Italian food-tech company Foreverland, a producer of cocoa-free chocolate alternatives, has expanded its production capacity with the opening of its first manufacturing plant in Puglia, Italy.

The facility will have the capacity to produce over 500 tonnes of Choruba, the start-up’s flagship chocolate alternative ingredient, each year.

Choruba is a cocoa-free ingredient made from resilient Mediterranean crops, such as carob, pumpkin seeds and chickpeas. It aims to replicate chocolate’s indulgent flavour and mouthfeel but with a significantly lighter environmental footprint.

Through this, Foreverland said it can address both consumer expectations for indulgence and the urgent sustainability challenges facing the cocoa sector – which is being impacted by climate pressures, price volatility and supply shortages – helping manufacturers to reduce reliance on cocoa.

The new plant marks a key milestone in Foreverland’s growth strategy. It will provide the company with the capability to run industrial trials with larger clients, secure small and medium-sized business customers, and deliver a steady and scalable supply of cocoa-free chocolate alternatives.

The site includes a dedicated pilot fermentation room, enabling the team to test and refine processing steps flexibly, while protecting know-how and validating unit economics.

Alongside the new plant, Foreverland has announced a new retail product partnership, the company’s fourth to date. It will team up with Italian protein snack brand Small Giants to launch Choruba Protein Bites – a peanut butter and chocolate-flavoured snack innovation, featuring Small Giants’ yeast-based protein and coated in the Choruba chocolate alternative.

The snacks are vegan-friendly, and are priced at €3.29 for a three-pack or €1.99 for a single bar. They are available online and in-store across the Gulliver supermarket chain.

Massimo Sabatini, co-founder and CEO of Foreverland, said: “The 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 – all while ensuring we can meet demand at accessible price points”.

He added: “Our partnership with Small Giants is a strong example of this next phase, showing how sustainable chocolate alternatives are ready for the mainstream”.

Edoardo Imparato, CEO of Small Giants, commented: “Retailers and consumers are looking for real alternatives in categories like chocolate, where sustainability challenges are growing. Through our collaboration with Foreverland, we’re bringing products made with innovative ingredients to market shelves… It’s a concrete step towards making sustainable indulgence the new normal in European supermarkets.”

Foreverland, founded in 2022 and headquartered in Milan and Puglia, said it is currently in discussions to expand into France and the Nordics, building on its existing presence in Italy and Germany.