Australian ingredients company The Product Makers (TPM) has gone for the gold and isolated a sugarcane extract called Saccharum officinarum to create a golden chocolate. The company says that the extract can be used as a natural colorant but also has properties that create a better-for-you nutritional profile in chocolate.

The company sells its gold-coloured extract under the brand name Phytolin Plus which is made with TPM’s patented Modulex ingredient as well as supplemental fibre and protein. The company discovered this sugarcane extract that helps control blood glucose levels in 2018 through a research and development process that was partially funded by the Australian government.

According to the company, these extracts are also polyphenol-rich, high in anti-oxidants, rich in minerals/nutrients and potent anti-inflammatories. When used to make chocolate, which the company accomplished by introducing the natural colorant into white chocolate, the extract creates an end product that is comprised of 16 % total sugar as compared to conventional white chocolate which is generally made up of 45 % sugar. This golden formulation also increases the chocolate protein content from 10 to 13 % and fibre from 12 to 14 %.