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  21/06/2022 | Ingredients

Mars Wrigley joins with Perfect Day to craft chocolate with microflora-based dairy proteins

Confectionery giant Mars Wrigley has unveiled a new eco-centric chocolate, CO2COA, in a partnership with animal-free dairy protein innovator Perfect Day. Made with certified cocoa in addition to Perfect Day’s cow-free ingredient, CO2COA shall maintain the silky-smooth taste consumers expect while leaning into the flexitarian dietary trends today’s conscious consumers are embracing. The product launch is an extension to the range of snacks and sweets that includes M&M’s, Snickers, Skittles and Extra Gum.

The company details, that the name CO2COA is a “thoughtful and playful” way to pay homage to its Rainforest Alliance-certified cocoa and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (CO2) in product sourcing. The innovation shall provide consumers with a delicious earth-friendly, animal-free, and lactose-free chocolate experience.

US-based Perfect Day’s proteins are identical to those found in cow’s milk. However, instead of being sourced from the animal, the dairy proteins are created through a fermentation process similar to the manufacture of vitamins and amino acids. By adding genes essential to producing milk protein to trichoderma – a type of microflora – the dairy flora ferments plant sugar into whey and casein.

Perfect Day’s ingredient is marketed as the “world’s first nature-identical dairy protein, without any animal inputs”. The company’s whey protein from Perfect Day is free of lactose, hormones, antibiotics and cholesterol. In addition, it contains 25 % more protein, 75 % less sugar and less saturated fat. Since Mars’ CO2COA uses Perfect Day animal-free dairy protein, it is entirely free from lactose and cholesterol. It is also wrapped in paper-based packaging.

www.mars.com www.perfectday.com