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Celleste Bio's Cocoa Revolution

In a remarkable advancement for the chocolate industry, Celleste Bio™, an innovative cocoa technology company, has officially announced the production of the world’s first chocolate-grade cocoa butter using state-of-the-art plant cell culture technology. This pivotal milestone, which was unveiled at the recent EIT Food's Next Bite Summit in Brussels, Belgium, signifies a potential turning point in producing a sustainable and resilient cocoa supply chain.

Groundbreaking Technology

The chocolate-grade cocoa butter developed by Celleste Bio is biologically identical to traditional cocoa butter extracted directly from cocoa beans. This means that it shares the same chemical composition and functional properties, ensuring that it can produce real chocolate with the same quality and sensory characteristics that chocolate lovers expect, including:

• - Fatty Acid Profile: The same essential fatty acids required for creating high-quality chocolate.
• - Sensory Qualities: Retains familiar traits such as the melting point, smooth texture, and characteristic “snap” associated with premium chocolate.
• - Sustainability: Designed for scalability, it allows for stable and sustainable production without being hindered by agricultural limitations.
• - Zero Waste: All inputs during the production process are used efficiently, creating a zero-waste output.

According to Michal Berresi Golomb, the CEO of Celleste Bio, the success in producing this cocoa butter through cell culture technology demonstrates how scientific innovation can replicate natural ingredients with integrity. He emphasizes that this achievement not only represents a significant milestone for Celleste Bio but also offers a solution to ongoing supply chain challenges that have plagued the cocoa industry.

The Cocoa Market Crisis

Cocoa is an incredibly valuable commodity; chocolate manufacturers globally invest around $16 billion annually on cocoa ingredients, with cocoa butter constituting nearly half of this expenditure. In 2024, market prices skyrocketed by 400% due to a significant shortfall of over half a billion tons. Although market prices and yields can stabilize temporarily, experts agree that long-term volatility is now the industry norm. Celleste Bio’s groundbreaking technology is seen as a necessary measure to counteract these instabilities.

Howard Yano Shapiro, a retired Chief Agriculture Officer at Mars, Incorporated, shared his insights on the pressing need for innovative solutions. He stated that technology should not be viewed as a replacement for traditional farming but rather as an insurance policy against possible disruptions that could arise from climate change, pest infestations, and agricultural instability.

Looking Ahead

Celleste Bio is in the process of establishing a pilot facility to enhance its research and development, as well as to ramp up production of its innovative cocoa ingredients. So far, the company has managed to secure $5.6 million in funding from several partners, including Mondelēz International. This shows strong industry support and confidence in their mission to create an economically viable and environmentally sustainable cocoa supply chain.

About Celleste Bio

Founded in 2022 by Hanne Volpin, PhD, alongside Orna Harel, Avishay Levy, and Daphna Michaeli, PhD, Celleste Bio aims to revolutionize cocoa production by leveraging a unique combination of advanced biotechnology, agricultural technology, and computational AI. Their pioneering work seeks to produce 100% natural cocoa ingredients, laying the groundwork for a new era in the chocolate industry. For more information about their initiatives, visit Celleste Bio's website.