Sweet and Sustainable: Chocolates Embrace Eco-Friendly Trends for Valentine's Day
Consumers can choose chocolates made from ingredients designed to reduce food loss and created with sustainability in mind for Valentine's Day.
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The idea of giving chocolates on Valentine's Day usually brings up a very decadent image. But in 2024, environmentally friendly products are creating a stir, like chocolates made from fruit that would otherwise have been discarded. These products not only contribute to reducing food waste, but their natural ingredients also bring new flavors to chocolate.
SDGs-Themed Chocolates
"Even ingredients that are non-standard, maybe because they are slightly bruised, can have good flavor," says renowned pastry chef Toshihiko Yoroizuka. One of his Valentine's Day products this year has an SDGs theme. The soft chocolates are made from the puree of fruits that were on the verge of being discarded due to imperfections or appearance issues. The sale price for a box of four is ¥2,401 JPY (roughly $16 USD).
The fresh chocolate comes in four flavors – white peach, Shine Muscat, blood orange, and La France pear.
"It was a challenge to combine the fruits with strong-flavored chocolate, but the flavors are nicely balanced," says Yoroizuka.
He paired a jelly confection using white peach puree, which is less acidic compared to oranges and other citrus fruits, with mildly acidic ruby chocolate. When spooned into the mouth, the chocolate brings a pleasant sweetness along with a refreshing acidity.
The chocolate made from imperfect fruits is on sale for a limited time at Takashimaya department stores. Including Yoroizuka, five brands utilized imperfect fruit puree in their products this year. These initiatives are designed to contribute to achieving "Responsible Consumption and Production," one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Yukako Morishita, a buyer from the Takashimaya explains. "We are working on company-wide sustainability initiatives, so we incorporated Valentine's Day as well. We believe that continuing such efforts is important," she noted.
More than 80% Interested in Sustainability
Sustainable consumption seems to be the general trend this Valentine's Day.
In an online survey conducted by Tokyo-based Matsuya Ginza in December 2023, 85% of the 459 respondents claimed to be interested in sustainable initiatives related to chocolate.
In response to the growing consumer interest, Matsuya Ginza is offering several products that promote sustainability. One example is Cacao Pulp White Chocolate (priced at ¥1,620 JPY) from Chocolate Jungle. The product uses powdered cacao pulp, an edible but often underutilized part of the plant, in place of sugar.
The moist cacao pulp, rich in sugars, imparts a fruity flavor to the chocolate. Traditionally, the pulp is discarded after being utilized in the fermentation process of cacao beans.
A representative of Tachibana Shouten, which handles the same brand in Osaka, explained: "Cacao pulp has been gaining attention overseas, and various manufacturers in Japan are starting to use it as well."
Reducing Paper Use
Some products have achieved reduced paper usage. In 2023, French brand Jean Michel Mortreau reduced the size of its assortment box without changing the number or size of the chocolate pieces.
"By changing the size of the box and reducing the amount of paper used, we were also able to control rising logistics costs," explained a spokesperson for Organic House, an importer and distributor. It seems that sustainability initiatives can also have positive impacts on costs.
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