Over the past few weeks, we have introduced you to local businesses that are innovating with new and ingenious food products. To conclude this series: Yummy Zero sugar-free chocolates, from Chocolat Theobroma.
Posted at 4:00 p.m.
The idea
When Josée Vigneault and Jean-René Lemire founded Chocolat Theobroma 15 years ago, they gave themselves a mission: to offer healthy chocolates, of course, but without putting aside the pleasure of taste. “Pleasure and health is in our DNA, it’s at the heart of everything we do,” says Mr. Lemire. Chocolate is healthy with its richness in powerful antioxidants such as polyphenols, a quality that can vary greatly depending on the quality of the cocoa used or the industrial transformation process. Health also in terms of portions, calorie content and ingredients used: nothing artificial, and organic as much as possible.
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PHOTO PASCAL RATTHE, THE SUN
Josée Vigneault and Jean-René Lemire, founders of Chocolat Theobroma
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PHOTO PASCAL RATTHE, THE SUN
The company has developed a wide range of products over the years.
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We want to position ourselves as a responsible manufacturer. No need to have a degree in nutrition to eat our products and understand the list of ingredients.
Jean-René Lemire, co-founder of Chocolat Theobroma
After experiencing success with its individual sticks, the company located in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, in the Quebec region, has grown and expanded its product line. It now has 4,000 points of sale in Canada and a growing presence in the United States in fine and natural grocery stores. The creation of a sugar-free chocolate was the logical next step for the brand.
The challenge
PHOTO PASCAL RATTHE, THE SUN
Chocolat Theobroma is located in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, in the Quebec region.
“The premise is that we wanted to create a chocolate that leaves room for…chocolate, its creamy side, its gustatory pleasure, those noble ingredients that are butter and cocoa liquor,” explains Mr. Lemire. Using artificial sweeteners was therefore out of the question for entrepreneurs. “Nothing comes out of our walls that does not correspond to our reason for existing! “, insists the co-founder.
The company embarked on a veritable treasure hunt to find a plant-based sweetener that would provide a creamy texture “without overwhelming the taste of chocolate” or causing digestive discomfort. Launched before the pandemic, the mission kept Theobroma’s research and development team busy for three good years. “We almost called it the James Bond 007 project, because we did seven lab tests, and eight or nine industrial tests. The health crisis slowed down the whole process and added a layer of logistical complication to the process.
innovation
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PHOTO PASCAL RATTHE, THE SUN
The casava fiber is the star ingredient of the new range.
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PHOTO PASCAL RATTHE, THE SUN
Theobroma’s research and development team spent three years developing this new product. In the photo, Wyna Marois, Franck Duchêne, Richard Marcote and Karine Genois surround the owners, Jean-René Lemire and Josée Vigneault.
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Over the course of its research, the company ended up finding the ideal product to make its sugar-free chocolate: casava fibre, commonly known as cassava, a natural sweetener which is also very rich in fibre. “It’s really the biggest project, the biggest innovation that we have accomplished at Theobroma, that of offering a zero-sugar chocolate filled with dietary fiber,” says Mr. Lemire. There is currently a craze all over the world for this fiber, which the company imports from Asia in powder form. “It’s a very good fiber for the body, very undemanding on water consumption. We will find it in crisps, soft drinks, I have seen it in sweets, but we would be the first to use it in chocolate, organically, with only three ingredients, ”he specifies.
The other innovation made by the company is on the logistics side.
We encountered logistical complexities that made us review all our transport systems. We had to innovate in terms of managing operations and the supply chain.
Jean-René Lemire, co-founder of Chocolat Theobroma
The result
PHOTO PASCAL RATTHE, THE SUN
The new Yummy Zero range of Chocolate Theobroma
Just launched on the market, Yummy Zero chocolates come in 10 g mini-stick format, individually wrapped. One bag contains nine “minis” and retails for $6.99. They’re 100% plant-based, free of sugar and polyalcohols, and made with three (or four, in the case of the coconut ones) organic ingredients: casava fiber, butter, and cocoa mass. Their fiber intake (9 g, or 32% of the recommended daily intake for 20 g, or two mini-sticks) is impressive. They are also displayed as “Keto Friendly”, that is to say suitable for those who follow a ketogenic diet.
Our opinion
PHOTO PASCAL RATTHE, THE SUN
The chocolates are creamy, slightly bitter and tasty.
Mini Zero Sugar chocolates are indeed surprisingly creamy and not very bitter. Despite the absence of sugar, they have a very pleasant chocolate taste. The coconut ones are tasty. It is certainly a very interesting option for those who like dark chocolate, but are looking to reduce the amount of sugar in their diet, and also to increase their daily fiber intake. Individual packaging may raise eyebrows, as it’s not very environmentally friendly, but the format comes in handy for lunch boxes.