More than 175 years of chocolate and cocoa industry innovation

Barry Callebaut innovation history

More than 175 years of chocolate and cocoa industry innovation

The Barry Callebaut Group sets the standard for innovation in chocolate and cocoa. Here's a look back at some of our innovative products and services with which we opened up new growth areas.
2nd generation chocolate Barry Callebaut

2022

Barry Callebaut introduces the second generation of chocolate

140 years after the emergence of the first generation, Barry Callebaut announced today the second generation of chocolate. By putting ‘cocoa first, sugar last’, this new product design is a testament to nature's flavors as well as the mindfully living consumer. The 2nd Gen chocolate is as pure as it can be: Dark chocolate contains two ingredients, milk chocolate also contains dairy.

2021

Barry Callebaut unveils the first nutraceutical fruit drink

Barry Callebaut leverages its deep scientific knowledge of the cacaofruit and the fruit’s supportive health effect, by presenting the first nutraceutical fruit drink. The new cacaofruit elixir – made from 100% pure cacaofruit – has a zesty fruity taste. By unlocking the power of science, the elixir is uniquely crafted to preserve the nutrients of the cacaofruit.

Barry Callebaut - ELIX drink
Wholefruit-chocolate-Evokao-Cacao-Barry

2021

Cacao Barry enchants the artisan world with WholeFruit chocolate

Almost two years after unleashing the power of the cacaofruit with the unveiling of WholeFruit chocolate, a revolutionary new type of chocolate, our global brand Cacao Barry launches a WholeFruit chocolate that enchants artisans across the globe.

2020

Barry Callebaut Group, through its global decoration brand Mona Lisa, is now offering the world’s first personalized 3D printed chocolate at scale.

"This new way of working with chocolate is going to take consumers by surprise, with previously unthinkable shapes produced at scale and with impressive precision. I’m usually inspired by the things I can’t do as they represent a creative challenge – but now, thanks to Mona Lisa 3D Studio, I can take my chocolate craftsmanship to the next level. I can imagine any new kind of design and it will come to life."
Jordi Roca

MONA_LISA_3D_STUDIO - Barry Callebaut
Barry Callebaut Cacaofruit Experience WholeFruit Chocolate Innovation 2019

2019

Addressing consumers’ need for tasty, nutritious, honest food Barry Callebaut unleashes the full power of the cacaofruit in next-gen food & drink category: 'Cacaofruit Experience' is an innovative range of products that celebrates the fresh, fruity taste and natural richness of the cacaofruit. As part of ‘Cacaofruit Experience’, we also presented the artisan world with the delicious WholeFruit chocolate, a fresh, fruity delight made from 100% pure cacaofruit.  

2017

Ruby chocolate, unveiled in Shanghai on September 5, 2017, is widely considered by KOFs, artisans and industry players as the biggest discovery in chocolate making over the past 80 years. Ruby chocolate has a fresh berry-fruity taste and characteristic color. Ruby chocolate is made from the ruby cocoa bean. No berries, berry flavor nor color are added. Ruby is already available in about 40 markets worldwide.

Ruby Chocolate by Barry Callebaut
Barry Callebaut Heat tolerant chocolate

2015

Barry Callebaut develops a toolbox to make chocolate and compounds more thermo-tolerant for different applications. By optimizing the use of ingredients and production processes, a solution matrix was created to make chocolate thermo-tolerant to an additional 4°C rise in temperature without the loss of taste, workability and applicability. This opens new possibilities for clients to use chocolate and compounds in warmer areas.

2014

Barry Callebaut launches the perennial project COMETA. To strengthen our leadership position, we expanded the cooperation with the Jacobs University in Bremen to work on the COMETA project. The project is aimed at precisely analyzing and classifying the 20,000 molecules of the cocoa bean, one of the most complex foodstuff on earth. The knowledge gained will be used to develop new quality tests for cocoa.

Cometa
Acticoa

2013

Barry Callebaut gets EU approval for the health claim on ACTICOA® products. Based on over 20 human clinical studies, we received the right of using the health claim on our ACTICOA® cocoa powders and dark chocolates that “cocoa flavanols help maintain the elasticity of blood vessels, which contributes to normal blood flow”. This was the first such health claim in the cocoa and chocolate industry. Barry Callebaut's ACTICOA® process preserves up to 80% of the cocoa flavanols which would otherwise be destroyed for the most part during the conventional chocolate-making process.

2010

No dairy added chocolate - Barry Callebaut is the first to bring a plant-based alternative to milk chocolate into the market - offering the same color and similar smooth taste of milk chocolate, yet without any milk ingredients added. This innovation is a valuable alternative for the increasing number of people excluding dairy or dairy ingredients from their diet like vegans or vegetarians, or for those being lactose intolerant.

Dairy free chocolate
Sugar reduced chocolate

2004

Barry Callebaut develops a new, healthier type of sugar-reduced chocolate. While many sugar-reduced or sugar-free products replace sugar with polyols (sugar alcohols) - which can have a laxative effect - Barry Callebaut’s sugar-reduced chocolate replaces part of the sugar with plant-based dietary fibers. These fibers offer many health-related benefits in comparison to sucrose, such as a lower caloric content, an improved digestive effect, and reduced risk of dental cavities.

1994

Cacao Barry® introduces single-origin chocolate. Thanks to its presence in Africa, Cacao Barry is able to bring distinct single-origin chocolates (fine chocolate made with a single cocoa bean variety grown and harvested in a specific region of the world) to the global market place.

single origin chocolate
Barry Callebaut callets

1988

Callebaut® starts offering easy to measure Callets™. Small, flat discs of chocolate, Callets™, are a unique product that comes pretempered (heated and cooled to the right temperature in order to use for coating or dipping). They can be easily measured and melted, saving chefs from having to chop large bars or chunks of chocolate into smaller pieces.

1973

Cacao Barry® - our French gourmet chocolate brand - becomes the first chocolate brand to offer personalized assistance and support for food professionals. The world-famous Academy Cacao Barry, led by trained technical advisors, provided culinary professionals with information on the latest trends, recipes and techniques. Today, the tradition continues at the over 20 CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ centres of the Barry Callebaut Group throughout the world, and through an e-learning platform for chocolate professionals (CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ online) launched in November 2018.

Chocolate Academy chef
Barry Callebaut liquid chocolate couverture

1920

Callebaut® - our Finest Belgian Chocolate brand - becomes the first company to produce liquid chocolate couverture. Using a revolutionary process invented by the Callebaut family, the liquid Belgian chocolate couverture (high-quality confectioners’ chocolate made with a high percentage of cocoa butter) helped lower the cost of chocolate by eliminating the need for chocolate to be solidified first in blocks, tablets or bars.

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