Food tech startup Celleste Bio has made a groundbreaking achievement in the cocoa industry by becoming the first to produce cell-cultured cocoa butter. This milestone comes at a time when the industry is grappling with high chocolate prices and looking for sustainable solutions. According to a statement from the company, Celleste’s lab-grown cocoa butter is bio-identical to cocoa butter extracted from the bean and possesses the same texture and sensory qualities as premium chocolate.
The startup has already raised $15 million in funding, with support from snacking giant Mondelēz International, who has also been involved as a strategy and design partner. Celleste is now in the process of building a pilot facility to scale up production of its sustainable chocolate ingredients.
The rising costs of cocoa have forced major sweets companies like Hershey to increase chocolate prices and explore alternative ingredients or lab-grown options. While chocolate prices have recently started to decline due to improved weather conditions in Africa and increased production in Ecuador, long-term risks to cocoa supply remain due to factors such as climate change, crop disease, and aging trees.
To address these challenges, companies are turning to alternatives made from ingredients like wheat or soy that can partially replace cocoa in the chocolate-making process. For example, Ardent Mills has introduced a wheat-based solution that can replace up to 25% of cocoa powder in baked goods.
Celleste’s approach goes a step further by offering a replacement that mirrors the chemical and functional properties of chocolate. The technology is not intended to replace traditional farming practices but rather to serve as a safeguard against future disruptions in the cocoa supply chain, as explained by Howard Yano Shapiro, retired chief agriculture officer at Mars.
Cocoa butter plays a crucial role in chocolate production, providing the richness and melt-in-your-mouth sensation that consumers love. With chocolate manufacturers spending billions of dollars on cocoa ingredients each year, cocoa butter accounts for a significant portion of that expenditure. As Yano Shapiro emphasizes, finding sustainable solutions for cocoa production is essential for the industry’s future resilience.
In response to these challenges, companies like Nestlé have been investing in research and technology to maximize the use of cocoa fruit in chocolate production, thereby reducing waste and increasing efficiency. With innovative approaches and partnerships like those of Celleste Bio and Mondelēz International, the cocoa industry is taking steps towards a more sustainable and secure future for chocolate production.
