UNPACKED

← Frontpage

**When Chocolate Has No Cocoa**

5h ago · 5 sources · launch

Chocolate is going through an identity crisis.

Cargill and Voyage Foods are rolling out NexCoa, a cocoa-free confectionery alternative designed to help manufacturers keep chocolate-like flavor profiles intact as climate pressures and supply chain disruptions hit the global cocoa market. At the same time, Mars Inc. is testing a cocoa-free play of its own. The company is launching a Balisto trail mix in Germany that uses ChoViva, a cocoa-free ingredient from Planet A Foods, in a pilot running from April to October 2026. The product will be sold exclusively at Rewe during the test.

ChoViva is made from fermented sunflower seeds blended with sugar, plant-based fats and milk powder. It already appears in more than 120 products across 10 countries, with partners including Aldi, Kaufland and even a limited-edition run with Lindt & Sprüngli. Nestlé has also made cocoa-free permanent, adding a Choco Crossies Snack Vibes range in Germany.

Why it matters: this is not fringe innovation anymore. When Mars Inc., Nestlé and Cargill are all placing bets on cocoa-free chocolate, the category has moved from experiment to hedge strategy.

Quick take: cocoa-free is becoming a supply chain tool as much as a sustainability story. The brands that win will be the ones that make consumers forget they are eating a workaround.

Key facts

  • Cargill and Voyage Foods are introducing a new cocoa-free confectionery alternative aimed at helping manufacturers maintain chocolate-like flavor profiles amid climate pressures and supply chain disruptions in the global cocoa market.
  • Mars is launching a Balisto trail mix in Germany that includes a cocoa-free chocolate alternative as part of a pilot running from April to October 2026.
  • The Balisto trail mix will be sold exclusively at Rewe supermarkets in Germany during the pilot period.
  • Mars is partnering with German start-up Planet A Foods, which supplies its cocoa-free ingredient branded ChoViva.
  • ChoViva is made from fermented sunflower seeds blended with sugar, plant-based fats and milk powder to create a chocolate alternative.
  • ChoViva already features in more than 120 products across 10 countries, with partnerships including Aldi, Kaufland and a limited-edition run with Lindt & Sprüngli.
  • Voyage Foods has partnered with Cargill on its NexCoa cocoa-free confectionery alternative ingredient.
  • Nestlé recently launched its Choco Crossies Snack Vibes range using a cocoa-free chocolate alternative in Germany as a permanent addition to its portfolio.
  • April to October 2026
  • more than 120 products
  • 10 countries

Coverage