Turkish confectionery group Altinmarka partners with Koa sustainable cacao ingredients
Cacaonly launch event - (L-R) Dilara Altınkılıç Kutmangil (CEO, Detay Gıda), Anian Schreiber (CEO, Koa), Semin Balçık (Executive Assistant, Altinmarka), Kaan Altınkılıç (CEO, Kahve Dünyası) (1) copy.jpg
Turkish-based confectionery group, Altinmarka has launched a new product series, including an innovative sustainable chocolate, after forging an ingredients partnership with ethically-focused Swiss firm Koa, writes Neill Barston.
As the company explained, it has used upcycled cocoa fruit supplying natural sweetened for the new series, known as, Cacaonly, which is set to be made available across European markets.
The new line is produced in the EU and Turkey, though is being made available as a couverture or global industry chocolate makers, and as a bar for consumers through Kahve Dünyası cafe chain in Turkey.
With a wide range of stores around the globe, it has launched the Cacaonly iced beverage is made with cocoa fruit juice, which gives it a tropical and lychee-like taste. The low-calorie drink has no added sugar, additives, or preservatives. A powdered-inspired version of the drink has also been launched by Altinmarka.
With the versatility of cocoa fruit as a sweetener, textural element, and sustainable ingredient in foods and beverages, Altinmarka is set to expand the Cacaonly product line, introducing more offerings.
To source its cocoa fruit ingredients, Altinmarka partners with Koa, a Swiss-Ghanaian scale-up that works with over 5,000 smallscale farmers in Ghana. By upcycling cocoa fruit pulp, Koa pays farmers in Ghana an additional income stream from cocoa, which farmers use to invest in their farms and improve their livelihoods.
‘Cacaonly is a testament to the power of partnership,’ says Anian Schreiber, CEO and Co-Founder of Koa. ‘By unlocking the full potential of the cocoa fruit, we’re proving that innovation and sustainability don’t have to be at odds—they can go hand in hand. Together with Altinmarka and Kahve Dünyası, we’re not just making chocolate and beverages; we’re rewriting the playbook for the cocoa industry—one that lifts farmers up and creates a more delicious, responsible future for all.’
