Tcho, One of The First Chocolate Companies to go Fully Plant-Based

Tcho, a California-based company known for its chocolate, is moving to become 100 percent plant-based in order to become fully animal-free by 2023. The company will be one of the first chocolate makers to go fully vegan.

As part of its rebranding, the brand will introduce a new line of six chocolate bars that will be available in retail stores and on their website.

The six flavors will include Toffee Time, Aww Nuts!, Choco Latte, Holy Fudge, Born Fruity and Dark Duo. All the square-shaped chocolate bars are entirely dairy-free.

“Reducing our reliance on dairy is one of the quickest ways we can lighten our impact on the environment,” said Josh Mohr, senior vice president of marketing at Tcho, in a press release. “While this will not be an easy transition for us, we know it’s the right one. From the beginning, Tcho has been committed to working with our farming partners in the field, improving farming techniques, bettering soil conditions and doing what we can to help minimize deforestation — all of which speaks to a plant-based model.”

Some popular products in the company’s portfolio include Hawt Chocolate which is for chocolate drinks, Sweet & Sassy bittersweet baking chocolate, Dark & Bitter unsweetened baking chocolate, Super Powder cocoa powder and Crush This roasted cocoa nibs. These products are used in restaurant kitchens and bakeries nationwide and will also become plant-based by 2022.

“The spirit of Tcho is rooted in the idea of accepting challenges and trying to bring them to life,” Mr. Kintzer said. “Taking out dairy and focusing entirely on plants opened up a whole new world for us. We’re proud of the unique flavor profiles we’ve created. Our alt-milk is an entirely new cacao experience.”

Related: Here’s Why Hershey’s is Testing an Oat-Based Chocolate Bar

Additionally, to accommodate being fully plant-based by 2023, Tcho is also changing its packaging to be as environmentally friendly as possible. They will do this by wrapping the chocolate in a storable paper carton that is fully recyclable and wrapped individually in layers of 100 percent post-consumer wastepaper and certified compostable film.

Rather than selling single bars, the new packaging features three individually wrapped portions. Offering the chocolate in threes will make sharing and storing the chocolate easier for consumers. Moreover, the packaging will also include a QR code that will direct the consumer to a page that provides tracking information about each bar and its cacao.

Earlier this year, the company was awarded B Corp Status for its sustainability efforts. In fact, when the company launched in 2007, its primary mission was to maximize the sustainability of the chocolate industry. The company’s Tcho Source Program improves infrastructure and training while promoting higher and fair wages.