NEW TECH FOODS

Cocoa tech start-up Celleste Bio has introduced what it says is the world’s first chocolate-grade cocoa butter made using plant cell culture technology, a development that could help make the chocolate industry more climate-resilient.

Celleste’s lab-grown cocoa butter is bio-identical to the one extracted from cocoa beans, matching its fatty acid profile, melting point and texture – even the familiar “snap” of good chocolate. The company says it can produce the ingredient without relying on cocoa farming, using a process that’s scalable, waste-free and designed to operate independently of traditional agriculture.

The launch comes amid growing concern over the future of cocoa. Prices rose 400% in 2024 following a massive shortage, as climate change, disease and poor harvests hit major producing countries. Industry experts warn that such instability could become the norm.

Michal Berresi Golomb, CEO of Celleste Bio, said: "Our ability to produce real cocoa butter via cell culture proves that science can be used to grow and produce ingredients that mirror nature with integrity and transparency. This is a major R&D achievement for Celleste led by Hanne Volpin, CTO of Celleste, and her R&D team, and also validation for the entire cocoa industry that there is a solution to supplement supply chain shortages caused by the volatility and unpredictability of traditional farming".

Howard Yano Shapiro, retired chief agriculture officer at Mars, added: "It's important to understand, technology doesn't replace traditional farming. It is an 'insurance policy' against imminent supply chain disruptions and destruction caused by pests, disease, land and water overuse – as well as those that will arise from climate and agricultural instability."

"Celleste Bio is one example of a technology that is getting ahead of a long-term crisis. Cocoa butter is the single most important, expensive and resource intensive ingredient in chocolate and if we've learned anything from last year, it's that solutions for crop supplementation are crucial."

Celleste Bio is now building a pilot facility to speed up development and scale production of its cocoa ingredients. So far, the company has raised $5.6 million, with Mondelēz International as a strategic partner, alongside Supply Change Capital, Trendlines and Barrel Ventures.