Barry Callebaut launches soft-melting ice cream chocolate bites made from 100% chocolate

Nevin Barich

PRAGUE , January 27, 2012 (press release) – Barry Callebaut, the world's leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate products, announces the launch of an exciting new generation of soft melting ice cream chocolate bites called ChocMelts™ inclusions. Unlike standard compound-based drops, Barry Callebaut's innovative ChocMelts™ inclusions are the first ever to be made from 100% chocolate, offering the unmistakably intense flavor and texture of genuine chocolate. Because they melt together with ice cream, ChocMelts™ inclusions release a much richer and more intense chocolate taste than regular chocolate ice cream inclusions. The perfect crystalline structure of the cocoa butter ensures a 100% pure chocolate experience, even at the low temperatures of ice cream.

Hans Vriens, Chief Innovation Officer at Barry Callebaut: "Barry Callebaut's ChocMelts™ inclusions are a truly exciting new development. This is the first time anyone has developed a 100% chocolate inclusion with the perfect melting behavior required for use in ice cream. This unique innovation offers untold possibilities for new products and new taste sensations for the end consumer."

Developing chocolate-based inclusions for ice cream presents a major challenge for chocolate and ice cream makers. In order to replicate the same texture and melting behavior of chocolate at low temperatures, most manufacturers resort to the use of so-called chocolate "compounds", based on vegetable fats other than cocoa butter. Today's new ChocMelts™ inclusions, however, represent a major breakthrough in the industry. Made from 100% chocolate, ChocMelts™ inclusions combine the technical characteristics of compounds with the inimitable flavor, taste profile and intense aroma of 100% pure chocolate.

Barry Callebaut ChocMelts™ inclusions can be blended with ice cream via a standard fruit feeder. The new soft melting chocolate drops are available in dark, milk and white chocolate and can in principle be developed to match any taste profile. The 20 kg packs can be stored for up to 18 months in a frozen environment. Barry Callebaut plans to start shipping this innovation in Europe immediately. Other regions - such as Americas and Asia - are planned to follow at a later stage. Visitors to the Barry Callebaut booth at ISM will have an exclusive sneak preview at these delicious ChocMelts™ inclusions!

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Barry Callebaut:

With annual sales of about CHF 4.6 billion (EUR 3.6 billion/USD 5.0 billion) for fiscal year 2010/11, Zurich-based Barry Callebaut is the world's leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate - from the cocoa bean to the finished chocolate product. Barry Callebaut is present in 27 countries, operates around 40 production facilities and employs a diverse and dedicated workforce of about 6,000 people. Barry Callebaut serves the entire food industry focusing on industrial food manufacturers, artisans and professional users of chocolate (such as chocolatiers, pastry chefs or bakers), the latter with its two global brands Callebaut® and Cacao Barry®. Barry Callebaut is the global leader in cocoa and chocolate innovations and provides a comprehensive range of services in the fields of product development, processing, training and marketing. Cost leadership is another important reason why global as well as local food manufacturers work together with Barry Callebaut. Through its broad range of sustainability initiatives and research activities, the company works with farmers, farmer organizations and other partners to help ensure future supplies of cocoa and improve farmer livelihoods.

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