Program
Tuesday, December 08, 2026
Begin: 13:00 - End: 18:00| Plenum 1: The world of chocolate today |
| Product trends & consumer preferences in 2027 Innova Market Insights |
| The AI Chocolate Factory Hendrick Haase, Bundesvereinigung der deutschen Ernährungsindustrie e.V. (BVE) |
| Chocolate Goes Viral: Understanding Social Media’s Power in Product Innovation |
| Milky and Dark Fusion Chocolate – Nice to Save Food – Zero Waste Heidi Lankes, HALBA - Division der Coop Genossenschaft |
| Raw material supply and costs Thomas Vanderstappen, Barry Callebaut |
| Sustainability in Cocoa – Lessons Learned and the Road Ahead |
| End of the First Day |
| Festive Dinner at the Chocolate Museum in Cologne |
Wednesday, December 09, 2026
Begin: 8:30 - End: 20:30Session will be divided in Session A and Session B
| Raw Material Cocoa |
| Summary of ongoing cocoa research projects Dr. Daniel Kadow, August Strock KG |
| Sensory quality: the role of microbial networks in the formation of fruity aroma compounds Dr. David Gopaulchan, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham |
| Raw Material Nuts |
| Market Analysis: Pistachios |
| Pesticide Residues in Hazelnuts – Country-Specific Assessment |
| Cocoa and Chocolate Processing Technology |
| Sonocrystallization in Chocolate Production: Less Fat Bloom, More Process Stability Isabell Rothkopf, Fraunhofer Institut für Verfahrenstechnik u. Verpackung |
| Alternative Raw Materials and Comminution Technologies Leif Seidel, DIL - Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik e. V. (DIL e. V.) |
| Fats / Compounds and More |
| CBE - An opportune alternative to cocoa butter in confectionery applications Morten Daugaard Andersen, AAK Denmark A/S |
| Alternative Raw Materials |
| How Can the Confectionery Industry Benefit from the Protein Trend? |
| Cocoa – from cell cultures to plant alternatives Food Brewer AG |
| Chocolate Quality |
| Cocoa Butter Crystallisation Under the Microscope: Bean Quality and Its Impact on the Crystallisation Pathway Isabell Rothkopf, Fraunhofer Institut für Verfahrenstechnik u. Verpackung |
| BCI of fat blends consisting of cocoa butter and other vegetable fats Yuantong Zeng, Bühler AG |
| Regulatory Affairs |
| BPA-free chocolate molds - industry efforts and current status at European level Dr. Frank Heckel, Lebensmittelchemisches Institut des Bundesverbandes d. Dt. Süßwarenindustrie e.V. (BDSI) |
| Latest Scientific Insights |
| Determination of Cocoa Butter Equivalents According to ISO 23275: A Critical Analysis of Accuracy and Applicability Robin Pöstgens, Lebensmittelchemisches Institut des Bundesverbandes d. Dt. Süßwarenindustrie e.V. (BDSI) |
| Overview of Current Regulatory Developments (“Round-Up”) |
| AI & Automation in Chocolate Manufacturing |
| The use of AI in product development Dr. Christian Klein, UMYNO Solution GmbH |
| Quality-Supporting Processes |
| Poster-Session inside the exhibition hall with beer & pretzel |
Thursday, December 10, 2026
Begin: 8:30 - End: 13:00| Plenum 2: Visions for the Chocolate of Tomorrow |
| New insights into the structural behavior of chocolate shells during cold forming and rotational cooling using ultrasonic analysis Prof. em. Dr.-Ing. Erich J. Windhab, ETH Zürich |
| Vegan Vegetable-Based Chocolate |
| Growth Prospects & Markets |
| Whole-Fruit Chocolate Without Added Sugar – Using Cocoa Husk Endocarp and Cocoa Pulp Juice Concentrate as Novel Ingredients ETH Zürich |
| Cocoa Prices |
| AI for the Chocolate Industry: Opportunities, Limits, and the Road Ahead Manuel Höhener, Bühler AG |
| End of the congress |
The program is updated regularly!
