People around the world are increasingly aware that good health is the key to happiness. Whenever possible, they adopt healthier lifestyles, so they can enjoy the good things in life longer, together with their loved ones. Millions of people around the world are still directly or indirectly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It becomes clear how the events of the past months acted as a catalyst to encourage more consumers to eat healthier and embrace a better lifestyle. This is something that will shape eating habits in a significant way over the months to come. Belcolade is taking its commitment to the next level by expanding its chocolate products to include healthier solutions across all product ranges.
At Belcolade, everything starts with true taste. Because nothing beats the true taste of real Belgian chocolate. For over 30 years already, it has been our higher cause to let everyone taste the true joy of chocolate. That's what our chocolate experts strive for. Day in and day out. They dare to go further. And they do by creating a range that contributes to Health & Well-Being. A range of chocolates that will enable our customers to be ahead of time and remain as delicious as ever. Organic, sugar-reduced solutions, as well as vegan, clean(er) label chocolates and much more. Naturally, without ever compromising on chocolate’s taste and texture.
Thanks to Cacao-Trace, our unique sustainable cocoa sourcing program, we focus on exceptional true taste. This approach allows us to create real extra value, and have a life changing impact on the cocoa farmers. On top, a unique Chocolate Bonus of 10ct € is paid back to the farmer community for each kg of chocolate sold. Discover more on Cacaotrace.com
The lockdown caused by coronavirus has resulted in many consumers experiencing weight gain, because of a reduced level of physical activity and increased snacking for comfort and escapism.
As a result, there is an increased focus on sugar reduction, as consumers look to improve their health. However not at the expense of taste.
The World Health Organization recommends a sugar intake of a maximum of 10 percent of the daily calorie intake (approximately 50g of sugar per day), as it increases the risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Sweetness is a much-loved part of the eating experience, thus comparing consumption patterns nowadays, yet 2/3rd of the countries around the world consume over the recommended maximum.
Of course, sugar reduction is on the agenda of Belcolade too. As it is an important part of our Health & Well-being program, we offer a comprehensive range of sugar-free, no added sugar and sugar-reduced chocolates in dark, milk and white variants. The new Belcolade 40% sugar-reduced product range delivers the high standards of taste that you want for your consumers, and contributes to meeting the new sugar consumption guidelines developed by the WHO.
Now consumers can enjoy chocolate creations with a full-on taste and texture while lowering their sugar intake, being in line with the clean(er) label trend and also increasing their fiber intake. Belcolade Selection Sugar-Reduced range is ideal as part of a varied and balanced diet and healthy lifestyle choice. Read more here
In the quest for healthier alternatives and products that contribute to the well-being, consumers are adapting their eating habits and looking for brands to be truly transparent. They want to know what they eat, where the ingredients come from and how they are being produced.
This - amongst others - results in a growing request for organic products, which is part of a bigger trend: the seek for transparency and naturalness. 57% of consumers regularly check products for the ingredient declaration. Where 53% check if the product is made only from natural ingredients and 50% would like to ensure that the product is locally produced.
At Belcolade we go beyond details. In every aspect of the process. From bean to drop. Every player in the supply chain, from the farm to our factory in Belgium, is strictly monitored, so we can guarantee a pure organic product. We offer indulging organic chocolates across both of our ranges. Belcolade Selection is our range of Belgian taste classics, providing a complete organic product line with dark, milk and white chocolate as well as bake-stable inclusions. This year, we extended our organic range with dark and milk Belcolade Origins chocolates from Papua New Guinea - the birth ground of some of the most flavorful cocoa beans around the world, also Cacao-Trace certified. Discover and get inspired by organic recipes, made with Belcolade Origins Papua New Guinea organic chocolate.
In addition to organic production and transparency on the origin of ingredients, consumers want to know the composition of their food. Therefore, they pay more attention to the product label and desire reduction or removal of badly perceived ingredients such as additives, artificial colours and flavours, or allergens, for example, soy lecithin in chocolate.
Through years of experience and craftsmanship at Belcolade we master the art of chocolate-making, and therefore provide a range of clean and clean(er) label chocolates. A wide variety of lecithin-free chocolates, unique and distinctive Origins, Organic, and much more. Or chocolates based on sunflower lecithin, therefore also contributing to the clean(er) label approach, for example, Belcolade Selection Amber Cacao-Trace.
The demand for plant-based solutions is related to trends of health and sustainability. Therefore, we offer a range of dark chocolates that are suitable for vegans. We selected our ingredients to ensure vegan suitable claim, e.g. sugars processed without animal bone char. Also, for the strictest dairy-free certification, we have a dedicated dairy-free line.
That is what we do at Belcolade, we only select the best ingredients for our chocolates, to make sure our customers can rely on the quality of our products. Together with customers, our Belcolade chocolate experts refine the art of creating chocolate. Everything is about true taste. Because nothing beats the true taste of chocolate. Nothing.
Do you want to know how Belcolade can support you in nurturing today’s lifestyles, or in capitalizing on H&WB trends?