Wieze/Belgium – A leading panel of industry experts announced this evening Barry Callebaut’s Terra Cacao™ chocolate as the winner of the FI Confectionery Innovation of the Year Excellence Award. This award recognizes individuals and businesses for their exemplary work and contribution to the industry.
“We are thrilled to win this award”, says Sofie De Lathouwer, Marketing Director Food Manufacturers Products Region Europe with Barry Callebaut. “Winning this award showcases how innovation is at the core of our company. The recognition certainly strengthens us to keep on searching for ways to improve the cocoa cultivation, fermentation methods and cocoa quality, thus improving our chocolate, every day again and again.”
Terra Cacao™ was originally launched in February 2011 and relies on new cocoa cultivation and fermentation methods developed by Barry Callebaut in collaboration with local cocoa growers. This process produces zero defect beans and avoids off flavors, resulting in a 100% purest in its kind cocoa beans as ingredient for superior chocolate, with an unprecedented harmony of pure tastes and rich aromas.
For Terra Cacao™, Barry Callebaut searches for plantations on flavor-enhancing terroirs in equatorial regions. The cocoa beans are then handpicked only at the precise moment when they contain a maximum of flavors and aromas. The cocoa is then fermented with the company’s 100% natural method that respects and enhances even the most delicate flavors and aromas. Afterwards, the beans are roasted in their shells until they release all of their inherent flavors. And finally, the chocolate is conched, fully preserving the right texture, aroma, taste and flavors.
“This award is the reward for years of painstaking research. Terra Cacao™ started with a study at the University but quickly became an interesting and passionate challenge until Barry Callebaut reached its goal: a cocoa of an unseen top quality, cultivated in a sustainable way and thus resulting in a superior-tasting chocolate”, says Nicholas Camu, Fermentation Innovation Manager at Barry Callebaut. “Winning this award shows that not only our customers appreciate the outcome of the project, but also a jury of industry experts and specialists.”
The Terra Cacao™ range covers several milk and dark chocolate references varying from 33.5% to 70.5% cocoa mass. The line, shaped as callets, is packed in 10 kg bags and will be available to industrial customers worldwide.
For more information: www.terracacao.com
Barry Callebaut:
With annual sales of about CHF 4.6 billion (EUR 3.6 billion/USD 5.0 billion) for fiscal year 2010/11, Zurich-based Barry Callebaut is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate – from the cocoa bean to the finished chocolate product. Barry Callebaut is present in 27 countries, operates around 40 production facilities and employs a diverse and dedicated workforce of about 6,000 people. Barry Callebaut serves the entire food industry focusing on industrial food manufacturers, artisans and professional users of chocolate (such as chocolatiers, pastry chefs or bakers), the latter with its two global brands Callebaut® and Cacao Barry®. Barry Callebaut is the global leader in cocoa and chocolate innovations and provides a comprehensive range of services in the fields of product development, processing, training and marketing. Cost leadership is another important reason why global as well as local food manufacturers work together with Barry Callebaut. Through its broad range of sustainability initiatives and research activities, the company works with farmers, farmer organizations and other partners to help ensure future supplies of cocoa and improve farmer livelihoods
Source: Barry Callebaut