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With a decline in cocoa harvests impacting the costs of chocolate and other cocoa products on the rise, Daria Pashkova, product and marketing manager at Ohly, a global provider of specialty yeast-based ingredients for the food, health, animal health and bionutrients industries, looks at how manufacturers throughout the food industry can navigate the current cocoa shortage and how yeast extracts can help bridge the gap.

According to data from the World Bank, global cocoa production declined by 14% in the 2023-24 season, primarily due to decreased output from Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana - two nations responsible for nearly 60% of the world’s cocoa supply.

This substantial reduction in production has sent shockwaves through the global food industry, leading to an extreme rise in cocoa prices. Traditionally, cocoa prices ranged between $2,000 and $3,000 per metric tonne. However, throughout 2023, these prices gradually increased, only to surge dramatically in 2024, reaching historic highs of over $10,000 per metric tonne. This price inflation has presented a significant challenge for food manufacturers reliant on cocoa as a key ingredient.

As cocoa becomes increasingly expensive and difficult to source, manufacturers are under growing pressure to find alternatives that maintain both the quality and flavour that consumers expect.

This means that adapting recipes while preserving the sensory experience of chocolate-rich products is now a top priority across the food industry.

Understanding the Cocoa Crisis

Cocoa is an important component across a wide range of food and beverage products, providing the deep, roasted chocolate flavour that consumers love. However, the cocoa supply chain is highly vulnerable to external factors, including climate change, soil degradation and crop diseases, which have all contributed to the current shortage.

Rising temperatures and irregular rainfall patterns have negatively affected cocoa plantations, while pests and plant diseases have further reduced yields. This combination of environmental and agricultural challenges has resulted in an ongoing cocoa crisis, making it increasingly difficult for manufacturers to secure affordable, high-quality cocoa.

Industry experts suggest that cocoa prices are unlikely to return to previous levels anytime soon. With supply chain disruptions persisting, food manufacturers must explore innovative solutions to reformulate their products while ensuring a consistent, high-quality taste experience for their consumers.

Exploring natural cocoa alternatives

To navigate the cocoa crisis, food manufacturers are turning to a variety of natural alternatives. Some have experimented with substitutes like carob, grape seeds and fava beans to replicate the taste and texture of cocoa.

While these ingredients can provide some of the desired chocolate-like characteristics, they often fall short of delivering the full-bodied richness that cocoa so often provides in food applications.

Rather than attempting to completely replace the cocoa with alternative ingredients, a more effective approach is to enhance the existing cocoa content using specialty ingredients. One promising solution involves using yeast extracts together with a smaller amount of cocoa in order to amplify cocoa’s rich, roasted notes. In this way, manufacturers could achieve a significant reduction in cocoa content of up to 30% – all without compromising flavour.

How can yeast extract compensate for reductions in cocoa?

Yeast extracts can be used strategically to amplify the chocolatey characteristics of food products. When combined with a reduced amount of cocoa, yeast extracts bring out key flavour attributes such as deep-roasted, slightly bitter and dried fruit notes which mimic the complexity of traditional chocolate flavours.

Cocoa’s flavour profile is highly nuanced, and reducing cocoa content in recipes can lead to very noticeable changes in taste and mouthfeel. This is where yeast extract proves invaluable. It brings out brown and roasted notes while reinforcing the depth and bitterness that characterise high-quality cocoa.

Yeast extracts help balance the sweetness in reduced cocoa recipes and create a well-rounded sensory experience that closely resembles that of traditional chocolate products. In the end, yeast extracts allow manufacturers to better optimise their recipes while maintaining the premium taste and texture their customers expect.

The benefits of using yeast extract to reduce the need for cocoa content

Food manufacturers stand to gain multiple benefits by incorporating yeast extract into their cocoa-based formulations. Beyond cost savings, this ingredient offers several advantages that make it a compelling solution in the face of cocoa shortages.

1. A sustainable approach to cocoa reduction

Sustainability is a growing concern in the food industry. Produced through natural fermentation, yeast extract presents an ethical and sustainable solution for manufacturers seeking to reduce their dependence on cocoa. By integrating yeast extracts into their formulations, companies can lessen their reliance on an increasingly volatile supply chain while ensuring their products remain sustainable and ethically sourced.

2. Maintaining palatability and mouthfeel

Reducing cocoa content without a proper alternative can negatively impact the overall taste and texture of a product. Cocoa is prized not only for its deep flavour but also for the smooth mouthfeel it imparts to chocolate-based applications. Yeast extract helps restore the richness, complexity, and mouthfeel lost when cocoa is reduced, ensuring consumers still have a premium eating experience.

3. Delivering a high-quality taste experience

Yeast extracts can be carefully selected and formulated to intensify cocoa’s signature flavours. These specialised yeast extracts allow food manufacturers to maintain the authenticity of chocolate flavours while using significantly less cocoa.

Industry insights: yeast extract as a game-changer for food manufacturers

Cocoa shortages present a significant challenge for food manufacturers worldwide. There is increasing pressure to find stable, sustainable solutions that allow manufacturers to maintain the taste and quality that consumers expect. Yeast extracts provide a natural, effective way to amplify cocoa flavours, making it possible to reduce cocoa content by up to 30% while delivering the premium sensory experience.

Using yeast extracts allows food companies to create multidimensional, complex taste experiences that align with today’s market expectations. Not only do they bring back the richness and depth that can be lost when reducing cocoa, but they also help ensure a consistent, high-quality product. As the cocoa market remains volatile, yeast extracts provide an effective and sustainable solution.

Embracing innovation in the face of cocoa challenges

With cocoa prices at record highs and supply chain disruptions continuing to impact availability, the food industry needs to remain agile and innovative.

Yeast extract offers an innovative solution for manufacturers seeking to mitigate the effects of the cocoa crisis. By leveraging this natural ingredient, companies can reduce cocoa dependency while continuing to deliver delicious, high-quality products that meet consumer expectations.

The future of chocolate-based products may look different, but with the right approach, manufacturers can successfully navigate these challenges. By embracing yeast extracts, food producers can continue to craft indulgent, cocoa-rich products in a cost-efficient and sustainable manner.

As the industry adapts to these changes, the integration of yeast extracts into chocolate formulations will likely become standard practice, ensuring that consumers can continue to enjoy the rich, chocolatey treats they love, without the full burden of rising cocoa costs.