In an experiment, EPFL spinoff Bloom discovered that nutshells can be converted into vanillin, the main element in vanilla flavouring. The results impressed the world’s leading chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut, resulting in a partnership. The two companies will further explore the potential of chocolate production side streams.
Bloom, founded by Remy Buser and Florent Héroguel, is dedicated to establishing biomass as a mainstream alternative to fossil materials to mitigate climate change. The company’s technology converts plant material, rich in carbon captured from the atmosphere while growing, into molecules that replace current fossil solutions and have a wide range of uses.
In partnership with Barry Callebaut, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, Bloom will investigate the potential of chocolate and cocoa production side streams and how to convert them into reusable material. During the initial collaboration with La Morella Nuts, Barry Callebaut’s global speciality nut brand, Bloom discovered that hazelnuts shells have promising biomass potential. Thanks to a groundbreaking process, nutshells can be efficiently converted into flavouring agents, such as vanillin – the main element in vanilla flavouring – which can be used in chocolate.
“Turning waste streams from our production processes into valuable ingredients is a unique story that resonates with our Forever Chocolate sustainability program, especially with our target to be carbon positive by 2025”, said Massimo Selmo, Global Head of Sourcing at Barry Callebaut.
(Press release/RAN)
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