List of products by brand Barry Callebaut Schweiz AG

As the world's largest chocolate products manufacturer, Barry Callebaut is - how could it be otherwise - headquartered in Switzerland. Originally, however, it was a merger of the Belgian company Callebaut and the French company Cacao Barry. Over the years, other companies in the cocoa industry have been taken over and integrated, so that today no other business processes as much cocoa as Barry Callebaut.

Unlike many smaller companies, Barry Callebaut has integrated the entire value chain. From the purchase of cocoa beans and other raw materials to the finished product, everything is done in-house. Food, semi-finished products and beverages are produced in this way. These are then sold to food and beverage manufacturers, to restaurants, confectioners and caterers, as well as to operators of snack and beverage vending machines.

This variety of products requires a huge amount of knowledge in their field. Thanks to years of experience from different companies, Barry Callebaut is an expert in the cocoa industry. To distinguish the different areas from each other, there are different brands. Among the best known of the company are Callebaut, Carma, Cacao Barry and probably the youngest of them all, Mona Lisa. Mona Lisa is the decoration department. The latest technology is used here to 3D print chocolate for customers, for example.

Barry Callebaut also has various schools. On the one hand, pastry chefs and confectioners can learn from specialists in various fields. On the other hand, cocoa farmers and workers are also trained to bring the latest research results and better practices into cultivation. In this way, they also directly contribute to better perspectives and working conditions for the farmers and promote the sustainability of cocoa cultivation.

The future of cocoa

Sustainability is always an important component in all Barry Callebaut's activities. Looking to the future, the company has set itself several ambitious tasks. The overarching goal is for sustainable chocolate to become the norm.

Among the most important contributors to the cocoa industry are, of course, the cocoa farmers and the workers on the farms. Often they are completely dependent on the highly fluctuating market prices for the cocoa beans, the price paid is barely enough to survive. Barry Callebaut has set itself the goal of helping more than 500,000 cocoa farmers out of poverty by 2025 through fair prices and local support.

The company is also making a contribution to this with its HORIZONS products. The proceeds from their sale go to the non-profit organisation of the same name, which is also particularly committed to smaller cocoa farms. Through various initiatives and cooperation with other companies, the conditions for cocoa producers are continuously improved.

On many cocoa farms today, child labour is still a sad truth. They have also declared war on this. The aim is to completely eliminate child labour from the supply chain of their cocoa beans through fair prices, awareness raising and better education.

Another goal is to use 100% sustainable products. To this end, there is a separate project group for each ingredient used. This group works closely with companies to achieve the best conditions and sustainability. Products purchased in this way include cocoa, sugar, soya, vanilla, dairy products and coconuts.

The last major task is to control CO2 emissions and deforestation. Barry Callebaut is aiming for a positive balance here. It was also announced that the targets would be extended and tightened in the future. The company always provides information about the current status on its own website.

Another great project is Seeds for change. Under this programme, Barry Callebaut employees have the opportunity to collect Pod Points. They receive them, for example, for measures that lead to reduced CO2 emissions. For every Pod Point earned, a cocoa farmer is donated a cutting. This promotes plant diversity on the plantations and the cocoa farmers have to buy fewer cuttings themselves.

During the early days of Corona, some of the money was also used for masks, disinfectants and soap. In this way, the spread of the virus could be contained even in the mostly rather poor areas.

Cocoa nibs

In our shop you will find the high-quality cocoa nibs from Barry Callebaut. These are obtained in a long and refined process. From the first leaves to the first blossoms, a cacao tree needs about 5 years. The flowers are small, light and delicate. Another special feature is that they grow directly on the entire trunk. About 40 of them then turn into small cocoa pods. These grow and ripen independently of each other.

Ripe fruits are yellow, orange, red or even pink, depending on the variety. They are harvested by hand and broken open. Inside is the pulp, the white flesh that encloses the seeds. The beans are still lined with the pulp and fermented for 5 to 7 days. For the next 6 days the beans dry before they are packed in jute bags and shipped.

Once they arrive, a few beans from each sack are tested. The degree of fermentation provides information about the quality; beans that do not meet the high standards are not processed further. The good cocoa beans are then mixed according to aroma. By skilfully combining different varieties, certain flavours can be achieved.

Next, the beans are cleaned and separated from dirt and small stones that have travelled in the bags. After a short drying process, they are then broken open. The nibs are roasted and processed into cocoa and chocolate products or packaged directly. This way they are already ready to be sold and used, for example, for homemade chocolate, delicious desserts or pastries.