Wild claims that its Maximum range of fillings can offer up to 25 per cent fruit content in chocolate, the most currently allowed under Cocoa Regulation in markets like the EU, as the ingredients group continues to push ingredient innovation.
A spokesperson for the company told FoodNavigator.com that the fillings themselves have been previously used in other products, notably in the form of gummy confectionery goods, but not at the level of fruit content currently being supplied.
Fruit use
The company says that these latest filling developments have been devised to tap into the growing trend for chocolate products with added functionality such as in the use of super fruits. A spokesperson for the group claims that it has been able to comply both with regulatory challenges, in terms of the level of fruit fillings allowed in chocolate products, while at the same time retaining taste, structure and functionality.
“The high fruit content can be claimed on the packaging, ensuring premium-product positioning,” states the company. “Wild uses natural flavours for filled chocolate bars or pralines.” Any type of super fruits or products can be used in the fillings, according to the supplier.
Cost considerations
In the current European market place, Wild says that the general standard for the proportion of fruit used in chocolate products is between five to ten per cent.
However, the company claims that amidst uncertainty over cocoa prices and interest in innovative products, expanding fruit content through use of fillings may potentially help to cut production costs.
“With regard to cocoa prices, the fruit fillings could even be cheaper than chocolate and would therefore be an innovation for the industry,” says a group spokesperson.
Wild claims that the fillings have also been developed to offer a smoother texture in chocolate formulations, making them easier to handle than fruit pieces, which the company says can be too big for dosing machines at certain production levels,
Citing Euromonitor data, Wild says that with chocolate products representing 62 per cent of European confectionery demand alone, a growing number of product launches in the segment have moved to make use of fruit.
“The combination of chocolate and fruit appeals to the discerning, enjoyment-oriented consumer in search of unique taste experiences,” states the group.