British chocolate maker York Cocoa Works has partnered with biotechnology company Cellva Innovations to develop a retail chocolate-style bar using Koji Cocoa, an ingredient made using cocoa bean shells.
Cocoa shells are a by-product of cocoa processing, and finding new ways to use them could help reduce waste and extract more value from cocoa materials. The new 30-gram bar contains 45% cocoa-origin material and is designed to offer an experience similar to milk chocolate. The launch was reported by Confectionery Production in early October 2026.
Confectionery Production
The project highlights how chocolate businesses are exploring alternative ingredients and fermentation technologies to rethink conventional production methods.
Why it matters: Cocoa prices and supply uncertainty are pushing manufacturers to explore ways of using more of each cocoa crop. If the approach proves commercially successful, it could open new possibilities for ingredient innovation and waste reduction across the chocolate industry.
At Macao Cacao, we cover the innovations and manufacturing ideas helping shape a more resource-conscious future for chocolate.
Source: Confectionery Production — York Cocoa Works’ innovative alternative chocolate launch
