This article is an English translation of a Foovo article, published with permission from Foovo.
As cacao bean prices continue to soar, major oil manufacturer Fuji Oil has launched a new B2B product this month that does not contain cacao or cocoa butter.
Announced on March 12, “Anoza M” is the company’s first cacao-free product, made entirely without cacao-derived ingredients such as cacao mass or cocoa butter.
The product is developed as an alternative milk chocolate, using ingredients such as pea protein, carob (locust bean), and chocolate-use fats.
Fuji Oil’s History of Developing Alternative Chocolate
Source: Fuji Oil
In 2024, structural issues in cacao production became increasingly severe in West Africa, which accounts for approximately 70% of global cacao production. Climate change and extreme weather events caused by the El Niño phenomenon further exacerbated the situation.
In December 2024, cacao prices hit a then-record high of $12,646, and they surged even further in January 2025.
In response to these market conditions, Fuji Oil developed an alternative chocolate product as a new option amid rising cacao prices. The company leveraged its extensive expertise in vegetable oils, as well as chocolate, with a strong emphasis on taste.
Fuji Oil‘s journey in developing alternative chocolate dates back to 1955.
In 1955, Fuji Oil became the first company in Japan to develop and launch “Melano Butter,” a cocoa butter substitute made from palm kernel oil.
By the 1970s, concerns about the quality and supply stability of cacao-derived cocoa butter grew, driving global demand for cocoa butter alternatives.
Fuji Oil introduced interesterification technology and, by the mid-1980s, succeeded in industrializing and mass-producing cocoa butter alternatives using enzyme interesterification technology with lipase.
The Expanding Cacao-Free Market Overseas and Its Future in Japan
Source: Fuji Oil
In recent years, alternative cacao development has been progressing overseas.
In the UK, Win-Win (formerly known as WNWN) made history in May 2022 by launching the world’s first cacao-free chocolate for online sales.
Germany’s Planet A Foods introduced its alternative chocolate product, Chovia (formerly known as Nocoa), in April 2023 in partnership with online retailer Confiserie Seidl. In September 2023, the company began selling products using alternative cacao in supermarkets.
Other companies are also developing alternative chocolates, such as Nukoko, which utilizes fava beans, and Mycosortia, which uses okara as a raw material.
A distinctive feature of alternative chocolate development using plant-based ingredients is the wide variety of raw materials involved. In Japan, Ajikan launched “GOVOCE” in 2024, a cacao-free chocolate made primarily from roasted burdock root.
More recently, Brazil’s Cellva has been working on alternative cacao derived from coffee byproducts, showcasing new examples of innovation in this space.
At present, the cacao-free market in Japan remains niche. While alternative meats and plant-based foods have gained traction, the concept of “chocolate without cacao” has yet to be widely embraced by consumers.
However, with rising environmental awareness and increasing demand for cacao alternatives driven by soaring cacao prices, Japan’s alternative chocolate market could see growth similar to Europe within the next few years.
As concerns over cacao supply persist, the global alternative chocolate market is set to expand further. While overseas markets currently lead in cacao-free product distribution, if other major companies follow Fuji Oil’s lead and leverage their technological expertise and production capabilities, Japan’s domestic market could see accelerated growth as well.
Sourse:カカオ豆由来の原料を全く使用しない、ミルクチョコレートタイプの新製品発売について
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Photo:Fuji Oil
