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Trash, a new functional beverage made from upcycled cacao fruit, has officially launched following its public debut at Taste of London, offering retailers and consumers a new take on sustainable hydration.

Created by British entrepreneur and chocolatier Flo Broughton, founder of premium chocolate brand Choc on Choc, the new drink is made by rescuing the nutrient-rich pulp that surrounds cocoa beans, a part of the fruit that is typically discarded during chocolate production.

According to the company, around 70% of the cacao fruit is currently wasted at source despite its naturally sweet flavour and nutritional profile. Trash aims to capture this overlooked ingredient by cold-pressing the fresh fruit into a lightly flavoured functional water.

Each 250ml recyclable aluminium can contains 30% rescued cacao fruit, not from concentrate, and 70% water, with no added sugar. The drink delivers 40mg of vitamin C, 150mg of potassium and 28mg of magnesium, alongside naturally occurring electrolytes and antioxidants, while remaining low in calories.

The resulting beverage offers a crisp, tropical flavour profile designed to appeal to consumers seeking naturally functional drinks with strong sustainability credentials.

Broughton said: "I spent twenty years making chocolate before I really sat with the fact that we throw most of the fruit away. Once you have seen it, you cannot unsee it. Trash is my way of proving that trash can become treasure as we rescue this fruit. Farmers benefit too, earning around 30% more income per cacao pod when the whole fruit is used."

The launch reflects growing momentum behind upcycled ingredients as food and beverage manufacturers seek to reduce waste while meeting consumer demand for products with measurable environmental benefits. The drink is Upcycled Certified and positions itself at the intersection of sustainability, natural hydration and functional nutrition.

For Broughton, whose Choc on Choc brand has built national distribution across retailers including Selfridges, Waitrose, M&S, Ocado and Next, TRASH represents a move beyond confectionery into the rapidly expanding functional drinks category.

The brand introduced the product to consumers at Taste of London in Regent's Park, where visitors sampled the beverage and learned more about the potential of cacao fruit as an underutilised food ingredient.

Trash is available in a 250ml can with an RRP of £3.