Foreverland opens first plant in Italy to scale cocoa-free chocolate production
The new facility is designed to produce over 500 tonnes of Choruba annually, allowing Foreverland to support industrial trials with large clients while also supplying small and medium-sized food companies.
ITALY – Italian food ingredients startup Foreverland has opened its first production facility in Puglia, Southern Italy, to produce its flagship cocoa-free chocolate alternative, Choruba.
The launch marks a major milestone for the young company as it scales from pilot projects to full-scale manufacturing, aiming to transform the way chocolate is made and consumed.
Choruba is crafted from Mediterranean crops such as carob, pumpkin seeds, and chickpeas, offering a rich, chocolate-like flavour and texture without relying on cocoa.
The innovation comes at a critical time for the chocolate industry, which is grappling with climate change, price spikes, and supply shortages.
Cocoa yields have dropped drastically in West Africa, the world’s largest producing region, pushing prices to record highs and forcing companies like Hershey to raise product prices.
By moving away from cocoa, Foreverland’s ingredient provides food manufacturers with a stable, sustainable, and ethical alternative.
The new Puglia facility is designed to produce over 500 tonnes of Choruba annually, allowing Foreverland to support industrial trials with large clients while also supplying small and medium-sized food companies.
A dedicated pilot fermentation room will enable the team to refine processes, protect proprietary technology, and ensure the economic viability of the project.
“Our new plant allows us to work hand in hand with manufacturers, speed up recipe development, and bring sustainable chocolate alternatives into everyday products across Europe,” said Massimo Sabatini, co-founder and CEO of Foreverland. “This marks the moment Foreverland moves from pilot projects to full-scale production.”
Foreverland is modernising 20th-century carob-based chocolate substitutes through advanced fermentation techniques that better mimic the taste of real chocolate.
Sustainability is central to its mission: the company upcycles carob pulp, which typically makes up 90% of carob fruit waste, into Choruba, reducing water use by 90% and emissions by 80% compared to traditional chocolate.
Alongside the plant opening, Foreverland announced a retail partnership with Italian protein company Small Giants to launch Choruba Protein Bites, vegan, high-protein peanut butter bars coated in cocoa-free chocolate.
Priced at €1.99 (US$2.32) for a single bar or €3.29 (US$3.84) for a three-pack, they’re available online and in Gulliver supermarkets across Italy.
Small Giants CEO Edoardo Imparato said the collaboration demonstrates how “sustainable indulgence can become the new normal in European supermarkets.”
Foreverland, which already operates in Italy and Germany, plans to expand into France and the Nordics next, furthering its vision of a climate-friendly, cocoa-free future.
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