An Israeli start-up backed by Mondelez has produced the world’s first lab-grown chocolate bars using cell-cultured cocoa butter. Celleste Bio created a dozen chocolate bars at Cadbury’s Bournville factory in Birmingham, marking a significant breakthrough for the chocolate industry. The development aims to reduce reliance on cocoa plantations in West Africa, where climate change and under-investment have driven prices from less than $3,000 to a peak of $12,000 per tonne.

Starting with cocoa bean cells, Celleste grows them in controlled tanks, feeding them sugars and nutrients to produce identical fats and flavour compounds. The process creates a “drop-in replacement” for conventional cocoa butter, requiring no changes to existing manufacturing processes. Celleste CEO Michal Beressi Golomb said the company aims to secure regulatory approval in the US and Israel by late 2027, with European approvals likely taking longer.

While cocoa prices have eased from their 2024-2025 peaks, chocolate makers continue investing in alternatives. Mondelez has invested $5.6 million in Celleste, while rivals like Lindt & Sprüngli back competing technologies. Celleste plans to scale production to 50,000 tonnes annually at $12,000-$15,000 per tonne, targeting placement of facilities next to chocolate manufacturers to reduce shipping emissions and land use.