Chocolate set to conquer the heath-food market

The ancient Mayan and Aztec people believed that chocolate increased wisdom, energy, vitality, and sexual power, but in the intervening centuries it has been recategorised as an unhealthy indulgence.

Now the world's biggest industrial chocolate maker, Barry Callebaut, is rediscovering the medicinal properties of the cocoa bean and using them to produce "healthy chocolate".

For those who think the only health benefit of chocolate comes from remembering Valentine's Day, Hans Vriens, Barry Callebaut's chief innovation officer, has a few welcome surprises up his sleeve.

"The cocoa bean has more than 600 components; 230 of those have potential health benefits," he said in an interview with Reuters.

These health benefits stem from polyphenols, which are naturally found at a higher level in the cocoa bean than in broccoli or even green tea. These chemical compounds act as antioxidants, which protect cells from damage.

The snag is that traditional chocolate production has usually destroyed most of those compounds.

"If we can preserve some of those components, we actually have functional chocolate, and people can feel a lot less guilty about eating it. They are actually doing something good," Vriens said.

The group's new production process, known as "Acticoa", ensures that a high level of polyphenols are maintained during manufacturing, allowing the Swiss chocolate maker to produce "healthy chocolate" without altering the taste.

Clinical tests by several research institutes have shown that polyphenols improve cardio-vascular health and mental function. They also help prevent cancer and counteract the effects of aging.

Nine grams of Acticoa chocolate - or one big bite - covers the recommended daily intake of polyphenols, Vriens said.

The value is based on findings of the Tuffs University in the United States.

The company's challenge is to shift perceptions of chocolate away from an indulgence food and towards a nutritional food, thereby tapping the fast-growing health and wellness market.

"Given its image as an indulgence, chocolate has never been able to build a wellness segment, the fastest-growing part of the food market... (but) the mould has been broken by research linking health with cocoa polyphenols," said Kepler Equities analyst Jon Cox.

A HEALTHY TREAT

In an increasingly health-conscious society, the revenue potential for functional chocolate is "quite amazing", said Vriens, but he declined to give exact sales forecasts.

"Functional food takes up 2 percent of shelf space these days. In 10-20 years it will be 20 percent," he said.

Barry Callebaut used its German consumer brand Sarotti to test its "Acticoa" chocolate and was pleased with the results. It hopes to launch the product with industrial customers this year or next.