‘Fourth’ type of chocolate invented, claim Swiss scientists

A chocolate firm claims to have created a fourth type of chocolate — the first new type in 80 years.

Swiss chocolate giant Barry Callebaut says it used the ruby cocoa bean to create a confectionery with “berry-fruitiness and luscious smoothness”.

It’s too early to say whether this is a clever marketing gimmick or a genuine chocolate breakthrough after the existing variations that include milk, dark and white.

Ruby – named after its characteristic red hue — is only the fourth ever type to be created since the white version in the 1930s - according to the firm.

The flavours and colour are both completely natural because they come from the cocoa bean itself. No berries or berry flavour are added to the new variant, the company claims.

Angus Kennedy, an industry expert, told The Sun, that it's "very different and clever stuff. It’s refreshing and has a light, creamy texture."

“It tastes so light and fruity you don't really realise you're gobbling up one chocolate the other, so it means consumers will be able to eat more of it than other types of conventional chocolate,” he said.

Industry analyst Jean-Philippe Bertschy told the Financial Times that it could be a hit with millennials because what they want is natural products.

"They want to get natural ingredients and traceability of the product origin, which is easy with chocolate. They want some indulgence and like different tastes and colours," he said.