Turning The Cacao Harvest Into More Than Chocolate
There are many potential pathways for innovation in the food and beverage sector, but one strategy that is particularly positive from both an economic and sustainability perspective is to find uses for components of the harvested crop that haven't previously been utilized. A list of candidate crops for this concept has been published by the Good Food Institute. When this sort of potential can be developed it not only adds to the total crop value, but it increases the overall resource-use-efficiency in terms of land, water, fuel and other inputs for the growing process. For most of the major commodity crops virtually all of potential co-products and 'side-streams' are being captured and sold (see the examples for corn and soybeans). For many other crops it would be quite challenging to develop the processes, logistics and business structures that would be needed to fully use the harvest. That is why it is encouraging to see an example of this kind of innovation being applied to Cacao - the crop that provides the world with one of our favorite flavors - chocolate.
Cacao is harvested as pods, only 30% of which are the beans used to make chocolate flavoring (Photo ... More By).
Cacao is a tropical tree crop that produces large pods. The seeds within those pods are commonly called 'beans' and they comprise only 30% of the harvested weight. The other 70% is a combination of a fibrous 'skin' and a white pulp material.
A split Cacao pod showing the fibrous skin and the white pulp which covers the "beans"
Typically, none of the pulp or skin is used to make commercial products and the focus has been on the steps necessary to extract, clean and ferment the valuable 'beans.' That flavoring is then combined with other ingredients to achieve the sweetness, 'mouth feel' or other organoleptic features of the chocolate experience.
Two companies at the opposite ends of the chocolate value chain independently initiated projects with the goal of more fully utilizing the Cacao harvest. One was started by an entrepreneur named Oded Brenner who had run a successful restaurant business in the US but who sold that and decided to move into a new category. He was inspired by seeing whole Cacao pods in fresh fruit markets in South America and set out to develop a network of beverage shops to sell products made from frozen Cacao components. Oded co-founded Blue Stripes with Aviv Schweitzer in 2018 to develop this business, but during the COVID pandemic they ended up shifting to a consumer packaged goods (CPG) model for sale at grocery retail.
A crew harvesting Cacao pods
Meanwhile a Cacao plantation owner in Ecuador was independently experimenting with the logistics and processing steps to turn the previously un-used parts of Cacao pods into consumable products. Throughout history the Cacao industry has faced severe pest issues, particularly in terms of plant diseases. In 1965 a new Cacao cultivar called CCN51 was developed which had resistance or tolerance to three major diseases and which has four times the yield of the traditional cultivars. That reinvigorated the Cacao industry in several countries. There is some controversy about the quality of chocolate from CCN51 but that can be addressed by the details of the fermentation process and/or by blending. CCN51 is clearly the most attractive option for growers because there are not significant premium price options for the other types.
To fully utilize the harvested pods, the plantation had to work out new steps and facilities for harvesting, handling, refrigeration, temporary storage (6 days for some steps), processing details and bottling/packaging line in order to utilize the pulp and skins. The plantation made the substantial investment required for this change to what could be called a 'Cacao winery.'
Since Blue Stripes was sourcing their initial frozen ingredients from Ecuador, the two innovators ended up being introduced. That led to the formation of a partnership spanning production through marketing.
The Cacao Water pressed from the pulp is then flavored with other fruits
When the pods are harvested the beans are extracted from the pulp which is then pressed and pasteurized to generate Cacao Water – a novel, tart flavored liquid.
THe solid portion of the pulp is dried to make gummies
The solid material from the pulp is made into 'gummies' or put into a trail mix. The fibrous skin of the pod is ground and turned into a pasta-like product or a bread flour. This full set of products from the Cacao pods delivers its full 'superfood' content including minerals (magnesium and potassium), vitamins B, C and D, powerful antioxidants, electrolytes and dietary fiber. These components can be linked to many potential health benefits.
The outer husk of the Cacao pod can be used to make a pasta
Blue Stripes launched their Cacao-based products in 2022, and they are currently available at all Whole Foods stores throughout the US. Retail level sales now exceed $10 MM per year and initial consumer interest suggests significant growth potential.
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