Posted on Mar 06, 2026 by HunterLab
Cocoa powder and wooden spoon

What Does It Take to Achieve Chocolate-Like Color Without Cocoa?

HunterLab Explains


Achieving consistent color in cocoa-free chocolate is not just a formulation challenge — it’s a trust challenge.
From the very beginning, Planet A Foods knew that visual quality would determine whether consumers embraced their cocoa-free chocolate alternative. Taste and texture mattered, but if the product did not look like chocolate, it would never feel right.


To solve this, Planet A Foods relies on instrumental color measurement using the HunterLab ColorFlex L2 — a solution designed to deliver fast, objective, and repeatable color data for powders and complex food materials.
Learn more about ColorFlex L2 here >


Replacing cocoa is difficult. Matching the familiar appearance of chocolate without cocoa is even harder.


The color of chocolate alternatives comes from dark-roasted grape seed flour, a material where meaningful color differences are often invisible to the naked eye. Without objective measurement, even small variations in roasting can quietly shift the final product’s appearance.

To remove subjectivity and scale with confidence, Planet A Foods turned to HunterLab’s instrumental color measurement — transforming visual uncertainty into reliable, actionable data.

The Challenge: When Dark Powders Hide Critical Differences

Color is one of the strongest quality signals in chocolate and chocolate alternatives. Even subtle deviations can influence perception, acceptance, and brand trust.

For Planet A Foods, the challenge was clear:

  • Grape seed flour becomes extremely dark after roasting
  • Small but important color differences are barely visible to the human eye
  • Minor roasting variations can significantly affect final product color once blended

Relying on visual inspection alone made it nearly impossible to maintain consistent quality from batch to batch — putting both product integrity and consumer confidence at risk.

The Requirement: Objective, Repeatable Color Control

Planet A Foods needed a solution that could:

  • Detect minute color deviations invisible to visual inspection
  • Monitor and control the degree of roasting in grape seed flour
  • Deliver fast, easy measurements in both lab and production
  • Ensure the final product consistently meets the expected chocolate appearance

At this scale, subjective judgment was no longer enough. Color had to become measurable, traceable, and repeatable.

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The Solution: Instrumental Color Measurement with HunterLab ColorFlex L2

HunterLab's ColorFlex L2 spectrophotometer measuring cocoa powder

Planet A Foods integrated the HunterLab ColorFlex L2 spectrophotometer into their quality control process to objectively measure and control the color of roasted grape seed flour used in ChoViva.

With ColorFlex L2 in place:

  • Roasted grape seed flour is measured directly using common containers
  • Deviations from target color appear immediately on screen
  • Roasting parameters can be adjusted in real time
  • Finished blends are verified against defined color standards

What was once barely noticeable visually is now captured as reliable, decision-ready data, enabling confident control at every stage of production.

Working with dark or visually deceptive materials?
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The Application: Powder Measurement for Cocoa Alternatives and Beyond

ChoViva is produced using sustainable, plant-based ingredients including oats, sunflower seeds, vegetable fats, and dark-roasted grape seeds.

Powdered ingredients present unique challenges:

  • Visual assessment is unreliable
  • Small color shifts can dramatically affect the final product
  • Consistency cannot be guaranteed without objective measurement

Instrumental color measurement provides the foundation not only for cocoa alternatives, but also for coffee powders, flours, spices, and other powdered food materials where visual judgment falls short.

Results: Consistent Color. Faster Adjustments. Confident Quality.

With HunterLab ColorFlex L2, Planet A Foods achieved:

  • Detection of the smallest color deviations
  • Precise control over grape seed flour roasting levels
  • Immediate correction when color drifts from specification
  • Reliable batch-to-batch consistency
  • Confidence that the final product meets consumer expectations for chocolate appearance

“We use the ColorFlex for quality control of each of our batches. The device’s simple, fast handling and intuitive software have completely convinced us.”


Dr. Markus Bösl, PhD
Lead Flavor and Analytics, Planet A Foods

Why HunterLab: Turning Visual Quality into Measurable Truth

For more than 70 years, HunterLab has helped manufacturers move beyond subjective visual judgment to objective, traceable color measurement.

HunterLab solutions support:

  • Powders, flours, solids, liquids, and pastes
  • Lab and production environments
  • Fast decisions with minimal training
  • Global standards and regulatory requirements

When visual differences are subtle but the stakes are high, HunterLab makes the difference.

What Color Challenge Are You Solving Next?

From cocoa alternatives to legacy product matching, HunterLab helps you protect visual quality, reduce waste, and move faster with confidence.

Bring your toughest color challenge. We’ll show you how to measure it right.

Talk to a color expert at HunterLab

Trusted by the Best. Proven in Food.

93 of the Top 100 global food brands use HunterLab to measure, control, and standardize color across products and processes.

See how HunterLab supports food manufacturers: https://www.hunterlab.com/en/industries/food/