The more than 400 participants at the three-day international chocolate trade congress Choco Tec 2022, which recently took place in Cologne/Germany, learned a lot of new things. The lecture event organized by the Central College of the German Confectionery Industry (ZDS) was complemented by an informative foyer exhibition with 42 companies as well as an exhibition with 32 scientific posters – each combined with an interesting short presentation.

By Dr. Bernhard Reichenbach

This year’s Choco Tec congress covered a broad spectrum of topics that spanned the entire process chain of chocolate production. New ingredients were presented as well as innovative production technology and future-oriented packaging solutions. The focus was on current and future challenges as well as the aspect of sustainability. This also applied to the presentation “Holistic use of the cocoa fruit: products, possibilities and challenges” by Hauke Will, Head of Agricultural Production at chocolate producer Alfred Ritter.

The holistic use of the cocoa fruit is one of the most current topics in the cocoa industry. Until now, there has only been a demand for cocoa beans, especially for the chocolate industry, but the naturally occurring fruit offers more. Today, it is clear that there are at least two main arguments for using more than just the beans: firstly, adding value for farmers and increasing their income, and, secondly, the fact that it is a natural product that offers more than just the beans. “For example, the outer shell can serve as a natural fertilizer, but also in powder form as a baking ingredient,” explained Hauke Will. The pulp – the whitish, juicy skin that covers the beans – can be used to obtain juice, concentrate or sweetener. The concentrate, in turn, is suitable, for example, as a filling for chocolate, but also for the production of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

In her presentation “The plant-based boom: How to satisfy flexitarians”, Ilaria Chiala, Category Manager Fillings and Coatings at Barry Callebaut, referred to another trend in the ingredients sector. She revealed that the plant-based food market is growing, indeed booming, and that the younger generation in particular expects to see even more plant-based alternatives on offer. “Consumers are looking for conscious enjoyment, with sustainability particularly close to their hearts,” Ilaria Chiala explained. Here, “flexitarians” are the driving force, for whom two reasons are important: “Vegan chocolate is perceived as healthier, but the taste has to be right.” There, the – rather difficult – substitution of milk in chocolate is important. After all, the chocolate should be creamy, allergen-free, sustainable, stable and at the same time inexpensive. Soy, almond, oat, rice, coconut and the like could be used as milk substitutes. Barry Callebaut, for example, has launched the chocolate product “M_lk Chocolate”, in which the milk is replaced either by rice syrup plus corn dextrin or by tiger nuts, the tubers of a grass plant.

Daniel Wittmaack, Head of Process Engineering & Product Management of the Confectionery Business Unit at Bühler, pointed out in his presentation “Changeover flexibility and end product diversification in chocolate moulding” that batch sizes for chocolate products are shrinking. Thus, flexible production processes are required, combined with fast changeovers – for example from unfilled to filled products and vice versa. The former is now possible almost without interruption with downtimes of between 0 and 5 min, while with the latter the downtimes are 25 to 30 min, since intensive cleaning is required. “But you can also just change only parts of a system while it continues to produce other articles,” Daniel Wittmaack noted. The ChocoX (Choco Cross) depositing system from Bühler is flexible in this way. Its modular design allows quick adaptation to different products, as each function of the line is accommodated in an independent, easily movable module.

Bernd Plies, Chief Digital Officer at Winkler und Dünnebier Süßwarenmaschinen (WDS), also referred to current trends in confectionery production such as decreasing batch sizes up to individualized production as well as accelerated changeovers. In his presentation “Versatile moulding lines meet digital support tools”, he presented customized lines for all capacity requirements and demonstrated the efficient use of the WDS ConfecEco, ConfecPro and ConfecVario lines, which are designed to manufacture products made of chocolate as well as gum and jelly. “They allow such articles to be produced flexibly in polycarbonate moulds,” noted Bernd Plies.

Furthermore, Bernd Plies showed the way to a digitalized production environment. The focus is on the secure use of data and networking of plants: “The goal is individualized, intelligent and resource-safe manufacturing with maximized product and production safety.” The data is collected, processed and transparently provided via standardized data interfaces in ERP and MES systems or completely networked via IoT platforms such as the cross-company Sweet Connect platform, for example for condition monitoring via smartphone apps.

Another important topic at the congress was sustainable, recycling-friendly packaging. In his presentation “Paper packaging – the new dress code for chocolate packaging”, Frank Eger, Head of Paper Development at Constantia Prik, showed how chocolate can be packaged in paper instead of plastic. “What matters here is the choice of the most suitable paper for the respective requirements.” In addition to the protective function, the focus is on good processability and recyclability. EcoPaperPlus from Constatia Flexibles is such a paper solution for applications that require a barrier against odours and fats, such as confectionery.

In his presentation “PurePac – less waste, more nature”, Klaus Volgmann, Key Account Manager at Van Genechten Packaging (VGP), presented a 100 % recyclable chocolate packaging that does not require any inner packaging material: PurePac. In practice, the fibre-based packaging could reduce a brand’s aluminum consumption by 15,000 kg per ten million pieces. Folding cartons made of PurePac protect the product thanks to a special anti-grease barrier and an almost 100 % leak-proof construction. “The packaging is not only suitable for classic chocolate bars, but also for other formats and products such as Advent calendars,” Klaus Volgmann pointed out.