Planet A Foods Launches High-Fiber Cocoa Booster Powder
Planet A Foods has launched Cocoa Booster, a single-ingredient cocoa powder alternative with 69g of fiber per 100g, aiming to cut formulation costs by up to 50% and meet demand from GLP-1 users.
Planet A Foods has launched a high-fiber Cocoa Booster powder, positioning it as a cost-saving alternative for manufacturers as cocoa prices surge. The one-ingredient product contains 69 grams of fiber per 100 grams, nearly double the fiber content of conventional cocoa powder, and can be used in a wide range of applications without process changes.
Cocoa Booster can be used in cookies, muffins, sponge cake, pudding creams, fat-based cream fillings, and beverages. The German-based company claims the ingredient can slash formulation costs by up to 50%. It is available in three profiles-natural, alkalized, and dark-to match the taste and color of traditional cocoa powder. The ingredient is made from an EU-sourced flour that undergoes a fermentation-inspired processing and roasting before being milled to around 40 microns.
Market Context and Demand Drivers
Rising cocoa prices and shifting dietary trends are creating a strong market for alternatives. Cocoa prices have risen 70% since February 2025 and are forecast to surpass $6,000 per tonne in 2027. Concurrently, the growth of GLP-1 weight-loss medication users is altering food demand. In the US, 11% of adults take these drugs, leading to households spending 5.3% less on groceries within six months.
GLP-1 users consume 15-20% fewer calories and prefer smaller, nutrient-dense portions. Americans on these drugs eat 30% more fiber. Globally, active GLP-1 users plan to increase spending on specific categories.
| Spending Category | Planned Increase |
|---|---|
| Fiber-packed foods | 10% |
| Functional fiber products | 8% |
| Functional gut health drinks | 2% |
Planet A Foods expects the first products containing Cocoa Booster to reach shelves around the first quarter of 2027. Sara Marquart, the company's Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, noted the shift in consumer behavior, stating, "GLP-1 users tend to eat smaller portions and choose more deliberately, so manufacturers are increasingly looking at nutrient density."
Sustainability and Supply Chain Innovation
The launch also addresses severe sustainability and supply chain pressures in the conventional cocoa industry. The 2024 cocoa crisis saw crop stocks fall to a decade low due to extreme weather, and scientists warn a third of the world's cocoa trees are at risk of extinction. The industry is directly responsible for 94% of deforestation in Ghana and 80% in the Ivory Coast. A 'super' El Niño is expected to further threaten harvests in these key regions through 2027.
Planet A Foods sources and produces its ingredient within the European Union, making it independent of volatile West African harvests. The product is also allergen-free. The company's existing Pilsen facility in the Czech Republic produces 15,000 tonnes annually, and a planned new plant will have six times that capacity.
Cocoa Booster is the company's second major alternative ingredient, building on the same technology platform as its ChoViva cocoa-free chocolate made from sunflower seeds. The ChoViva range is already sold in over 100,000 stores globally and is used in more than 230 products across 12 countries by companies including Nestlé, Mars, and Lindt. Planet A Foods also has a distribution deal with global chocolate giant Barry Callebaut for Cocoa Booster. The company is continuing to innovate, with work underway on a precision-fermented cocoa butter alternative. Its availability in Q1 2027 will determine its impact on the alternative ingredients market.
