Higher cocoa prices spur sweet innovationーNHK WORLD-JAPAN NEWS
Chocolate makers in Japan are facing tough times amid rising costs. Cocoa prices have surged following a poor harvest for the crop in West Africa. The higher costs have sent chocolate prices up about 40% in June compared to a year ago. The situation is seeing firms bringing new innovation to sweets. One way to cut the higher cost of cocoa is to go beyond the bean. A promising alternative is bo, a root vegetable common in Japanese cuisine. This company noticed roasted bo and chocolate share similar aromatic compounds. It was able to use bero to recreate the texture of chocolate and added sugar and other ingredients to match the taste. After a lot of trial and error, a new confectionary was born. It allows the company to avoid fluctuations in the price of cocoa. The firm says the product is high in fiber. It’s selling it at convenience stores targeting budget and healthconscious consumers. The product doesn’t use cocoa, but it’s similar to chocolate. We’d also like drugstores and supermarkets to carry it as a new kind of product. A major Japanese confectionary maker has also found an innovative way to keep prices steady. In Japan, chocolate is labeled based on its cocoa content. Products that are at least 35% from cocoa beans are called chocolate. Those with a minimum of 15% are categorized as semi chocolate. The company switched the category for about a third of its chocolate items, but this also reduced the fat. To keep the taste, it’s developed the new vegetable derived fat from sunflower and palm oil. The bowl on the left has fat from cocoa. The bowl on the right uses the new ingredient. The firm’s researchers were able to make it soften at body temperature, keeping that melt inyou mouth quality. That’s really important for chocolate. We’ve been able to keep that experience while holding cost down. We’ll continue pursuing both taste and affordability. The global price of cocoa has more than tripled in the last 3 years and is expected to remain high. It could mean more chocolate innovation is on the way.
Chocolate makers are facing tough times amid rising costs. Now some are going beyond the bean to find new ways of making sweets at palatable prices. #japan #business #chocolate
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