CHICAGO, USA – Cacao Barry, the world’s leading premium chocolate brand for artisans and chefs since 1842, announced today that its WholeFruit Chocolate, made from 100% pure cacaofruit, is the first-ever chocolate to be Upcycled Certified by the Upcycled Food Association (UFA). Artisans and chefs will now be able to make an intelligent purchasing decision, knowing they will be receiving upcycled certified chocolate for the first time historically.
Cacao Barry’s EvocaoTM WholeFruit Chocolate was introduced to the world on June 7th, 2021, and revolutionized the confectionery industry by highlighting fresh fruity tastes with no added refined sugars, no lecithin, and no vanilla. EvocaoTM is the first expression of WholeFruit chocolate, with its bright, citrusy, tangy signature taste complemented by what marks Evocao: a tropical fruitiness bursting with fresh mango, lemon, mandarin, passion fruit, and cacaofruits pulp, an expression of Dominican Republic and Ecuador cacaofruits.
Made for and by chefs, not only does WholeFruit Chocolate provide a unique sensory of flavors and nutritional values, but it has given value to the pulp of the cacaofruit that used to be discarded: it’s good for the environment, it brings an added revenue stream to the farmers, and it offers an exciting new fresh and fruity taste to the world of chocolate! Recently, EvocaoTM WholeFruit Chocolate has been awarded the 2022 World Food Innovation for Best Artisan Product.
“EvocaoTM being Upcycled Certified TM means a big step in our industry toward a sustainable cocoa farming that will engender other industries to follow,” said Chef Dimitri Fayard, Head Chef at Chicago Chocolate AcademyTM. “By using EvocaoTM, I know I am making the planet a little better.”
Chef Nicolas Dutertre, Head Chef at Montreal Chocolate AcademyTM echoed similar sentiments. “In 2022, upcycling is a giant leap forward in the world of chocolate and an example of good practices that will make all the difference for the good of our planet.”
In late April 2022, The Upcycled Food Association (UFA), the premier trade association for the upcycled industry, announced the expansion of its Upcycled CertifiedTM program into Canada after seeing success in the U.S. market. The Upcycled Certification program is the world’s first third-party certification program for upcycled food ingredients and products. The certification highlights upcycled ingredients and products procured and produced with surplus food or food-byproducts from manufacturing that use verifiable supply chains and positively impact the environment.
“Eliminating food waste is the single most effective thing people can do to address climate change,” says Turner Wyatt, UFA Co-Founder and CEO. “Thanks to the launch of Upcycled CertifiedTM, reducing food waste becomes much easier. Upcycling is an innovative approach because it’s the first consumer product-based solution to food waste, making it highly scalable and economically sustainable.”
Now that WholeFruit chocolate has received the Upcycled Certification by the UFA, artisans and brands will be able to provide customers with creations that align with their environmentally-conscious principles. Becoming UFA certified strengthens Cacao Barry’s core values to eliminate food waste while delivering high-quality chocolate. WholeFruit chocolate becoming Upcycled CertifiedTM by the UFA establishes the product solution as a pioneer within the confectionery industry and solidifies the company’s commitment to sustainability efforts. EvocaoTM joins a suite of products from Cabosse Naturals, Barry Callebaut’s specialist cacaofruit brand, already certified via the UFA. Cabosse Naturals contributes to this movement with its upcycled cacaofruit ingredients.
As Chef Ramon Morató, Cacao Barry Creative Director concludes, “This is incredible news for the entire team that has been involved in this project. WholeFruit chocolate is not just a chocolate, it is a movement and with the commitment of the chefs, we are changing the way of understanding chocolate. This news is confirmation that the path we have taken is in the right direction.”
For more information on the Upcycled Food Association, please visit www.upcycledfood.org.
WholeFruit chocolate is currently available in select countries throughout Europe, EEME, Asia, and the Americas.
