Barry Callebaut, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate products, will use fully segregated palm oil from sustainable production certified 100% by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) for compounds and fillings in all its factories in Europe starting as of January 2013. In Asia-Pacific, three Barry Callebaut plants are already certified and able to offer RSPO-certified palm oil on a mass balance basis. The ingredients are available at customer request.
Barry Callebaut Americas has also initiated a sustainable palm oil program, and working towards being able to offer customers mass balance sustainable palm oil during the course of 2013 if and when requested.
“The demand for food products produced in a responsible way continues to grow, and we’re seeing this as well in our compound and fillings business with an increasing number of customers requiring sustainable palm oil,” said Steven Retzlaff, President Global Sourcing & Cocoa. “With this move to RSPO-certified palm oil for our compounds and fillings we will be able to more efficiently meet our customers’ needs and at the same time support sustainable agriculture that safeguards the environment in tropical regions.”
Compounds and fillings contain vegetable fats, such as palm oil, in place of cocoa butter. In addition to its chocolate products, Barry Callebaut offers a range of dark, milk and white compound products, as well as a variety of fillings for bakery, pastry, biscuit and confectionery applications.
The RSPO is a not-for-profit association created in 2004 to promote the growth and use of sustainable oil palm products through credible global standards and engagement of stakeholders. A key requirement of RSPO certification is that palm oil production cannot take place in primary forests or in high conservation value areas.
