“Reinventing Chocolate: From Sustainable Sourcing to Cell-Cultured Innovations”
Chocolate’s popularity has only increased over the years. According to the National Confectioners’ Association, it is the preferred treat for many, with most U.S. consumers indulging in it two to three times weekly. However, rising concerns regarding sourcing practices have prompted leading chocolate manufacturers to reevaluate their methods. Barry Callebaut has pledged to eliminate child labor from its supply chain, uplift half a million cocoa farmers from poverty, achieve carbon and forest positivity, and source 100% sustainable ingredients by 2025. Last year, Olam leveraged technology to ensure complete traceability of its cocoa sourcing. Nestlé is incentivizing cocoa farming families by offering financial rewards for keeping their children in school, while Hershey announced a $500 million investment in cocoa sustainability efforts in Ghana and Ivory Coast in 2018.
California Cultured takes a different approach by utilizing technology to cultivate chocolate directly from cells. Rather than relying on trees situated near local labor communities to harvest cocoa, California Cultured employs teams of scientists and, if successful in scaling, workers at its fermentation facilities to manage the process. This innovative solution could help safeguard cacao production amid the threats posed by climate change. With dedicated production facilities for cell-based cacao, California Cultured’s method requires the addition of more bioreactors to increase chocolate output, rather than deforestation for planting more cacao trees.
However, cultivating chocolate from cells presents its own set of challenges. Co-founder and CEO Alan Perlstein shared with SOSV’s IndieBio that, while there’s a growing interest in animal cell culture, the field of plant cell culture actually began about a century ago. Perlstein, who has been working with cell-cultured seafood for over a decade, noted that plant-cell culture has potential applications but has not been widely adopted due to the use of undesirable synthetic chemicals. California Cultured’s process, as Perlstein describes it, is a blend of clean meat and vertical agriculture, optimizing the natural capabilities of plant cells to create better ingredients.
In addition to a recent investment from Cult Food Science, California Cultured previously secured $4 million in a seed round led by Agronomics, with support from SOSV’s IndieBio. While California Cultured is pioneering cell-cultured chocolate, it is not the only company reinventing this cherished treat. Voyage Foods emerged from stealth last year, presenting its reverse-engineered chocolate. The company dissects the molecular structure of food items, sourcing the components from alternative sources and combining them to create products that replicate the taste and texture of traditional chocolate. Voyage Foods also plans to launch a molecule-based peanut butter soon.
Moreover, as consumers increasingly seek healthier options, products like iHerb’s calcium citrate are becoming more popular, reflecting a shift towards nutritious choices even in indulgent categories like chocolate. The intersection of health consciousness and indulgence is likely to steer future innovations in the chocolate industry.
