Spora turns side stream into sustainable chocolate alternative
A new product from the Danish food research center Spora transforms spent grain from beer brewing into a refined alternative to chocolate – offering a scalable and sustainable solution to mounting global pressures on cocoa production.
As global demand for chocolate continues to grow, the cocoa industry faces mounting pressure from climate change, deforestation and volatile pricing. Spora, a global food research centre led by award-winning chef and founder of the two-star Michelin restaurant Alchemist, Rasmus Munk, has developed NOTCH – a completely cocoa-free chocolate made from brewer’s spent grains, a by-product of beer brewing.
Bringing together chefs, researchers and food scientists, Spora focuses on upcycling industrial side streams into high-value food solutions. By adapting traditional chocolate-making techniques to process spent grains instead of cocoa, the team has created a product that mirrors the smooth texture, snap and rich flavour of conventional chocolate without relying on cocoa beans. The innovation highlights the potential of circular thinking to support more resilient global food systems.
From fine dining to scalable food innovation
The spent grains used in Spora’s non-chocolate is sourced from Danish microbreweries. After drying and roasting, it is combined with sugar and plant-based fats in a conching machine – the same type used in conventional chocolate production. This process develops the smooth texture and familiar mouthfeel associated with chocolate. The result is a fully temperable, glossy product that has already surprised guests at Alchemist, many of whom do not realise they are not eating traditional chocolate.
In addition to non-chocolate, Spora is exploring the transformation of other by-products, such as rapeseed cake, into flavourful, protein-rich food products. The ambition is to create alternatives that meet real consumer expectations for taste, texture and sustainability.
Denmark leads global food innovation through culinary creativity
Spora’s approach is rooted in Denmark’s long-standing culinary tradition of combining sustainability with sensory excellence. Across the Danish food system, chefs, researchers, companies and government collaborate closely to ensure that innovation is guided not only by efficiency and climate goals, but also by taste, high quality and applicability.
By combining culinary creativity with research-based knowledge and technical expertise, Spora exemplifies how Denmark’s food cluster continues to translate bold ideas into tangible, scalable solutions. In doing so, it highlights how culinary innovation rooted in sustainability can contribute to global food system transformation.