Cocoa. Our unique know-how
Cocoa is the most common ingredient in chocolate, and we use it in many of our most loved products for its remarkable combination of flavour and taste, through carefully selection and processing.
Experts at cocoa processing
Through the years we have developed a unique expertise in combining and processing different cocoa beans to create the special aroma and taste of our recipes.
Once the cocoa beans have been removed from the ripe fruit, they are left to ferment for a week, usually under banana leaves, to allow the natural flavours and aromas to develop, and then dried for five days before being shipped to our factories. Here they undergo our rigorous quality controls: organoleptic, physical, chemical, microbiological checks. We then further dry the beans and grind them to separate the edible nibs from the skin.
The nibs are roasted to enhance their aroma and colour. We roast most of the beans ourselves to monitor their fragrance, quality, and freshness. We grind the roasted nibs, from which we obtain the cocoa powder that we use in our recipes.
Supporting Farmers
Cocoa is mainly produced in developing countries by smallholder farmers who face various economic, social, and environmental issues, such as lack of access to resources, limited knowledge of good agricultural practices, and climate change.
Through our sustainability program for cocoa, we support farmers in adopting sustainable agricultural practices aimed at fostering sustainable livelihoods while respecting the local communities and environment.
We also actively support initiatives that have a broader scope than our direct supply chain and aim at protecting cocoa farming communities and their environment. To do so, since 2008 we have been a member of the International Cocoa Initiative, and since 2005 a member of the World Cocoa Foundation.
In early 2021, we also partnered with Save the Children to protect children’s rights and promote education in cocoa growing communities in West Africa.
