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University of Reading scientists make British chocolate with local cocoa

The bar was crafted to highlight how climate change could disrupt cocoa supplies, even as the UK chocolate market is valued at £10.4bn.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Agriculture

Scientists at the University of Reading have produced a chocolate bar using cocoa grown in Berkshire, with researchers harvesting, fermenting, and processing the beans at the university.

The work was carried out by Maha Khan, a master’s student in food security, and the bar was made for the university’s 100th anniversary using cocoa from the institute’s plant collection.

The UK chocolate industry relies entirely on imported cocoa, despite the country producing some of the world’s best chocolate, according to the report.

Khan said the project underscores that cocoa plants are sensitive to temperature and rainfall, and that climate change is already creating problems in major cocoa producing countries, making the preservation of cocoa varieties important.

Latest closeCocoa $5,659.00 ▲2.4%

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