like grape seeds, helping improve pricing stability and availability, the companies say. The product also delivers measurable environmental benefits, including a 67% lower carbon footprint compared to conventional chocolate, they add.

The cocoa-free offering is formulated without major allergens, free from dairy, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts, expanding options for both food manufacturers and consumers. It is also vegan, Kosher pareve, and Halal suitable.

NextCoa products combine Voyage Foods’ patented technology with Cargill’s supply chain scale to bring new food innovations to market.

“We built Voyage Foods to rethink how the world’s favorite foods are made,” says Adam Maxwell, CEO and founder of Voyage Foods. “With Cargill, we can scale that vision, making our approach to chocolatey-like foods accessible to even more manufacturers.”

In the U.S., the NextCoa line is available in Mild (milk-chocolatey-style) and Dark Mild (a blend of dark and milk chocolatey-like flavors) varieties. Formats are suited for a wide range of applications from inclusions in bars, baked goods, and ice cream to coatings for snacks and confectionery treats like truffles.

Through their commercial partnership, Cargill serves as the exclusive global business-to-business distributor for Voyage Foods. Cargill is working with regional partners Batory Foods, Blendtek, and Gillco Ingredients, an Azelis Company to supply U.S. customers and plans to expand to customers in Canada soon.