Barry Callebaut partners with Planet A Foods to expand chocolate alternatives without cocoa

Barry Callebaut has entered a long-term commercial partnership with Planet A Foods, the German food-tech company behind ChoViva, as demand for chocolate alternatives without cocoa continued to grow. Announced on 5 November 2025, the agreement brought together Barry Callebaut’s global reach and Planet A Foods’ technology platform, while reaffirming that conventional cocoa would remain central to Barry Callebaut’s business.

The collaboration followed a period of volatility in global cocoa markets, prompting manufacturers to explore diversified approaches to product development. Barry Callebaut described the partnership as part of its wider innovation strategy and said its goal was to respond to shifts in customer expectations without losing focus on traditional cocoa-based products. The company said it intended to use the partnership to broaden its range of chocolate solutions while maintaining quality and taste standards.

ChoViva, developed by Planet A Foods, is produced from locally available crops such as sunflower seeds and offers a chocolate-like experience without cocoa. The ingredients used in ChoViva are sourced from shorter, more localized supply chains, an approach both companies said could help reduce environmental impact across the value chain. Planet A Foods positioned the ingredient not as a substitute for chocolate but as an additional option for manufacturers seeking new formats or more sustainable choices.

For Planet A Foods, the partnership provided an opportunity to scale its technology through Barry Callebaut’s footprint, capabilities, and customer network. The company said the agreement strengthened its ability to develop new applications and enter additional product categories while continuing to expand across Europe and into global markets.

Christian Hansen, Head of Global Strategy at Barry Callebaut, said the company viewed the partnership as an opportunity to address recent challenges in the cocoa market while developing new avenues for growth. “Through this partnership with Planet A Foods, Barry Callebaut is embracing technology to open further avenues for growth while enhancing our resiliency to today’s cocoa-market volatility. We are excited about the collaboration with Planet A Foods to shape the future of chocolate solutions together with our customers,” he said.

Dries Roekaerts, President Customer Experience at Barry Callebaut, said the agreement formed part of a wider effort to diversify the company’s portfolio. “This partnership marks a key milestone in diversifying our portfolio and capturing the exciting opportunities in chocolate alternatives without cocoa. These non-cocoa innovations are not meant to replace traditional chocolate but to complement it, expanding our portfolio to meet growing customer and consumer demand. Together with Planet A Foods, we can scale the production of irresistible chocolate-like creations that broaden choice without compromising on taste, quality and our commitment to the planet,” he said.

Planet A Foods described the partnership as a significant step toward broadening access to its ingredient platform. Dr Maximilian Marquart, CEO & Co-Founder of Planet A Foods, said the collaboration would support responsible global growth. “Our goal has always been to scale ChoViva into a global ingredient platform – and this equal partnership helps us do just that. By combining Barry Callebaut’s global footprint and capabilities with our innovation, we can scale responsibly and bring more products to markets worldwide, faster than ever,” he said.

Dr Sara Marquart, CTO & Co-Founder of Planet A Foods, said ChoViva offered a familiar experience while allowing producers to work with non-cocoa ingredients. “ChoViva delivers a genuine chocolate-like experience, crafted from 100% natural ingredients and entirely without cocoa. This innovative alternative offers consumers the indulgence they love while supporting more mindful and sustainable choices,” she said.

The two companies said they would initially concentrate on strengthening their presence in Europe before expanding ChoViva into additional global markets. Barry Callebaut noted that the collaboration aligned with its longer-term approach to sustainability, as shorter, localized supply chains could reduce environmental pressures associated with cocoa production.

Planet A Foods positioned the agreement as validation of its platform’s potential across different categories, with the company aiming to establish itself as a leading ingredient supplier beyond confectionery. The partnership enabled it to accelerate deployment of ChoViva across applications where manufacturers sought chocolate-like flavor profiles but were also exploring diversified sourcing models.

By combining conventional cocoa-based products with new alternatives, Barry Callebaut said it aimed to provide customers with a wider range of options in response to changing consumer expectations. The company emphasized that traditional chocolate remained at the center of its business and would continue to play a major role in its future portfolio.

While chocolate alternatives have gained attention as a way to address supply fluctuations and sustainability pressures, both companies framed the partnership as complementary rather than disruptive. With ChoViva offering a chocolate-like experience derived from non-cocoa crops, the collaboration gave Barry Callebaut a new product stream while strengthening Planet A Foods’ route to market.