Cargill rolls-out NextCoa series for the US confectionery market
NextCoa gained its formal launch at ProSweets in Cologne in January, and has now earned industry honours. Pic: Neill Barston
Having launched recently at ISM in Germany to notable acclaim, Cargill has extended its partnership with Voyage Foods for its NextCoa alternative to chocolate for the North American market, writes Neill Barston.
Confectionery Production was on hand for the roll-out in Cologne earlier this year, with the company moving to expand its portfolio in light of ongoing volatility with conventional cocoa markets in terms of supplies and pricing at origin within the international market.
The company, which is set to play its part in our World Confectionery Conference this September in London on 10 September with a focus on ingredients, has continue to push for key industry solutions.
Furthermore, as the company explained to our title, the NextCoa series adds to the company’s existing extensive range – though the team behind its development has been keen to stress that it has not been created as a direct replacement for its existing cocoa operations.
As the business explained, the product 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,” said 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 product also delivers measurable environmental benefits, including a 67% lower carbon footprint compared to conventional chocolate.*
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,” said 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.”
As the company confirmed, 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.
