Nestle SA has found a way to create chocolate without adding any sugar, relying on leftover material from cocoa plants for sweetening as consumers look for natural and healthier fare.<\/p>\n
The food company is using a patented technique to turn the white pulp that covers cocoa beans into a powder that naturally contains sugar. This fall in Japan, Nestle will start selling KitKat bars with 70% dark chocolate under the new recipe, which doesn\u2019t include any added sugar, the Vevey, Switzerland-based firm said. Until now, the pulp has never been used as a sweetener for chocolate, and usually it\u2019s mostly thrown out.<\/p>\n
Nestle could use the same process to make milk or white chocolate in the future, Alexander von Maillot, head of Nestle\u2019s confectionery business, said in a phone interview.<\/p>\n
The food and beverage industry is under pressure from consumers and governments alike to make healthier products amid rising obesity and diabetes rates. Nestle\u2019s move may bolster its position as a leader in the industry, and it comes three years after finding a way to alter the structure of sugar to boost its sweetening power.<\/p>\n
The world\u2019s largest food company plans to use the pulp technique for other confectionery brands in additional countries next year.<\/p>\n
\u201cUsing pulp makes it a more premium chocolate,\u201d von Maillot said. \u201cSugar is a cheap ingredient.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nestle\u2019s new 70% dark chocolate will have as much as 40% less sugar than most equivalent bars with added sugar. Nestle\u2019s existing dark chocolate KitKats have 12.3 grams of sugar per serving.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe sugar reduction is incidental, not a focus,\u201d von Maillot said. \u201cIt\u2019s more about a novel way to produce chocolate and use the best of the cocoa pod.\u201d<\/p>\n