Nestlé Japan is launching its “Cacao Fruit Chocolate,” introduced in the form of a KitKat. The company says that this is the first chocolate confectionery that uses dried, powdered cacao pulp as a substitute for traditional sugar. The offerings made from 70 % dark chocolate will be available at KitKat Chocolatory stores and through online mail-order.

This launch comes at a time when consumers are increasingly seeking clean label offerings that also fight food waste. Further products sweetened with cocoa pulp will follow in other countries next year through some of Nestlé’s most popular confectionery brands.

Traditionally discarded, cacao pulp surrounds the cacao beans and is soft, sweet and white in colour. It also has a distinct sour-sweet taste, which is used in Brazil and other cacao-producing countries in Latin America for making drinks and smoothies. It is also used as a raw ingredient for ice cream. Some companies have focused on its scarcity and export juice made from it, but its use has not spread widely beyond that.