Barry Callebaut signs licensing agreement with Naturex

For a period of five years until April 2020, Barry Callebaut is licensing its approved 13.5 EFSA health claim on cocoa flavanols for cocoa extract products to Naturex. As licensee, Naturex is permitted to apply this proprietary health claim to its food supplement solutions and its B2B clients will be also allowed to duplicate it on their marketed end products.

In April 2015, the European Commission approved the extension of Barry Callebaut’s existing health claim on cocoa flavanols from cocoa powders to cocoa flavanols from cocoa extracts (Regulation (EU) 2015/539). The Group obtained the right to use the health claim that “cocoa flavanols help maintain the elasticity of blood vessels, which contributes to normal blood flow”, for food supplements applications fitting into delivery forms such as capsules and tablets containing high-flavanol cocoa extracts.

This partnership will make it possible to offer flavanol extracts in a convenient delivery form as food supplements, under a consumer-friendly small daily portion that supplies the required daily amount of 200 mg of cocoa flavanols. As part of the agreement, Barry Callebaut and Naturex will combine their know-how and expertise that will revolutionize the food supplement market, building strong differentiation with existing applications in the cardiovascular health segment. Barry Callebaut will supply cocoa beans naturally containing high amounts of healthy flavanols. From these beans, Naturex will produce a pure cocoa extract and will market an innovative solution with the proprietary health claim, positioned as one of their flagship food supplement products expected to first hit the European market in early 2016.