Cargill and Voyage Foods bring cocoa-free NextCoa confectionery alternatives to North America

Cargill and Voyage Foods have launched NextCoa, a cocoa-free confectionery alternative to chocolate, in North America, beginning with the United States.

• Cargill and Voyage Foods brought NextCoa cocoa-free confectionery alternatives to North America, starting in the USA.
• The range used plant-based ingredients including grape seeds and claimed a 67% lower carbon footprint than conventional chocolate.
• Cargill served as Voyage Foods’ exclusive global B2B distributor and worked with US regional partners to supply customers.

The product has been designed to deliver a chocolatey taste without cocoa, using plant-based ingredients and familiar chocolate-making processes. The companies described the launch as a way to give manufacturers more options at a time when cocoa supply, pricing and availability remain under pressure.

“The NextCoa line is about expanding choice, not replacing chocolate but redefining what’s possible,” said Kojo Amoo-Gottfried, Vice President & Managing Director of Cocoa and Chocolate for Cargill Food North America. “It unlocks a new way for manufacturers to create the flavors and indulgent experiences people love while building resilience into the food system.”

NextCoa confectionery alternatives to chocolate are made with ingredients including grape seeds, with the companies saying the formulation could help improve pricing stability and availability for food manufacturers. The product also delivered measurable environmental benefits, including a 67% lower carbon footprint compared with conventional chocolate.

The cocoa-free range has been formulated without major allergens and is free from dairy, soy, peanuts and tree nuts, expanding potential applications for manufacturers serving consumers with dietary restrictions. It is also vegan, Kosher pareve and Halal suitable.

“We built Voyage Foods to rethink how the world’s favorite foods are made,” said Adam Maxwell, CEO & Founder of Voyage Foods. “With Cargill, we can scale that vision, making our approach to chocolatey-like foods accessible to even more manufacturers.”

In the USA, the NextCoa line is available in Mild, a milk-chocolatey-style option, and Dark Mild, which blends dark and milk chocolatey-like flavors. The formats have been developed for a range of applications, including inclusions in bars, baked goods and ice cream, as well as coatings for snacks and confectionery treats such as truffles.

The launch combined Voyage Foods’ patented technology with Cargill’s supply chain scale. Through the commercial partnership, Cargill served as Voyage Foods’ exclusive global business-to-business distributor.

Cargill has also worked with regional partners Batory Foods, Blendtek and Gillco Ingredients, an Azelis Company, to supply US customers. The company planned to expand availability to customers in Canada soon.