Green beans: Brazil’s Cellva uses biotech to convert coffee waste into cocoa substitute

In Brazil, a São Paulo-based biotech startup is converting coffee waste into cocoa substitute in an effort to address shortages, high prices, and large environmental footprint of chocolate production.

Cellva Ingredients—formerly a cultivated pork startup—claims its CoffeeCoa can replace up to 70% of cocoa in many applications.

“Coffee and cocoa have intrinsically similar notes and characteristics, so our process simply aims to isolate the compounds responsible for them,” Sérgio Pinto, co-founder and CEO of Cellva Ingredients, told Green Queen. “We obtain a bioactive extract from the husks, which is microencapsulated using our proprietary processes, ensuring better stability and sensory properties. The microencapsulated extract can then be incorporated into any food matrix, including chocolate formulations.”

Pinto added that its coffee husk-derived ingredient is 30% cheaper than conventional cocoa powder. To date, Cellva has secured over $1 million in committed interest contracts and is building a manufacturing plant in Bahia.