24 Feb 2026
Today, we are proud to announce that Puratos will soon launch the world’s first chocolate product for professionals containing cultured cocoa, becoming the first company to bring this breakthrough innovation to market. The product will be fully commercially available to Puratos customers in the United States toward the end of 2026, marking a significant milestone for innovation in the chocolate industry.
Through our foodtech venture arm, Sparkalis, we are an early investor in cultured cocoa technology, reflecting our long-standing commitment to innovation and science-driven solutions. By supporting the development of this emerging technology at an early stage, we aim to help shape the future of chocolate in a way that complements traditional cocoa farming.
We are developing this first-of-its-kind product in collaboration with California Cultured, a pioneer in cultured cocoa. Together, we aim to commercialize a chocolate product for professionals and food brands that translates cutting-edge cultured cocoa technology into a solution that meets customer expectations for taste, quality, consistency, and performance.
This project reflects how we approach innovation at Puratos: through collaboration, openness, and scientific rigor. By working closely with partners like California Cultured and leveraging our open innovation ecosystem, we explore emerging technologies in a way that turns promising science into real, high-quality solutions for our customers.
Paul Baisier - Chief R&D Officer, Puratos
What matters to chocolate makers is simple. They need an ingredient that behaves like cocoa, tastes like cocoa, and shows up when they need it. This partnership with Puratos moves cultured cocoa from a scientific proof into a dependable commercial ingredient that manufacturers can actually plan around.
Alan Perlstein - Chief Executive Officer, California Cultured
We believe that cultured cocoa can act as a climate-independent and sustainable complement to traditional cocoa farming. By helping to ensure more consistent quality and supply in the face of climate change, this approach has the potential to strengthen the long-term resilience of the chocolate industry while continuing to support existing cocoa ecosystems. Our long-standing Cacao-Trace program demonstrates our commitment to creating measurable, positive impact across the cocoa value chain.
The future of the chocolate industry depends on our ability to innovate responsibly. Through programs like Cacao-Trace, we have shown that improving farmer livelihoods, product quality, and sustainability can go hand in hand, and we remain committed to cocoa farmers with the ambition to double our Chocolate Bonus and Quality Premium by 2030. Exploring new approaches such as cultured cocoa allows us to build on that foundation and continue shaping a more resilient future for chocolate.
Youri Dumont - Director Chocolate Strategic Business Unit, Puratos
Crucially, responsible innovation at Puratos is grounded in taste. With decades of expertise in chocolate flavor development and sensory science, we bring deep craftsmanship to the development of this new chocolate product. This expertise is essential when applying emerging technologies such as cultured cocoa, ensuring that functional and sustainability ambitions are delivered without compromise on taste, texture, or overall sensory experience.
Further details about the new ingredient and its commercial launch will be shared closer to availability.
