Ardent Mills has introduced Cocoa Replace, a wheat-based solution, designed to address the ingredient volatility in the food manufacturing sector.
Cocoa Replace is a clean-label alternative to cocoa powder, set to replace up to 25% of cocoa in baked goods such as cakes, brownies, cookies, and muffins.
Also, the product offers cost savings and supply assurance for manufacturers.
Cocoa Replace allows brands to maintain product flavour and performance while adapting to supply disruptions and consumer demand for cleaner ingredients.
It is a vegan, kosher-certified, and non-GMO product, requiring minimal label changes for wheat-based goods.
Ardent Mills chief growth officer Angie Goldberg said: “Cocoa Replace is a targeted response to cocoa market volatility, but it’s also part of a broader strategy.
“We’re focused on helping our customers build resilience into their supply chains and formulation strategies, supporting not just the challenges they face today, but the ones coming next.”
Ardent Mills validated Cocoa Replace through extensive sensory trials, involving both trained panels and consumers.
Results indicated that the solution closely matches cocoa powder in taste and acceptability, making it a viable alternative for up to 25% substitution in baking applications.
Cocoa Replace is part of Ardent Mills’ broader strategy to provide innovative solutions that support supply reliability and cost management.
Based in Denver, Colorado, the company operates over 40 locations across the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico, offering plant-based ingredients.
Ardent Mills research and development senior director Sergio Machado said: “Cocoa Replace is a powerful example of how Ardent Mills equips customers to navigate disruption with practical, high-impact solutions.
“This ingredient innovation showcases our R&D agility and our ability to collaborate closely with customers to transform real-time market challenges, whether rising input costs, clean-label reformulations or shifting consumer expectations, into scalable, commercial-ready innovations.”
