Barry Callebaut launches ruby chocolate in the U.S., Canada
Following successful roll-outs in Asia, Europe, and Australia/New Zealand, Barry Callebaut has announced that its ruby chocolate is now broadly available in the United States and Canada.
Following successful roll-outs in Asia, Europe, and Australia/New Zealand, Barry Callebaut has announced that its ruby chocolate is now broadly available in the United States and Canada.
"Fueled by the overwhelming consumer response around the globe, Barry Callebaut collaborated with a small group of pioneering artisans over the last six months to soft launch ruby in the U.S. marketplace,” said Peter Boone, CEO and president, Barry Callebaut Americas. “The sales of those consumer products have been very strong. As a result, to help ensure that our business partners have access to the product, we feel that now is the time to take the next step in our global roll-out campaign and introduce ruby to the entire North American market."
To obtain a U.S. standard of identity for the innovation, Barry Callebaut is working closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin test marketing ruby as a new chocolate product in the United States, with the goal of establishing a new standard of identity reflecting ruby’s distinctive sensory profile. In the meantime, ruby will be launched in the United States as ruby couverture.
"Given the fact that ruby satisfies an unmet consumer need, we decided not to trademark ruby chocolate across the world, as no one should 'own' ruby. We aim for category growth and to have ruby accepted as the fourth type of chocolate," said Bas Smit, global vice president marketing of the Barry Callebaut Group.