20 COCOA WORLD
THE NETHERLANDS Cargill claims breakthrough in cocoa powder for cold drink applications
WEST AFRICA
WCF recognised for work in Liberia
The new product from Cargill has greater ‘wettability’ and ‘dispersibility’ in cold drink mix applications
Michael Scuse, Acting Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services at the US Depar tment of Agriculture (USDA) has praised work that the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) is doing with cocoa farmers in Liberia. Speaking at a meeting of the
Corporate Council on Africa Agribusiness in Washington, an event was attended by approximately 200 par ticipants from the US government and private sector, Under Secretary Scuse specifically mentioned the work of the World Cocoa Foundation, mem- ber companies and NGO par tner ACDI/VOCA. "In Liberia, a Food for Progress
A new product innovation in cocoa powder that greatly improves ‘wettability’ and ‘dispersibili- ty’ in cold drink mix applications has been made by Cargill’s cocoa and chocolate business. The company says the development means Cargill’s cocoa powder disappears twice
as quickly below the surface of the cold liquid (wettability) and will disperse evenly throughout the liquid (dispersibility). As a result drink mixes using Cargill’s new dis- persible cocoa powders are truly putting the ‘instant’ into instant cocoa drinks. Crucially, this performance will be maintained throughout the product’s shelf life,
something that doesn’t hold true for existing products which suffer from decreasing wet- tability as they near the end of their shelf life. Dr Henri Kamphuis, Quality and Technology Director, Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate, said
wettability and dispersibility are vital considerations in instant drink mixes. "These consider- ations and the maintenance of the level of performance throughout its shelf life, are issues that manufacturers in this market have been looking at for a long time," he told C&CI. "Following years of research and development work, Cargill is the first to make this
cocoa powder breakthrough. With a number of patents pending, we will be in the unique position to bring this innovation to market in 2012, complementing our existing premium Gerkens cocoa powders range."
IN BRIEF
Brazil’s 2010-2011 main crop in Bahia state has been the best since 1996-1997 according to the Bahia Commercial Association. At the time of writing, the (October-April) main crop had surpassed 72,000 tonnes and still had six weeks to go. Nigeria’s few remaining cocoa processors may decide to quit the country entirely, according to the Cocoa Processors Association of Nigeria (COPAN), forced out by the combination of an erratic power supply and excessive and costly bureaucracy. According to ABN AMRO’s Agricommodities Monthly, grinding capacity has shrunk by some 90 per cent in the past two years, with processing currently under 40,000 tonnes/year. Indonesia’s cocoa bean exports from Sulawesi, which accounts for around three-quarters of the coun- try’s cocoa production, rose in February by 12 per cent year-on-year to 9,871.4 tonnes, according to the Indonesian Cocoa Association. This was largely explained by exporters seeking to commercialise their cocoa in advance of an expected rise in export taxes – which was duly announced on 22 March, when the tax went up by 5 per cent, to 15 per cent.
programme improved cocoa cultiva- tion, production, and marketing through a par tnership of USDA, the World Cocoa Foundation, and the PVO, Agricultural Cooperative Development International/Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance (ACDI/VOCA)," said the Under Secretary. "In addition, the PVO coordinated
its advocacy with other stakeholders in the cocoa supply chain. As a result, the Government of Liberia established cocoa quality standards, an interna- tionally recognized grading system, and permitted legally registered farm- ers’ associations to sell their cocoa directly to expor ters beginning last year. This helped substantially raise cocoa farmers’ incomes." "In 2009, the US confectionery and
chocolate industry employed more than 70,000 people in over a thou- sand manufacturing facilities. At these facilities, chocolate and confectionery products are made from impor ted raw cocoa beans and processed cocoa products. This demonstrates how the work of PVOs at the farmer level in Africa ripples along the supply chain. Their effor ts move from farmers to co-operatives to traders and expor ters to international corporations and, ulti- mately, to consumers all over the world."
May 2011 C&CI
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