German Startup Makes 10,000 Tonnes of Sunflower-Seed Chocolate Alternative Each Year

Planet A Foods produces 10,000 tonnes of ChoViva each year at its Munich facility. The chocolate alternative is made from fermented and roasted sunflower seeds, sugar and vegetable oil, without cocoa beans. The company was founded in 2021 and employs researchers and food-industry professionals from 18 countries.

Its concentrate is manufactured in Pilsen, Czech Republic, then delivered to chocolate plants across Europe for use in bars and biscuits. 6 percent lower carbon footprint than conventional chocolate. 6 kg CO2e per kilogram for standard chocolate, according to Planet A Foods data.

2 kg with ChoViva, up to 72 kg of CO2 per person per year could be saved, the company said. 02 billion kg of CO2 nationwide. Sara Marquart, chief technology officer and co-founder, said the product reduces CO2 emissions by 70 to 80 percent.

She added that 80 percent of the world’s cocoa comes from Ghana and Ivory Coast and that forecasts show roughly 50 percent of cocoa supply could be lost by around 2050. Marquart stated that the cocoa crises of 2023, 2024 and 2025 demonstrated the viability of ChoViva.

She noted that her PhD research examined aroma formation in roasted coffee and that processing steps, rather than the raw bean, create most chocolate flavour.

Planet A Foods has formed partnerships with medium and large chocolate producers in Europe, including brands in Switzerland and Belgium. The raw material is shipped to plants on the continent for further processing. Abtey Chocolaterie in Alsace, France, became the first French company to adopt ChoViva for part of its output.

The family-run firm, founded 80 years ago by Anne-Catherine Wagner-Abtey’s grandfather, worked with Planet A Foods for nine months to adjust the ingredient’s flow properties to existing machines. Abtey Chocolaterie met Planet A Foods at a trade fair in January 2024 during the cocoa shortage that began that month.