Barry Callebaut's health claim on cocoa extracts will soon hit the food supplement market. And it may not be long before everyone is taking their daily cocoa pill.

The manufacturer has signed a licensing agreement with Naturex to market its approved health claim. Under the agreement, Barry Callebaut will source high-flavanol cocoa beans that Naturex will use to manufacture and commercialize cocoa extract.

Earlier this year in April, 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.

With the extension, Barry Callebaut earned 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 such as capsules and tablets containing high-flavanol cocoa extracts.

The licensing agreement will allow Naturex to apply Barry Callebaut's approved 13.5 EFSA health claim to its food supplement solutions until 2020. Naturex's B2B clients will also be allowed to duplicate the claim on their marketed end products.

The partnership makes it possible to offer flavanol extracts in consumer-friendly daily portions that will supply the required daily amount of 200 mg. of cocoa flavanols — i.e., a cocoa pill.

Combining Barry Callebaut and Naturex's expertise, the agreement will allow both companies to build a new application for the cardiovascular health segment.

 “This open innovation partnership with Barry Callebaut is a great opportunity to bring to the food supplement market a pure and natural breakthrough ingredient with a unique 13.5 EFSA claim for the next five years," says Olivier Rigaud, ceo, Naturex. "It will help us strengthen our global leader position in the phytoactives segment, one of the four key categories highlighted in our Bright2020 strategic plan, with endless applications that will help our customers to reduce time to market, fitting perfectly with consumer expectations.”