Puratos-owned chocolate brand Belcolade has unveiled what it describes as a ‘first of its kind’ plant-based white couverture.
Belcolade said the new product offers an ’outstanding taste profile and rich, creamy texture and a clean, white chocolate colour. The business added that it is free of coconut, nuts, soy and gluten, which are allergens typically found in other plant-based white options.
Puratos said its research had shown the number of consumers purchasing plant-based products has grown to 60% from only 36% in 2018. Research also revealed that a third of consumers would not consider buying plant-based options because of poor taste and texture, prompting the business to develop its plant-based chocolate.
“Our latest innovation is the result of a close collaboration between industry professionals and Belcolade chocolate experts,” said Youri Dumont, chocolate director at Puratos. “Creating this unique innovation consisted of trials of more than 50 ingredients in various combinations.”
He added that Belcolade plant-based white couverture had versatile properties allowing it to be formed into creative products without compromising on texture, appearance, or quality. This made it suitable for pralines, hollow figures, tablets, coatings, mousses, ganaches, dipping and flavouring.
The couverture is Cacao-Trace certified. Puratos said Cacao-Trace is the only sustainable cocoa sourcing program that focuses on premium taste while creating value for all, from cocoa farmers to consumers. It empowers farmers to obtain the highest possible income and to manage their plantations with great autonomy, added the business.
Belcolade last year launched So’Choc Cacao-Trace, which is a combination of fermented cocoa sourced through the Cacao-Trace program and fermented buckwheat. The business claimed the unique combination of fermented ingredients and a patented manufacturing process had achieved a “sensorial experience unmatched on the market”.
In Puratos’ own words, So’Choc is a 66% non-sweet dark chocolate, “offering subtle head notes of cereals to start, followed by powerful fruity heart notes with a spark of acidity in the mid-tasting experience, landing softly with round cocoa base notes for a pleasant lingering mouthfeel”.
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