Voyage Foods to open Ohio cocoa-free manufacturing facility

Diving overview:

• Cocoa-free chocolate company Voyage Foods will open a 284,000-square-foot facility in Mason, Ohio, to produce cocoa-free chocolate, nut-free spreads and bean-free coffee, according to a company announcement on Oct. 16. press release.
• The factory is expected to be operational by 2025 and will have the capacity to produce 10,000 tonnes of cocoa-free chocolate per year.
• The push for alternatives to cocoa and nuts stems from global shortages that have led to soaring consumer prices. In February, cocoa prices reached a 46-year high, about 65% higher than in February 2023.

Dive Insight:

Voyage Foods aims to grow from a start-up food technology company to a large-scale manufacturer and has received both federal and private funding, CEO and founder Adam Maxwell said in a release.

The Department of Agriculture will support construction of the facility with a loan of approximately $25 million.

In April, Voyage Foods entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with cargill. The Minnesota-based food company will work on adding Voyage’s cocoa-free chocolate, peanut-free spread and hazelnut-free spread as ingredients in a variety of food products, including ice cream and granola bars, the startup said. said. Website.

Voyage Foods is headquartered and operates manufacturing facilities in Oakland, California.

The company’s products include cocoa-free chocolate and allergen-free spreads made from plant-based ingredients and are aimed at sustainability and supply chain benefits, according to the release.

of Promoting cacao-free chocolate The shortage of precious ingredients around the world over the past year has led to similar alternatives being sold in the food industry. The International Cocoa Organization pointed to declines in production in the two largest cocoa producing countries, Ivory Coast and Ghana.

In addition to cocoa-free chips and melty wafers, Voyage Foods also uses proprietary technology to produce nut-free spreads and bean-free coffee.

Instead of cocoa, the company uses vegetable oil, sugar, grape seeds and sunflower protein. For its coffee beans, Voyage Foods extracts the caffeine from green tea and uses roasted chickpeas, rice husks, and water.

Founded in 2021, Voyage Foods has raised more than $94 million from investors as it seeks to capitalize on the emerging need for alternative foods. According to , the company has raised the most capital of several startups pioneering “cocoa-free” chocolate. crunch base.