Cargill has long been one of the most prominent players in the food ingredients industry. When it comes to cocoa, the US giant manages integrated operations across the supply chain. Their reach includes sourcing, processing, and manufacturing cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, cocoa powder, and chocolate products.
More recently, the company has been at the forefront of big brands entering the alternative cocoa market. This can be seen with Cargill’s Nextcoa chocolate alternative offering and partnership with start-up Voyage Foods.
Alongside this, it has also announced plans to overhaul its sustainability efforts, making changes to its global supply chain.
We sit down with Anne Mertens-Hoyng, senior director of the Chocolate Confectionary & Ice Cream Category at Cargill, to learn more about the company’s plans for alternatives, how it sees the future of cocoa evolving, and what procurement professionals could be doing to adapt to volatility.
What sparked Cargill’s initial interest in entering the confectionery alternatives to cocoa market?
Mertens-Hoyng: “At Cargill, we’ve always taken a forward-looking approach to innovation in cocoa and chocolate. The rising complexity in global cocoa supply, from climate pressures to geopolitical instability, has intensified the need for scalable, sustainability-focused alternatives. At the same time, customers are increasingly asking for ingredient solutions that balance indulgence with resilience, cost-effectiveness, and environmental responsibility.
“Our entry into confectionery alternatives to chocolate – NextCoa – is part of our broader strategy to offer a more flexible, diversified indulgence portfolio. It’s not about replacing cocoa, but rather complementing it with innovative choices that address volatility and meet evolving market demands. This is inestimable for procurement professionals navigating increasingly constrained supply chains.”
How has Cargill seen cocoa alternatives evolve over the last five years?
Mertens-Hoyng: “Five years ago, confectionery alternatives to chocolate were mostly experimental or niche. Today, they’re gaining traction as practical solutions for large-scale manufacturing. We’ve seen procurement teams move from passive awareness to active exploration, asking for alternatives from reliable partners that are scalable, price-stable, and sensorially competitive with cocoa.
“Consumers are also more accepting of novel formulations, particularly when linked to sustainability or no-nut products. This has given buyers more confidence to diversify their sourcing strategies. Importantly, alternatives like NextCoa also de-risk supply planning by relying on raw materials less susceptible to climate impact or market speculation.”
Given the issues with cocoa sourcing, how do you see the sector evolving in the future, and how does this sit alongside the more traditional cocoa-based products portfolio that Cargill works with?
Mertens-Hoyng: “We see the future as an “and”, not an “or”, traditional cocoa will continue to hold emotional and cultural significance. But alternative indulgence solutions, especially those decoupled from cocoa, will play a growing role in building resilient and more sustainable portfolios.
“Our approach is twofold: maintain and strengthen our responsibly sourced cocoa operations while investing in forward-looking technologies like NextCoa. The key is to offer customers choice, whether they need classic couverture chocolate or a cost-stable no cocoa compound with a lower environmental impact.”
What areas or trends should procurement professionals pay attention to when buying in the cocoa alternatives and traditional cocoa market?
Mertens-Hoyng: “Procurement professionals today are operating in one of the most volatile cocoa markets in decades. Climate-related disruptions combined with political instability in key origin countries and speculative market behavior are driving historic price increases and long-term uncertainty in cocoa availability and pricing.
“In this environment, sourcing diversification is becoming critical, and many buyers are now exploring alternatives to 100% chocolate as a strategic buffer. These alternatives offer supply stability by using raw materials that are more widely available, climate-resilient, and less vulnerable to geopolitical disruptions, such as sunflower and grape seeds.
“At the same time, sustainability is becoming a key procurement metric. Ingredient decisions are increasingly judged not just on cost or functionality but also on environmental impact—especially carbon footprint, water consumption, and land use. In this context, confectionery alternatives to chocolate backed by third-party verified life cycle analyses are gaining traction.
“Lastly, consumer expectations continue to evolve. There’s rising demand for indulgent products that are plant-based, with no dairy and nuts included, and carry a lower environmental impact. Procurement decisions increasingly influence a brand’s ability to meet these expectations at scale, while maintaining performance and cost targets.
“Taken together, this means procurement leaders must adopt a flexible, forward-looking sourcing strategy, one that balances continuity of supply with sustainability performance, regulatory readiness, and market responsiveness. The role of procurement has never been more strategic, particularly in navigating the dual path of traditional cocoa and next-generation alternatives.”
How is your partnership with Voyage Foods going?
Mertens-Hoyng: “Our collaboration with Voyage Foods is moving from strength to strength. We serve as their exclusive global B2B global distributor for NextCoa. What makes this partnership powerful is the alignment of capabilities: Voyage brings patented technology and scalable innovation, while Cargill contributes sourcing expertise, application knowledge, and commercial reach.
“Together, we’ve introduced a suite of indulgent products that are produced with no-nut nor dairy allergens used in the recipe formulation and made from widely available raw materials like sunflower seeds and revalorized grape seeds. These solutions are already resonating with customers looking to decarbonize their supply chains and future-proof their portfolios.”
How significant is sustainability in your approach?
Mertens-Hoyng: “Sustainability is at the forefront of our product design. Compared to chocolate from an environmental perspective, our NextCoa offering provides up to: 67% reduction in carbon footprint; 90% lower land-use related impacts; and 95% lower water footprint. These results follow internationally recognised product footprint standards ISO 14040 & ISO 14044 conformant and are third-party verified.
“We recognise that sustainability is about more than the environment—it’s also about economic viability, social well-being, and long-term access. NextCoa offers more stable pricing and helps mitigate raw material risk, which is increasingly important for procurement professionals managing cost and continuity across regions.
“At Cargill, we also continue to support the cocoa sector through the Cargill Cocoa Promise and other long-standing programs. This dual-track strategy ensures we build a thriving cocoa ecosystem while enabling innovation in alternative paths.”
Lastly, what else is Cargill up to in this area?
Mertens-Hoyng: “We’re currently evaluating broader applications for NextCoa across coatings, inclusions, and fillings, spanning categories like bakery, cereals, and dairy alternatives. We’re also co-developing novel formats with our customers, including no-nut spreads that cater to the growing demand for accessible, label-friendly treats.
“We’re also helping our customers explore ways to reduce cocoa across a range of products separate from our NextCoa offering. For instance, our latest solutions include chocolate made with <5% cocoa butter equivalent (CBE), which still delivers the full chocolate sensory experience while supporting cost optimization.
“What’s powerful is that these aren’t second-tier substitutes. Thanks to our deep sensory science, we can tailor taste, texture, and aroma to match, and sometimes exceed, consumer expectations. Our research shows that 90% of consumers found alternatives just as satisfying as traditional chocolate in soft cakes. So, we’re unlocking cost savings without triggering a sensory compromise.
“As the regulatory and consumer landscapes evolve, we’re committed to staying ahead of the curve, so our customers don’t have to catch up later. Whether through expanded capacity in Deventer, new specialty lines, or co-creation partnerships, our goal is to ensure that indulgence stays within reach for our customers and the consumers they serve.”
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