Mars and Barry Callebaut to offer cocoa flavanol-rich chocolate products worldwide

The unique and good-for-you cocoa flavanols, the natural compounds found in the cocoa fruit linked to important circulatory and other health benefits, will soon be easier to identify and obtain when making nutrition choices.

Mars and Barry Callebaut recently signed a cross-licensing and cooperation agreement that is expected to increase the availability and uniformity of cocoa flavanol-rich chocolate products worldwide.

The agreement between the companies is seen as the beginning of a path leading to consistent standards for beneficial cocoa flavanol products.

Decades of research suggest cocoa flavanols can have a positive impact on circulatory health and related conditions, but manufacturers have struggled with consistency, reliable measurement methods and communication of the flavanol benefits and content of foods.

Cocoa flavanol containing products can be a part of a healthy diet.

But simply having a higher percent cacao, being a ‘darker’ chocolate, or claiming antioxidants as the main benefit of cocoa, misses the point and demonstrates the need for a means to measure and indicate adequate levels of flavanols consistent with recent scientific studies.

"While flavanols are naturally abundant in cocoa, unless you are specifically measuring and carefully handling a product throughout the manufacturing process, there is just no guarantee the product contains meaningful levels of the flavanols," said Mary Wagner, Mars Botanical GM, a scientific unit of Mars.

Since last month, Barry Callebaut began licensing Mars patents and will display the Mars Cocoapro "bean in hand" logo on its Acticoa products in the US and other markets with an assured consistently high level of cocoa flavanol content.

"This agreement is an important step in making chocolate alternatives with clear flavanol levels available to a much broader audience, around the world. We're excited to embark on this journey with Mars, Inc," said Hans P. Vriens, chief innovation officer at Barry Callebaut.

Over the next few months, both companies will be updating their science and marketing communications as well as their websites to reflect the implications of this new cooperation.