ChoViva gains major private label deal in the wake of ISM success
Planet A Foods has gained a major distribution deal for its latest chocolate alternative range. Pic: Planet A
Fresh from claiming an innovation award at ISM, Planet A’s ChoViva sustainable chocolate alternative made with oats and sunflower seeds, is set to be made available in selected private label products from Rewe and Penny stores within Germany, writes Neill Barston.
The brand, which was originally known as Nocoa, and has evolved into its latest form over the past year, gained the attention of judges at this year’s major confectionery show in Cologne which concluded last week, with the business praised for its sustainability goals.
Significantly, the business said it had targeted a key goal of saving 500 million tons of CO2 annually, and is in discussion with additional trading partners, and is set to continue its expansion with planned launches in the UK.
In terms of its latest deal, the Rewe Group is the first food retailer in Europe that chooses to incorporate ChoViva into its own established and high-selling products. This demonstrates that the Munich-based startup Planet A Foods has developed a sensory equivalent product to cocoa as an ingredient.
As the company noted, the move signifies a significant step towards the mass market for the food manufacturer Planet A Foods and reflects the growing interest in the sustainable chocolate alternative.
“With the combination of delicious taste, an attractive price point, and sustainability, we were able to quickly convince the REWE Group to launch confectionery with ChoViva,” says co-founder and CEO Maximilian Marquart. He added: “This launch not only highlights the strong interest of retailers in our cocoa-free chocolate, but also signals that our ChoViva has successfully entered the mass market.”
As a B2B company for the production of sustainable, future-proof food ingredients, Planet A Foods sets its strategic focus on both branded and private label products. Only with high-selling products a relevant ecological impact can be achieved.
Rewe and Penny are the first trading partners that Planet A Foods has won over. Thanks to their innovation and speed, several private label products with ChoViva will be launched from mid-February, with some being permanently available nationwide and others as limited-time promotional items.
“ChoViva convinced us immediately – both in terms of quality as an ingredient and its benefits for nature, climate, resource conservation, and raw material availability,” says Marcel Weber, Managing Director
of National & International Private Label Goods at the REWE Group.
Planet A Foods collaborated closely with manufacturers in the product development to present balanced products to the REWE Group. Co-founder Sara Marquart highlights, “We are proud that our partners seamlessly integrated ChoViva into their existing chocolate production. We conducted plant trials in close cooperation with our partners and hence were able to offer Rewe and Penny a range of products at a fast pace.”
