MAR 29, 2024 JLM 66°F 08:56 AM 01:56 AM EST
Could Israel become a surprise cocoa superpower?

Israel has the wrong climate for growing cocoa but a new startup aims to grow it sustainably and ethically in a lab – and it’s already sparking interest with snack makers.

Why would one of the world’s largest snack companies, whose brands include Cadbury, Toblerone, Oreo and Milka, bank on a supply of cocoa from Israel?

The cocoa bean, from which the key ingredient in chocolate is derived, has never been cultivated in Israel. It’s not difficult to understand why. Cocoa plantations need humid tropical weather, as found in Ghana, Ivory Coast and Ecuador, the top three producers in this $130 billion industry.

These climatic conditions are of no concern for one Israeli agrifood startup aiming to produce “the food of the gods.” Celleste Bio’s high quality cocoa will be produced in a laboratory.

The company, situated in the Misgav Industrial Park in northern Israel, aims to do this using conventional cell culture methods.

Chief Technology Officer Hanne Volpin explains to ISRAEL21c how it’s done:

“You can, in principle, grow plant cells almost as easily as growing yeast. Put them in a solution of sugar, water and vitamins and they will keep multiplying and growing. The trick is for the end result to be the product you want, in this case cocoa butter and powder,” she says.

“Now we are at the stage of trying to find what the optimal growth conditions are for the stem-cell-like plant.”

The next step will be to visit the World Cocoa Gene Bank in Trinidad and Tobago to collect cocoa varieties.

And Volpin is insistent there will be no genetic modifications thereafter, “no lab tricks to change natural variations.”

Image - Mavo via/Shutterstock

Did you find this article interesting?
Comments
Patsy Webb 21:35 27.02.2023
WOW leave it to God’s children, his chosen ones to lead the way kudos to all involved, and may the God of heaven and earth be with you in Christ Jesus name amen
To leave a comment, please log in

DISCOVER MORE

"Iron Swords" - War in Gaza Hamas The Iran Threat Biden Administration Hezbollah The Leftist-Islamist Alliance Israeli Technology Palestine = Hamas = ISIS Israeli_Nature 10/7 Hamas Massacres Biblical Archaeology Jihadi Infiltration into the West Heroes of Israel The Bible Muslim Persecution of Jews