A Ruby-Red Chocolate to Redefine Dessert

Image: Barry Callebaut

September 6, 2017 — In a bid to upset the chocolate market, the Swiss chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut released its newest product on Tuesday at a launch event in Shanghai. Ruby chocolate, as the company calls their invention, is poised to sit on shelves as an alternative to the existing varieties of chocolate, which include dark, milk and white.

Riding the wave of the pink foods boom that has been giving the world countless lush or rosé-related goodies to ogle (some would argue that, like pumpkin spice, the trend has gotten out of hand), Barry Callebaut believes that ruby chocolate will appeal to the Millennial tendency to “Hedonistic Indulgence.” "It’s natural, it’s colorful, it’s hedonistic, there’s an indulgence aspect to it, but it keeps the authenticity of chocolate," the company’s CEO told Bloomberg. This pandering to a generation could perhaps work in the short-term, but taste, not trend, will determine the product’s potential staying power, and this can only happen once it is released to consumers globally.

In the U.S., the new sweet must first pass inspection by the FDA—a process that could become complicated: since it does not meet the criteria for the other types of chocolate, explained Callebaut’s VP of Gourmet to Eater, “it may need a whole new designation.” As for the color and fruity flavor profile, the company claims that no coloring or berries are added, and cites its “innovative process” that allows them to “unlock” a “specific set of attributes” belonging to unspecified “Ruby beans”. That’s enough marketing terminology to make your head spin.

The release of this yet-to-be-qualified-as-a-food-item invention has the potential to redefine chocolate in the U.S. and around the globe. Let’s wait until we’re allowed to taste it to pass judgement.

Still hungry? Follow Genius Kitchen on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for even more fresh food news, served daily. Use #GeniusKitchen to let us know what you're sharing!