Ardent Mills unveils wheat-based, clean-label alternative to cocoa powder

USA – Ardent Mills has introduced Cocoa Replace – a wheat-based, clean-label solution to cocoa powder – developed in response to customer needs for ingredient flexibility, cost control and supply assurance.

Cocoa Replace is the newest addition to the company’s expanding line of affordable, label-friendly ingredient solutions.

This approach assists companies in maintaining product flavour and performance while managing broader pressures, such as supply disruption and changing customer desire for simpler, cleaner ingredients, given that cocoa prices have increased by around 400 percent in the last ten years.

Since it just contains one component, there is not much of a label change needed for this wheat-based product, which simplifies reformulation for producers and preserves brand credibility on the shelf. In addition, Cocoa Replace is non-GMO, vegan, and kosher approved.

According to the results of sensory screening tests conducted by highly skilled sensory specialists as well as by consumers, Cocoa Replace is a good substitute for up to 25% of cocoa in baking applications since it closely resembles cocoa powder in terms of acceptability and sensory experience.

“Cocoa Replace is a targeted response to cocoa market volatility, but it’s also part of a broader strategy. We’re focused on helping our customers build resilience into their supply chains and formulation strategies—supporting not just the challenges they face today, but the ones coming next,” said Angie Goldberg, chief growth officer at Ardent Mills.

Cocoa Replace, like Ardent Mills Egg Replace, is a component that is specifically designed to enable food manufacturers reformulate with confidence and adapt more quickly.

“Cocoa Replace is a powerful example of how Ardent Mills equips customers to navigate disruption with practical, high-impact solutions,” said Sergio Machado, senior director of research & development.

This is not the first time that a cocoa replacement has been innovated. Last year, the well-known Japanese flavour and fragrance producer T. Hasegawa Co., Ltd. introduced a novel cocoa powder substitute intended to work as a low-fat, alkalized substitute for conventional cocoa powder.

According to company representatives, the new ingredient is intended to help food sector makers reduce the amount of raw ingredients they use without compromising the overall flavour.

A worldwide cocoa scarcity that negatively affected a number of food and beverage sectors, such as sports drinks, snacks, and confections, prompted the creation of this ingredient.

Due to the droughts in West Africa, which produces a large amount of the world’s cocoa, prices for cocoa dropped 11% globally last year, reaching around $10,000 per metric ton.

Cocoa’s importance is evident, as it has been a key component in approximately 17% of sports nutrition drinks and 11% of hot beverages introduced over the last five years.

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