Ingredients

Chocolate Shortages Sparking Innovation: Oat Flour

April 2, 20241 min read

Quick answer

The price increases and shortages of the chocolate industry, as well as how oat flour could change that.

Cocoa prices are 65% higher than they were last year, causing consumers to try to find new ways to save money on their favorite sweets. This spells trouble for manufacturers who will have to contend with these price increases later in the year, finding ways to cut costs by Thanksgiving and Christmas. This could mean experimenting with the size of chocolate bars and product formulations.

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These price increases are largely due to a decrease in output from major cocoa exporters, especially those located in West Africa. The future growing season is also riddled with uncertainty as climate patterns differ and make production difficult. Geopolitical conflicts also make acquiring fertilizer an issue, with diseases affecting cocoa harvests as well. Some companies are already cutting jobs as operations become more costly. Now more than ever, it is important to be innovative in creating the next best chocolate that is both economical for consumers while also delighting their taste buds.

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Journey Ingredient Intelligence

Cookies (Chocolate Chip)

This could mean experimenting with the size of chocolate bars and product formulations.

A South American tree in the family Lecythidaceae.

Nutrition. Cookies (Chocolate Chip) has a nutrition profile based on the current Journey Foods nutrition table: Calories: 2232 kcal/lb, Protein: 23.13 g/lb, Fiber: 9.07 g/lb, Tot…

Cost. Cookies (Chocolate Chip) is currently priced at $11.13/kg.

Sustainability. Cookies (Chocolate Chip): Journey AI evaluates ingredient sustainability using environmental indicators such as water usage, greenhouse gas emissions, and upcycled sta…

Price per lb5.04/lb

Explore Cookies (Chocolate Chip) data

However, even though chocolate is becoming scarce, there may be a new substitution that could potentially change the dessert game: oat flour.

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Despite Easter having just passed, chocolate is still very much in circulation as nearly everyone's favorite sweet. However delicious it may be, though, the sweet is known to be full of added sugar - sugar that cannot be omitted due to sucrose providing crucial bulk and texture properties. While chocolate manufacturers have tried alternative solutions to this, such as using maltodextrin instead or increasing the cocoa content, they haven’t quite been able to get it right. This has prompted a group of researchers to make a surprising discovery: oat flour as the new sugar.

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Journey Ingredient Intelligence

Cocoa Powder

Cocoa prices are 65% higher than they were last year, causing consumers to try to find new ways to save money on their favorite sweets.

A South American tree in the family Lecythidaceae.

Nutrition. Cocoa Powder has a nutrition profile based on the current Journey Foods nutrition table: Calories: 1034 kcal/lb, Protein: 88.90 g/lb, Fiber: 167.83 g/lb, Total Sugars:…

Cost. Cocoa Powder is currently priced at $13.90/kg.

Sustainability. Cocoa Powder: Journey AI evaluates ingredient sustainability using environmental indicators such as water usage, greenhouse gas emissions, and upcycled status.

Price per lb6.03/lb

Explore Cocoa Powder data

A study published in the Journal of Food Science conducted an experiment with rice flour and oat flour in replacing varying amounts of sucrose in lab-made chocolate compounds. When tested, many found that the oat flour chocolate was “creamy” and “soft”. The general consensus was that replacing 25% of sucrose with oat flour in chocolate creates a similarly acceptable and tasty product that offers less added sugar. Not only is this a win for consumers who get a “healthier” product, manufacturers can save costs on what is becoming an increasingly expensive industry - cocoa.

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Using oat flour could very well help reduce cocoa usage and still deliver to consumers a delectable chocolate treat. Where there is a problem there is great potential for innovation; read our article here to learn all about the world of cacao pulp and how it too is being used to alleviate chocolate shortages!

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Journey Ingredient Intelligence

Oat Flour

However, even though chocolate is becoming scarce, there may be a new substitution that could potentially change the dessert game: oat flour.

A South American tree in the family Lecythidaceae.

Nutrition. Journey AI evaluates ingredient sustainability using environmental indicators such as water usage, greenhouse gas emissions, and upcycled status.

Cost. Oat Flour is currently priced at $3.68/kg.

Sustainability. Journey AI evaluates ingredient sustainability using environmental indicators such as water usage, greenhouse gas emissions, and upcycled status.

Price per lb1.67/lb

Suppliers1

Explore Oat Flour data

As published

65%

Cocoa prices are 65% higher than they were last year, causing consumers to try to find new ways to save money on their favorite sweets.

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Grain Millers

Lists Oat flour on the market graph.

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Journey Ingredient Intelligence · Comparison

Cookies (Chocolate Chip)

Price per lb5.04/lb

Cocoa Powder

Price per lb6.03/lb

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Data from this story

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Chocolate Shortages Sparking Innovation: Oat Flour

Ingredients

65%

Cocoa prices are 65% higher than they were last year, causing consumers to try to find new ways to save money on their favorite sweets.

25%

The general consensus was that replacing 25% of sucrose with oat flour in chocolate creates a similarly acceptable and tasty product that offers less added sugar.

Cookies (Chocolate Chip)

Journey Ingredient Intelligence

Cocoa Powder

Journey Ingredient Intelligence

Chocolate Shortages Sparking Innovation: Oat Flour

Cookies (Chocolate Chip)

Cocoa Powder

Oat Flour

Grain Millers

Cookies (Chocolate Chip)

Cocoa Powder

Shareable Journey Intelligence

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Cookies (Chocolate Chip)

Cocoa Powder

Oat Flour

Grain Millers

Cookies (Chocolate Chip)

Cocoa Powder

Shareable Journey Intelligence