HOWTIAN’s perspective on the cocoa supply crisis and clean-label reformulation is gaining widespread attention, with Food Navigator leading the charge in a feature article titled “Cocoa’s breaking point: How industry is rethinking chocolate.”
Fresh Takes Amid Global Cocoa Chaos
The article sets the stage by outlining the severity of today’s cocoa market: prices have skyrocketed — surpassing $12,000 per metric ton, more than six times their 2022 levels — driven by crop disease, erratic weather, and supply constraints in West Africa.
Against this backdrop, HOWTIAN’s application lab in Zhucheng, China, demonstrated that reducing cocoa content by up to 13% is possible without compromising taste, through a blend of longer conching, clean‑label flavor modulators such as SoPure Flevia, and botanical enhancers like lucuma, carob, and microencapsulated aromas.
Tom Fuzer, VP of Market Strategy at HOWTIAN, explains that extending conching times by just 10‑15% deepens Maillard reactions and intensifies roasted notes, allowing brands to do more with less cocoa.
Beyond a Quick Fix: Acceleration & R&D Evolution
Fuzer also emphasizes that this isn’t a short-term patch, but rather a fundamental shift in how companies innovate:
- R&D cycles are compressing, with more parallel pilot testing and rapid sensory workflows
- Brands are diversifying flavor profiles by envisioning blends that incorporate coffee, fruit, spices, and other complementary notes to build resilience and reduce cocoa dependence long-term
Clean-Label Integrity Matters
Consumers demand authenticity. HOWTIAN’s own research shows that 80% of buyers will abandon a product if the chocolate flavor doesn’t deliver, but they’ll also reject products featuring unfamiliar ingredients. That’s why clean-label ingredients that live up to both taste expectations and label transparency are essential.
Strong Echoes Across the Industry
Following the Food Navigator feature, Confectionery News and Bakery & Snacks also showcased HOWTIAN’s insights and solutions:
Confectionery News, serving the sweets and confection sector, amplified HOWTIAN’s clean-label response as a timely solution for product formulators navigating volatile cocoa supply.
Bakery & Snacks, also part of William Reed’s media network, extended visibility across bakery, snack, and ingredient professionals worldwide, framing HOWTIAN’s approach as forward-thinking in cocoa reformulation.
Through media interviews and industry dialogue like this, our hope is to help the global food industry navigate cocoa’s uncertain future with sustainable, transparent, and consumer-driven solutions. Thank you to each of these publications for this special opportunity!