United States - Amidst a significant global shortfall in cocoa supply, T. Hasegawa USA has launched an innovative Cocoa Powder Replacer.

This new product serves as a strategic solution for food and beverage manufacturers struggling with rising cocoa costs due to severe droughts in West Africa, which have slashed global cocoa production by 11% over the past year.

The Cocoa Powder Replacer, which is an alkalized, low-fat cocoa flavor, offers a practical alternative to traditional cocoa powder.

 It is designed to help manufacturers maintain the beloved rich aroma and bold chocolate flavor in their products without depending on increasingly scarce raw cocoa supplies.

The timing is crucial as cocoa prices have recently surged to nearly $10,000 per metric ton.

Toshifumi Nozawa, Associate Director of Beverage Technology at T. Hasegawa USA, emphasized that the replacer was crafted to ensure that manufacturers could continue to deliver top-quality products without compromise.

By integrating this substitute, companies can significantly reduce their reliance on raw cocoa, thus mitigating the risk of fluctuating supply affecting their production lines.

The Cocoa Powder Replacer is versatile enough to be incorporated into a wide range of products from confectioneries to sports drinks and hot beverages.

Notably, cocoa is a critical component in over 17% of sports nutrition beverages and 11% of hot beverages introduced in the past five years.

Developed by T. Hasegawa's US R&D team over several years, the replacer was anticipated as a necessary innovation in response to foreseen supply challenges.

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