Last month, Aldi announced the expansion of its collaboration with cocoa-free confectionery brand ChoViva.
After the successful launch of ChoViva’s cocoa-free Peanut Butter Mini Eggs in February, under Aldi’s private label Dairyfine, the retailer plans to introduce three new festive offerings: a ChoViva Halloween Gonk along with two Christmas-themed products.
ChoViva, developed in partnership with German chocolate manufacturer WAWI-Schokolade AG, claims to replicate the taste and aroma of chocolate without relying on cocoa, using a mixture of sunflower seeds, sugars, and plant-based fats.
Besides its collaboration with Aldi, ChoViva made its debut in Germany’s Kaufland chain earlier this year, featuring Waffle Bites and Neapolitans sold under the K-Classic private label brand, which hit the shelves in May. Other significant partners include European chocolatiers Lindt & Sprüngli, Wawi, and Piasten Treets.
Moreover, ChoViva is among numerous European start-ups capitalizing on rising interest in cocoa-free options amidst ongoing volatility in the global cocoa market.
Rising Demand
Although cocoa prices have stabilized since hitting peaks in April 2024 and January 2025, various risk factors persist. Recent political elections in Côte d’Ivoire, the world’s leading cocoa producer, have raised uncertainties regarding future farmgate prices, and aging plantations coupled with the spread of swollen shoot virus continue to hinder yields.
Looking ahead, the WWF predicts that cocoa shortages could exceed 2.2 million tons by 2030 if current sourcing and production practices remain static.
In response, more manufacturers are investigating alternative ingredients that minimize the necessity to increase prices in an inflation-driven climate.
“Over the past 18 months, we’ve seen a surge in enquiries for our cocoa-free chocolate alternatives as manufacturers and food service providers seek solutions to the ongoing cocoa crisis,” says Mark Golder, CEO of Win-Win.
Founded in 2021, Win-Win employs fermentation technology alongside traditional chocolate-making practices—such as roasting, refining, and tempering—to transform ingredients like rice and carob into a cocoa-free alternative that closely resembles conventional chocolate in flavor and texture. “Win-Win’s cocoa-free chocolate alternative performs almost identically to conventional chocolate in almost all applications, and interest spans across a wide range of food product sectors,” Golder adds. Categories generating “huge interest” include cake, biscuits, patisserie, ice cream, beverages, and confectionery.
The sector is witnessing considerable interest, according to Golder. “We’ve received early validation from manufacturers and retailers, alongside chefs using our products on Michelin-starred restaurant menus, like Apricity in London.”
In response to growing interest, the UK-based food tech company has expanded its product range to include dark, milk, and white chocolate variants, available in couverture, bake-stable, and non-tempering formats.
Similarly, Nukoko’s founder Ross Newton notes that the cocoa crisis has significantly boosted interest in their offerings. “It has been huge,” he says. “We began Nukoko just before cocoa prices surged, and overnight inquiries doubled and have remained high ever since.” Their proprietary process involves controlled fermentation to extract chocolate-like flavor compounds from fava beans, capitalizing on the presence of vicilin, a protein found in both fava and cocoa beans.
Both Win-Win and Nukoko assert their cocoa alternatives are competitively priced.
At Win-Win, Golder states, “we’re already able to offer our products at lower prices than conventional chocolate, and we anticipate this gap to widen.” The availability of fava beans, with over three million tons harvested annually in the EU, priced around “£0.30p/kilo”, positions Nukoko as “an affordable alternative to cocoa,” adds Newton.
Additionally, as the environmental ramifications of cocoa production, including its role in deforestation, become increasingly scrutinized, these alternatives claim to exert significantly less impact on the planet.
Win-Win asserts that its chocolate alternatives require up to 80% less water for production and result in 82% fewer CO2e emissions compared to traditional chocolate. Similarly, Nukoko boasts a notably lighter ecological footprint. ChoViva claims to generate 80% fewer CO2 emissions and utilize up to 94% less water.
For these cocoa alternatives, the objective transcends a mere short-term solution.
“I believe that the heightened cocoa prices are likely to persist, indicating a long-term upward trend,” states Newton. “This suggests that interest in alternatives and the market’s inclination to reformulate existing products will grow over the next decade. We are already witnessing established brands reformulating to such an extent that they no longer qualify as chocolate. It’s critical to balance reformulation while preserving the standards and consumer experience that have been established.”
“Global chocolate demand continues to increase even as the reliability of cocoa supply fluctuates, and consumers seek affordable options that deliver on flavor and experience,” concurs Golder.
“The steady decline and unpredictability of cocoa production make it inevitable that the industry must explore alternatives to satisfy consumer preferences.”
