Nestlé farming initiative targets enhanced use of cocoa fruit

An ambitious project from Nestlé has asserted major progress in devising a patented technique that reportedly enables 30% more usage of cocoa fruit in production processes, writes Neill Barston.

According to the company, it has asserted that its latest initiative has placed a strong emphasis on maintaining taste profiles, and is based on minimising waste while enhancing yield potential for crops.

The technique has targeted greater optimisation of farming process, enabling farmers to free-up time for other agricultural tasks.

Its latest processes have followed other manufacturers initiatives, including from Barry Callebaut and Koa, which have centred on efficient usage of entire cocoa fruit – which traditionally has seen around a third of each individual item discarded as waste.

As Nestle noted, traditionally, chocolate is made using only the cocoa beans that are extracted from inside the cocoa pod. The beans are harvested, fermented, dried, roasted, and then ground into a liquor, which is used to make chocolate. However, a significant amount of cocoa fruit, including the pulp, placenta, and pod husk, remains largely unused.

Subsequently, Nestlé’s R&D experts developed a patented technique that leverages all parts of the fruit inside the cocoa pod. In this novel, simplified method, everything inside the pod is collected as a wet mass, which ferments naturally, unlocking the key chocolate flavor. The mass is then ground, roasted and dried into chocolate flakes which can be used to make chocolate without compromising the taste.

Louise Barrett, Head of the Nestlé Research and Development Center for Confectionery in York, UK, welcomed the development. She said: “With climate change increasingly affecting cocoa yields around the world, we are exploring innovative solutions that could help cocoa farmers maximise the potential of their harvests. This groundbreaking technique utilises more of the fruit, while enabling us to provide delicious chocolate to our consumers. While this project is still at a pilot stage, we are currently exploring how to apply this innovation at a larger scale.”