Cargill and Voyage Foods are bringing NextCoa, a cocoa-free confectionery alternative, to the US market, with Canada to follow. The product, which won a Gold Edison Award, is designed as a drop-in replacement for conventional chocolate in standard manufacturing processes.
“The NextCoa line is about expanding choice, not replacing chocolate”
NextCoa is made from plant-based ingredients, including grape seeds, and is formulated without major allergens, dairy, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts. It is certified vegan, Kosher pareve, and Halal suitable. A third-party lifecycle assessment conducted to ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards found the product carries a 67% lower carbon footprint than conventional chocolate.
The line launches in two varieties: Mild, a milk-chocolatey style, and Dark Mild, which blends dark and milk chocolatey-like flavors. Both are suited for use in bars, baked goods, ice cream, coatings, and confectionery applications.
Cocoa supply pressures drive reformulation interest
Cocoa prices have been volatile in recent years, driven by crop failures across West Africa, disease outbreaks, and climate-related disruptions in major producing countries like Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. This has pushed food manufacturers to explore alternatives that reduce exposure to commodity price swings. NextCoa is positioned as a supply chain hedge as much as a product category extension.
Kojo Amoo-Gottfried, vice president and managing director of Cocoa and Chocolate for Cargill Food North America, stated, “The NextCoa line is about expanding choice, not replacing chocolate but redefining what’s possible. It unlocks a new way for manufacturers to create the flavors and indulgent experiences people love while building resilience into the food system.”
Distribution and commercial structure
Under the partnership, Cargill acts as exclusive global B2B distributor for Voyage Foods. US distribution is being handled through regional ingredient partners Batory Foods, Blendtek, and Gillco Ingredients, an Azelis company.
Voyage Foods, founded by Adam Maxwell, has built its business model around decoupling popular food commodities from their traditional agricultural inputs. The company’s products are developed as functional replacements compatible with existing manufacturing infrastructure.
“We built Voyage Foods to rethink how the world’s favorite foods are made. With Cargill, we can scale that vision, making our approach to chocolatey-like foods accessible to even more manufacturers,” said Maxwell.
