Sustainable Ingredients
Bean that N
there, done
Kennedy’s Confection editor,Kiran Grewal, sat down with Ross Newton, founder of alt-chocolate solution provider, NuKoKo, to discuss their innovative cocoa-free chocolate made from domestic faba beans.
ukoko creates a cocoa-free chocolate from domestic faba beans instead of cocoa beans using a proprietary fermentation technology. They provide
their ingredients of a cocoa powder and chocolate alternative to manufacturers that are looking for cost savings, sustainability and an alternative that matches the taste, texture and functionality of chocolate. Here, Kennedy’s Confection Editor, Kiran, speaks further with Founder, Ross Newton:
Ross, could you elaborate on the specific reasons why you and your team chose faba beans as the primary ingredient for your cocoa-free chocolate, and how they compare nutritionally and environmentally to traditional cocoa beans? The general thinking is that we wanted a bean to replace the cocoa bean that was similar compound wise, was hugely in abundance locally and was available at a low cost point . The faba bean provided all those things. In terms of back of pack nutritionals our faba bean powder and
18 Kennedy’s Confection June 2024
chocolate are v similar to cocoa products, we have a little more protein and fibre, tellingly in our chocolate formulations we have upto 40% less sugar. The reason being that we can control the bitter levels in our powder, so when formulating a milk chocolate for example we don’t use a high bitter powder negating the need for a lot of sugar to balance the flavour. We do not have some of the key polyphenols cocoa has but the faba bean has its own wealth of positive anti- oxidants and vitamins
The faba bean is regarded as a bit of a
wonder bean by farmers, it is often used between crop rotations to re engerise the soil with nitrogen before the next round of crops. There is also loads of it, over a million tonnes of faba beans are harvested each year in the UK alone, so plenty to use for Nukoko production as we grow
Can you explain the proprietary technology that NuKoKo uses to replicate the chocolate fermentation process with faba beans, and what challenges you faced in developing this technology? Our proprietary tech is based around copying as much as possible an actual cocoa
Given the environmental impact of the traditional cocoa industry, how does NuKoKo’s alt-chocolate mitigate these issues, particularly in terms of carbon footprint and deforestation? The key drivers of Co2 emissions in cocoa are food miles and deforestation, as we source from local farms, that do not need to look for new land each year for growing we negate these key drivers, and initial internal studies have shown by around a 90% reduction in CO2
As a seasoned entrepreneur with experience in the confectionery industry, what insights from your time with Mighty Fine have you
KennedysConfection.com
fermentation process, our process is really like a traditional ‘ bean to bar’ process, we take beans straight from the local farms, ferment them, dry them and then roast them before processing into a cocoa powder and chocolate alternative. Cocoa fermentations are still quite traditional in the equipment they use, for example the cocoa beans are fermented in big wooden boxes before being spread on big tables to dry outside. So big challenge is updating the equipment to a more modern environment and process back home.
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