ChoViva cocoa-free chocolate unveils latest oat muesli series
Siblings, Doctors Sara and Max Marquart have created Nocoa. Pic: Planet A
Innovative cocoa-free chocolate business Planet A Foods is using its newly created ChoViva brand for the first time in three new Kölln oat mueslis, as the business carves out a space for its ventures in a fast-rising new segment, writes Neill Barston.
The German-based firm is launching its latest product flavours in the form of vegan Crunchy Waffle, Crunchy Hazel and Crunchy Berry, all containing pieces of its eco-friendly lab-developed chocolate alternative.
Known as th #VeganChocstars, the new product series is set to be made available exclusively in participating REWE stores throughout Germany from mid-September 2023.
As the business explained, thanks to its short supply chains, up to 90% less CO2 is reportedly expended in the production process than with chocolate. Because oats are naturally sweet, ChoViva requires up to 30% less sugar than conventional chocolate.
The brand, which was until recently developed under the name of Nocoa, came into the spotlight this April at the 2023 edition of ProSweets, where the company’s scientifically trained founders, brother and sister Max and Sara Marquart focused on the company’s plans to develop alternatives to conventional chocolate bar ranges.
Notably, as an alternative to cocoa, ChoViva is sold to the confectionery industry. This is because the cocoa supply chain faces numerous challenges such as rising demand, climate change, limited arable land and social issues that affect production costs and make supply scarcer. ChoViva by Planet A Foods helps to relieve this strained supply chain and establishes a sustainable alternative alongside cocoa. The aim is to alleviate the burden on the environment, to preserve cocoa as a precious raw material and to ensure that everyone can continue to enjoy delicious chocolate in the future without depleting our planet’s resources.
In terms of its flavour profile, the business explained that ChoViva has a melt-in-the-mouth indulgent character while being much more sustainable than conventional chocolate. Instead of relying on cocoa beans, the new brand uses regional oats and sunflower seeds.
Sara Marquart, Co-Founder and CTO of the company, explains: “The taste and aroma of chocolate come from fermentation and roasting, not from the raw cocoa bean itself. By processing oats and sunflower seeds similar to cocoa, ChoViva gets a chocolatey aroma and flavour profile without any cocoa at all.” Through the new and much shorter supply chains and the avoidance of rainforest clearances, the Planet A Foods company is building an alternative supply chain that reduces dependence on cocoa from tropical regions. Another positive effect: the production of ChoViva uses up to 94% less water, produces up to 90% less CO2 than conventional chocolate production and contains only natural ingredients.
out the collaboration with Peter Kölln, Planet A Foods Co-Founder and CEO Maximilian Marquart comments: “We are proud to work with a well-known company like Peter Kölln, which has been driving innovative solutions for a more sustainable food industry for years. ” Manfred Vondran, CEO of Peter Kölln asserts: “With our products, we want to make it easier for people to eat in a resource-saving and climate-friendly way and thus make their contribution to a better future. We achieve this by using the great potential of regional oats and other plant-based raw materials. Our three new oat muesli varieties, #VeganChocstars, made with the chocolate alternative ChoViva, are a real innovation on the cereal shelf and support our goal to drive the nutritional turnaround with plant-based products.”