Consumers don’t buy chocolates and confectionary products for their nutritional benefits. They buy them for their taste and delicious, creamy textures. They buy them for the experience.
If you’re looking to elevate your next creation, check out our catalog for premium cocoa powder and other top-quality ingredients.
Going back to the news, being concerned about costs and any possible nutritional boosts, that’s the job of manufacturers and brands behind the world’s favorite delicacies.
And that’s exactly what the Sweden-based vegetable oil manufacturer AAK is known for.
Exploring the potential of shea butter
The oil manufacturer recently made news for its investigation into cocoa alternatives, a much needed quest amid the global cocoa shortage that is putting bulk suppliers, farmers, private label companies, and national brands alike in a tight corner.
Shea butter has long been a mainstay in the skincare arena, but it hasn’t gained as much of a reputation in the food industry yet. With the increasing search for oil and fat alternatives, that may soon change.
Shea butter brings a uniquely nutty flavor to products, much like cocoa butter, yet at a far lower price. The structuring fats of shea butter helps to provide the same texture, mouthfeel, and binding power as cocoa butter or coconut butters would, but with less saturated fats than coconut products.
Creating a safer industry and sustainable future
AAK is also working closely with the Food and Drug Administration to expand the safe usage of shea butter, and has already made headway in the approval of their shea stearin product. Shea stearin is a powder that is manufactured by fractionating shea butter, which is then used as a thickening agent in products such as spreads, margarines, and other plant-based foods.
In 2021, AAK took their shea sourcing a step further and started investing in sustainability efforts that directly improves the lives of some 13,000 women farmers who cultivate shea crops. The Women in Shea Initiative is part of the company’s Kolo Nafaso Shea Sourcing Program, which not only partners with women farmers but also empowers them through resources and training to strengthen the shea market.
At the same time, the initiative raises awareness around long-term conservation and resource management to help improve the ecosystem around shea cultivation in an effort to avoid the same shortages that has befallen the cocoa industry.
The ongoing chocolate revolution
From Lindt’s dairy-free truffles to Nestlé’s sustainably sourced travel line and Mez’s use of mesquite as cacao alternative, private label chocolatiers and national chocolate brands alike are helping to revolutionize the confectionary industry as they explore sustainably sourced ingredients and ingredient sources with untapped potential in new applications.
Whether you’re looking for sustainable cocoa butter suppliers or exploring the possibilities of shea butter, Source86 is the wholesale importer that will help you find exactly what your brand is looking for.
Contact us today.
