60DAYS chocolate certified carbon neutral

January 10, 2023

Puratos has said it is one step closer to achieving sustainability goals after its Chocolanté 60DAYS Chocolate was awarded the Carbon Neutral Certification – the first of its worldwide portfolio to earn this endorsement.

The accreditation illustrates the company’s commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of its products and offsetting remaining emissions through environmental initiatives. Climate consultancy company CO2 logic independently assessed greenhouse gas emissions of all production activities for 60DAYS chocolate, which included the purchase of ingredients, trasnportation and energy consumption during manufacturing and packaging.

The chocolate, which is created in Vietnam by joint venture Puratos Grand-Place Indochina (PGPI) was found by the Belgian consultancy to meet requirements of the carbon neutral standard; making the product Puratos’ first carbon-neutral certified product.

“We believe a great chocolate product must not only taste good but must also be produced in an environmentally-friendly way as far as possible. That is why we pursued carbon-neutral certification,” explained Gricha Safarian, Managing Director at PGPI. “Achieving it is a part of our wider sustainability commitments and a great stride towards achieving our carbon-neutral objective. At Puratos, our purpose is to move the planet forward together with our customers and this is a key step for the industry.”

According to Puratos, 60DAYS chocolate “goes beyond industry standards” as it looks to change the chocolate process by fermenting using wooden acacia boxes with slow roast methods to create ‘tree to bar’ chocolate over a 60 day period. Due to the nature of production and short transition time, this method generates lower emissions. The product is available in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, France and Belgium, and will soon be available in Italy.

In 2021, PGPI became the first entity of the Puratos Group to achieve carbon-neutral certification for its business operations, following on from an assessment of the company’s manufacturing and operational processes. Production at its sites in Brazil, Thailand, the Philippines and Austria all have been carbon-neutral certified since the end of 2022.

By the end of 2023, the company say, more sites are on track for carbon-neutrality certification and they are expected to be 100% energy-efficient and operate using renewable electricity.

“As a global company, we understand the influence we have on the communities that we work with and work tirelessly to positively impact people and the planet through food that does good today and for generations to come. We’re looking forward to many more Puratos products obtaining similar certifications so we remain at the forefront of sustainable bakery, patisserie and chocolate ingredients,” concluded Jean-Philippe Michaux, CFO and Head of Sustainability at Puratos.

Stay up-to-date on the latest industry news and developments in our magazine.