Belcolade Selection Noir, made from 55% cocoa, is described by the patisserie and baking ingredients firm as a ‘balanced’ dark chocolate with ‘fruity notes and a smooth roasted cacao flavour’, while Belcolade Selection Lait, containing 34% cocoa, is a milk chocolate with ‘sweet caramel notes and cacao flavour’.
‘Natural and sustainable’
As well as containing less sugar, the latest additions to the Belcolade range are 100% natural and use only clean label ingredients, Puratos said. The new products are also made using cocoa beans sourced from the Puratos ‘cacao-trace’ sustainability programme, the company added.
“By focusing on continuous taste improvement, the new sugar-reduced chocolate will benefit cocoa farmers who receive an additional chocolate bonus for every kilo of chocolate sold. This means that the impact on living income for the company’s cacoa-trace farms is on average three times higher than through other sustainability programmes,” a company spokesperson said.
Taste tests
Puratos said the new Belcolade products ‘exceeded consumer expectations’ during their prelaunch Sensobus test, with Belgian consumers participating in the trials commenting that the reduced sugar chocolate provided a ‘delicious, indulgent taste’.
Philippa Knight, marketing director for Puratos UK, said: “We know that our customers demand the best tasting chocolate for their customers, while consumers are looking for ways to improve their health and wellbeing without sacrificing taste.
“Our new Belcolade products allow consumers to continue to enjoy the indulgent taste of chocolate while working towards their healthier eating goals, thereby achieving the best of both worlds.”
According to Puratos, Belcolade Selection Sugar Reduced Chocolate can be used in a wide variety of applications, including truffles, bars, cakes and brownies.
Knight added: “We kept our customers’ finished product in mind when we developed this new range so, when using the 40% sugar reduced chocolate and adding other sugary ingredients, it is still possible to make a claim for the finished product.”
