British Chocolatier Launches Drink Made from Overlooked Cacao Fruit Waste
By Business Correspondent
A British chocolatier has launched a new drink made using parts of the cacao fruit that are normally thrown away, in an effort to cut food waste in the chocolate industry.
Flo Broughton, founder of chocolate brand Choc on Choc, has created TRASH®, a drink made from the sweet pulp that surrounds the cocoa bean and is usually discarded during processing.
The pulp is cold-pressed and mixed with water to produce a light, tropical-style drink, with the company saying it makes use of a part of the fruit that is rarely used commercially.
Broughton said the idea came after learning how much of the cacao fruit is wasted during production.
“When you see it, you can’t really unsee it,” she said. “A huge amount of the fruit just gets binned. I wanted to see if there was a better way to use it.”
TRASH® was launched at Taste of London in Regent’s Park last week, where visitors were able to try samples and hear more about how the drink is made. Some said they were surprised to learn how much of the cacao pod never makes it into chocolate.
Broughton has worked in the chocolate industry for more than 20 years and founded Choc on Choc in 2003, growing it from a small family kitchen operation into a stocked UK brand.
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She said she hopes the new drink will not only reduce waste but also help improve value for cacao farmers by making use of more of the crop.
The drink is now available in recyclable cans, with the company describing it as part of a wider push to rethink how food waste is handled in the supply chain.
