Subscribe for the latest consumer trends, trade news, nutrition science and regulatory updates in the supplement industry!
Join 37,000+ members. Yes, it's completely free.
Healthier Chocolate from Barry Callebaut
July 22, 2010
2 Min Read
CHICAGOChocolate is receiving accolades as a healthy food, but not all chocolate is created equal when it comes to nutritional benefits. To help address the demand for taste-pleasing functional foods, Zurich-based Barry Callebaut introduced its ACTICOA® chocolate products, in dark and milk chocolate varieties, to the North American market at the Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting & Food Expo in Chicago.
Conventional chocolate-making can destroy a high level of naturally occurring flavanols. According to the company, a special manufacturing process preserves the maximum level of healthy cocoa flavanolsup to 80%in the cocoa bean without compromising taste. This allows the chocolate products to provide guaranteed levels of flavanols, which have been linked to several important health benefits, including the ability to help protect the body against cell damage from free radicals, maintain cardiovascular health, and benefit the skin.
Todays consumers are increasingly seeking out healthier options, so Barry Callebaut has spent years working to reinvent chocolate through innovative research and development initiatives designed to harness the healthy components of cocoa and preserve them in new chocolate products, said Hans Vriens, chief innovation officer, Barry Callebaut. With ACTICOA, North American consumers will be able to enjoy great-tasting chocolate that has been scientifically proven to have a wide range of health benefitsfrom helping to maintain cardiovascular health to nourishing healthy skin.
Specifically, the company cites the following scientifically proven health benefits due to the regular consumption of the cocoa flavanols found in the functional chocolate:
Helps keep you young and fit: Oxidative stress caused by activities such as smoking, exposure to sunlight, air pollution or the excessive use of alcohol is known to accelerate the aging process. Acting as antioxidants, cocoa flavanols work to prevent cell damage from these stressors.
Helps maintain cardiovascular health: Cocoa flavanols are proven to help maintain healthy circulation and blood pressure. Healthy circulation gives your body the oxygen and nutrients it needs to help you feel your best.
Helps maintain skin health: Cocoa flavanols can increase skin elasticity and hydration, resulting in a more youthful, glowing appearance that is observed over the entire body. Additionally, while not a substitute for protection from the sun, the high-flavanol chocolate can help reduce the skins natural sensitivity to the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation caused by regular exposure to the sun.
The process preserves the indulgent, rich and varied flavors found in traditional chocolate, and the chocolate does not contain any additional additives.
You May Also Like