Fruity cocoa range cuts bitterness to appeal to younger consumer - ADM

The company’s deZaan Fresco Cacao​ was launched at Food Ingredients Europe (FiE) earlier this month.

It said its F11FR cocoa powder and DZFM 7000 cocoa mass were regular fat reduced cocoa powder and cocoa mass that could reduce bitterness and enhance fruity flavours using the firm’s deZaan processing method.

Appeal to younger consumer​

Rinus Heemskerk, director of innovation at ADM told ConfectioneryNews.com​: “Bitter taste is an adult taste. Children and some adults prefer milder tastes. Fresco Cacao enables the creation of milder dark chocolate products that are appealing to a wide audience. “​

He said there were currently very few successful products with an acid base taste and a chocolate flavour.

“Fresco Cacao allows new exciting products to be developed that have a great taste and combine acidic foods with chocolate flavour,” ​he said.

“There is a demand for delicately flavoured chocolate ingredients, which can be used in an extensive number of applications.” ​

“With consumer interest in chocolate flavour products showing no signs of slowing down, manufacturers are looking for an efficient way to formulate without the bitterness that is often associated with adding cocoa to products,”​ he continued.

Reduced bitterness​

He said the flavour profile for products formulated with Fresco Cacao was obtained from ADM’s patent-pending deZaan process, though he did not give further details.

Asked whether external tests had been conducted to confirm reductions in bitterness, Heemskerk replied: “We have done extensive research on the flavour profile of our Fresco Cacao range both with taste panels as well as with GC-MS analytical studies. All of our tests confirm the increase in fruity, floral notes and the reduction of bitterness.”​

Formulation ideas ​

Heemskerk said that the fresco range was developed for products with an acid base taste.

“An example of where the Fresco products will work well in confectionery is in aerated fruit chews, where the mild cocoa taste will blend well with the acid fruit taste,” ​he said.

He added that chocolates with a yoghurt filling or acid fruit flavour such as lemon, raspberry or cherry could benefit from Fresco Cacao.

According to Heemskerk, the range also has applications in bakery and snacks industries. He gave the example of a cheesecake or a chocolate yoghurt pie filling.

For cereals, he said Fresco Cacao would work well in chocolate coated cereal or muesli for inclusion in yoghurt.

The range is available worldwide.