To dive deeper into this sweet breakthrough, check out the full article by Stacey Leasca on Food & Wine: [Swiss Scientists Say They Created a Healthier and More Sustainable Chocolate](https://www.foodandwine.com/swiss-scientists-create-healthier-sustainable-chocolate-8665301).

Chocolate lovers, rejoice! Swiss scientists at ETH Zurich have cracked the code to make chocolate both healthier and more sustainable. This exciting development could change the way we think about this beloved treat.

By repurposing parts of the cocoa plant often discarded during production, such as the pectin-rich cocoa pod endocarp, the researchers created a gel using cocoa pulp juice concentrate to replace traditional sugar. This innovation results in more fiber chocolate (15g vs. 12g) and less saturated fat (23g vs. 33g) compared to average European dark chocolate.

Why does this matter? Increased fiber content helps regulate blood sugar and improves intestinal activity, while reducing saturated fats can lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Best of all, trained panelists confirmed that the taste is as delightful as traditional chocolate!

The benefits don’t stop there. A life cycle analysis revealed that scaling this production method could significantly reduce land use and climate impact. However, widespread adoption will require industry-wide changes, starting with cocoa farmers.

ETH Zurich’s research team has already filed a patent for their innovative recipe, bringing us one step closer to seeing this next-generation chocolate on shelves.