Kocoatrait, the world’s 1st planet/eco friendly, socially concious and sustainable luxury bean to bar chocolate, was launched at Chocoa in Amsterdam in 2019. Whats unique about Kocoatrait is that we operate in the Circular Economy (link). By November 2019, Kocoatrait launched in chennai and had started to think about expanding beyond current retail and online platforms. Zero waste gift was one idea that did occur to us early on. The attempt was to reach the more exposed, evolved and travelled audiences. Just then, we received a call from one of chennai’s oldest technology centric advertisement solution providers. The client had received communication from us as part of our outreach program. They were evaluating innovative gifting options their business partners and reached out to us. We were excited to present the Kocoatrait story to them.

We visited their team in the next few days. They patiently heard us narrate the Kocoatrait story! It was a memorable short meeting taking precisely 4 minutes to almost close the deal. I can talk hours about our story at one go usually! Half way through the conversation, I felt very confident while speaking to the audience. They saw us as a right fit into their requirements. It felt that I was presenting the right solution to the right audience. This is ever marketers dream and we somehow got there!). I already started feeling we had marketed our product well and did not have to sell it. Anyone interested to read more on the difference between marketing and sales can click here!

It was the 5th minute of the conversation and we were already tasting the chocolates! I went on to explain how this whole gift Box would be Zero Waste. At the end of 10th minute we were discussing how many boxes can be shipped out to their select business partners across India! This was one of the rare meetings where we were asked what we could do for a specific price/budget, we worked backwards and the deal closed on my 1st offer. For anyone who does not know about Kocoatrait chocolates yet, here is the link to the Presser for your perusal: Click on this Link.

The box contained 6 Kocoatrait chocolate bars of various exotic flavours. While the chocolate was Zero waste, we had to also ensure that the outer packaging was Zero waste too! We used a TIN box, on which we got the clients branding screen printed using water based inks. The printing was done on our own up-cycled chocolate wrapping material. Vexcel Educational Trust, are our printing partners. Vexcel was super efficient and delivered in no time! In the inner side the lid of the TIN box, we had a Professional chocolate tasing guide pasted. We also had a QR code to access the webpage of our other chocolate flavours. Another QR code helps users understand how to reuse the aluminium foil which is used to wrap our chocolates.

The client was impressed and convinced by the Zero waste gift box concept. I realised it when I saw an entire and most important side of the insert being used to narrate our story! They could impress their business partners by demonstrating their support to local businesses who are planet friendly and sustainable. What better way to say “Thank You”! I realised this when i read the content to be printed on the other side of the insert. They were kind enough to share our story along with our contact details.

The TIN box with the chocolates was fit into a reusable cardboard box which accommodated 2 reusable ice gel packs. This box was then taped and we used a sheet of paper to print the bluedart shipping label. We have been working with bluedart since to see how we can eliminate paper but that does not seem as an option as of now. The only regret we had that it had to be taped using plastic tapes. We have since then, found a solution to the tapes. We will start using bio degradable cling wraps from our next orders to make the box tamper proof during transit.

In the next 2 weeks, we collaborated out IT effort with our shipping partners Bluedart to generate shipping labels. The shipments were all out for overnight delivery within the next few days! The learning while integrating with Bluedart IT was about our inability to be agile rather than theirs! While the despatches had some delays (keeping shipping to the 1st half of the week), we tracked the packages closely.

Upon delivery we started receiving feedback calls from both the client and their recipients. They were pleased with the in-depth thought that had gone into making the gift box a Zero waste affair. We felt that our conviction of offering a Zero waste chocolate gift box was not early in time and was validated. A market opportunity exists and clients can quite easily be converted into gifting a Zero Waste experience. As Winston S. Churchill once said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”. Kocoatrait – Indulge. Discover.

PS: My dad is my daily dose of inspiration. He asks me everyday, “What new have you done today?” (almost expecting me to come up with an actionable idea everyday! – Parents know how to push when needed). Forcing me to constantly think out of the box for solutions to everyday problems. He firmly believes what goes around comes around. He has a single minded & undivided attention and focus towards innovation and new ideas even in his field of work.

I am writing this during the lockdown and am forced to think that this pandemic must have a positive impact on humankind. It is heartening to see pictures of animals enjoying their time in nature while humans stay inside the concrete jungle. I hope that, going forward, humans are more compassionate towards the planet and mother earth. We are happy that we have willingly and proactively put in our efforts towards becoming planet friendly rather than being reactive to a situation. Connect with us now! nitin@cocoatrait.com; +919600064846

Cocoa Bean Varieties in india is a very interesting topic for discussion. In all our travels across cocoa farms in India, most farmers nervously and curiously point out to a slender long cocoa pod or a purple colour pod and ask if this is criollo cacao beans. For starters, criollo is considered a variety of cacao which commands a premium due to better flavour and limited availability. We like the hope with which they expect a positive reply. However, we disappoint him on most occasions. There is a lot more to this than what meets the eye. A bit of history, trade, lack of research, knowledge, colonialism and convenience has lead people to believe the myth that there are 3 cocoa varieties namely Criollo, Trinitario and Forestero. The truth is that these are just mere historical groupings based upon geographies that they were attributed too. These are not genetic varieties. Each of these groups historically created for the convenience of trade have multiple specific genetic varieties which offer specific flavour profiles and physical characteristics. They have not been researched in great detail yet across the globe. Studies are ongoing and have been initiated but we are far from near the end. It is assumed that there would be more than 10 families into which each of the several distinguishable varieties can be slotted into. Each country has several hybrids they have developed which has a fairly large development cycle comprising many years. This makes global mapping a bit of a challenge.

On a typical cocoa farm in India (and most places globally) you would see 3-4 different genetic varieties of cocoa (attached picture). In India, most of the varieties will be from the assumed forestero group, which is considered to be a variety best suited to make industrial chocolate (we dont believe 100% of that!). So when some one says “We have traces of South American cacao in my farm”, you can respond by saying “Of course cacao is not native to India and they came in from South America!” Post that, you could check if the cacao farmer is aware that these three names were trade names and they do not indicate cacao varieties. The fact is that even if there is 2-3 % of criollo group of cocoa in a farm, it is not enough to make a difference in the entire lot. And, before you might ask, there is never enough of the coveted groups in a single farm to process a full batch of fermentation. This is one reason why micro batch fermentation is bound to become a popular trend going forward.

The rightful question however is how much of that meaningful trace (of criollo) have they got in their Indian cacao farm? The answer is very clear that not much! It’s best to start referring to Indian cacao beans as “Indian” rather than any of these not so useful and relevant names! Be proud of what the Indian varietals are capable of reaching, be original and play to our strengths rather than say that our cocoa has some of the other traits ! Our Kocoatrait chocolates are made using a blend of various farms! Click: https://cocoatrait.com/product-category/shop/kocoatrait-chocolates/ Evaluate our signature 4 day Bean to Bar certification program at: https://cocoatrait.com/product/4-day-micro-batch-bean-to-bar-chocolate-making-course-cocoashala-chennai-india/

For further details please write to nitin@cocoatrait.com or call on +919600064846.

Over the last 4 days, I have received a specific video on Whats app more than 200 times in different groups and from several people who know my involvement in chocolates. Most people in shock ask, “Is this true?!?!?!” To me this episode is a masterclass in making viral social media videos. Let’s see how. The ingredients of the video are: Choose the right content (chocolate in this case), instill fear among viewers and ensure it is relevant across age groups, gender, religion, profession, geography, culture and beliefs. In short, talk about chocolate and make it whats app sharable.

A seemingly educated lady starts a video addressing a rather unassuming & perhaps imaginary audience on an assuring note saying that Junk food is to be avoided etc etc. This ensures that the audiance starts getting in the comfort zone. Then 1 minute into the video, the topic of chocolate is easily introduced! Claiming that maida, sugar and cockroaches are used in chocolate and giving examples of how the mighty authoritative FDA allows 6 gms of insect parts in chocolate, she further states that cockroaches are attracted to the smell of fermentation and chocolate makers cant help it or contain it. Hence they have written to the authorities and got permission to process chocolate with these insects.

Recently food bloggers have come under the scanner a lot for not verifying what they publish. But there are easily sharable videos doing the rounds on what’s app (embedded as a youtube link to this post) and the people who make these videos go scot free and in fact cause more damage than good because they are aimlessly forwarded without verification of any facts. They create panic and cause fear among the audiances. I have had several people saying that they have thrown away the chocolate they had in stock after having seen this video! The lady implies that, because, FDA allows 4% cockroach parts in chocolate, the chocolate makers would add that amount of animal products into chocolate! Of course, please be rest assured that neither FDA says it the same way it has been interpreted nor does any chocolate maker resorts to adding animal parts to chocolate. To make matters worse, when people receive such messages and do a quick google search with keywords like cockroaches in chocolate, a lot of unknown websites show up some dated articles regarding the same. If they happen to do a search on youtube you would see some videos in telegu language stating the same things and also mentioning reputed brand names! Ofcourse the narrators face is not shown in those videos. This specific video (attached to this post) is a rip-off from another video that appeared in Telugu language on whats app a few months ago. A lady there also narrates her thoughts in a similar manner with the aim of creating panic. These are attention seeking social media tactics. No phone number, email address or any contact detail has been provided. She is now, very easily a social media (what’s app included) sensation within a few days! I am sure celebrities can also not imagine to go this viral so easily.

There is a concept of allowed ingredient in each product category in India based on FSSAI. Heres what FSSAI’s definition is of chocolate (this is derived from their draft Draft_Notice_Comments_Labelling_Display_11_04_2018.pdf). Ofcourse I am not able to read cockroaches as an allowed ingredient in chocolate in the definition below:

Chocolate means a homogeneous product obtained by an adequate process of manufacture from a mixture of one or more of the ingredients, namely, cocoa materials including cocoa beans, cocoa nib, cocoa mass (cocoa liquor/cocoa paste), cocoa press cake and cocoa powder (cocoa fines or cocoa dust), including fat reduced cocoa powder with or without addition of sugars, cocoa butter, milk solids including milk fat. The addition of vegetable fats other than cocoa butter shall not exceed 5 per cent of the finished product, after deduction of the total weight of any other added edible foodstuffs, without reducing the minimum contents of cocoa materials
Optional ingredients
In addition to the aforementioned ingredients, the chocolate may contain one or more of the substances given below, namely:-
I. edible salts;
II. spices and condiments and their extracts;
III. vitamins and minerals;
IV. permitted emulsifying and stabilising agents;
V. permitted sequestering and buffering agents.

Also, do you read the word seizure in the text of the FDA document (at the image at the start of this post?) It is very important to read this in context of the overall law. This is a provision and the guidelines that the FDA has given when the food authority has to seize the products that are produced above this limit. Where does it say that it is allowed that any chocolate maker in the world can actually put cockroach in the chocolate? Is Cockroach in the allowed ingredient list in chocolate? The answer is a safe NO. If you read one paragraph on a single page out of the law that is hundred pages long, it amounts to half baked knowledge and also ignorance apart from supporting a wrong cause. You should be through in your research. Never assume that food laws are so simply stupid.

I say this to every student in my class that any news about chocolate (even if it is unverified content like what this video explains), will always get attention. That’s a reality of chocolate. For all of us fermenting our own cocoa beans and making chocolate from bean to bar, this is simply an insult of the highest order. This lady has perhaps not seen what is carried out when we work with cocoa at the farm or a chocolate making unit. She would have scared several thousand people already and many people will find it difficult to even think of chocolates now. I wonder what or who motivated her. Unfortunately large companies like Cadburys and Nestle have a lot to loose due to this publicity since they are the most easily accessable to Indian consumers. We can be rest assured no animal parts are added in any chocolate in any part of the world. – L Nitin Chordia, India’s 1st certified chocolate taster and also a Cocoa post harvest professional. Contactable at: nitin@cocoatrait.com

Aluminum is considered one of the highest-value materials that can be recycled and reprocessed into new aluminum in just barely 60 days! Aluminium foils used by chocolate companies are usually laminated with a layer of plastic to save costs on aluminium by using a thin aluminium foil. Kocoatrait chocolates uses a much thicker pharmaceutical grade aluminium foil without any plastic content to wrap our chocolate bars. This ensures that our chocolates are protected as it provides a total barrier to light and oxygen.

Aluminum foil is 100% recyclable, unless there is a plastic laminate on it. While it is used to protect the chocolate bar before you have purchased it, we would like to encourage you not throw the aluminium away AND to re-use the high quality aluminium foil atleast once before it finds it way into the recycling plant. We have not sealed or stickered the aluminium foil and hence there are several ways we could re-use it. You can give it a second, third or fourth life with one of the creative ideas below! Whats more, you can reuse it for ever!

Use as a sandwich wrap Use the foil to wrap a cold sandwich or cold bread! This is the best use of the foil and it can be reused many times before you decide to recycle it. 

Sharpen Scissors Fold the aluminum foil into a thick square and cut it about 8-10 times. This will help to sharpen the edges of your dull scissors. 

Regulate Your Lotion Dispenser Wrap aluminum foil around the pump dispenser of your soap or lotion to control how much comes out. Not only will you be reusing the aluminum foil, but you’ll also extend the life of your soap or lotion. 

Eliminate Static Cling If you are having problems with static cling on your clothing, add a piece of aluminum foil to the dryer next time you do a load. It will help to reduce the static cling. 

Extend the Life of Your Bar Soap Instead of letting your bar of soap sit in a puddle of water, lay it on a sheet of aluminum foil. 

Cut Down Your Ironing Time Put a sheet of aluminum foil under your ironing board. It will help to reflect the heat and iron both sides at once. We believe that we can do better.

We would love to hear feedback & any ideas on how to improve! Email us at nitin@cocoatrait.com or Whats app us at +919600064846. Our other flavours are available at: https://cocoatrait.com/product-category/shop/kocoatrait-chocolates/ 

Content derived from: https://livegreen.recyclebank.com/14-little-known-ways-to-reuse-aluminum-foil https://www.homeandgardeningideas.com/12-creative-ways-to-reuse-aluminum-foil/2/ https://www.organicauthority.com/live-grow/how-to-reuse-recycle-aluminum-foil