Programme
Tuesday, December 08, 2026
Begin: 13:00 - End: 17:45| 13:00 | Welcome |
Plenum 1: The world of chocolate today |
|
| 13:15 | Opening Keynote Speaker The AI Chocolate Factory - How Artificial Intelligence is Redefining the Cocoa and Chocolate Industry Hendrik Haase |
| 13:45 | Product trends & consumer preferences in 2027 Innova Market Insights |
| 14:15 | Chocolate Goes Viral: Understanding Social Media’s Power in Product Innovation Philip Hitschler-Becker, Hitschler International GmbH & Co. KG |
| 14:45 | Discussion and Q&A |
| 15:00 | Coffee Break, Networking & Foyer Exhibition. |
| 16:00 | Food Waste Reduction in Complex Production Environment Dr. Heidi Lankes, HALBA - Division der Coop Genossenschaft |
| 16:30 | Cocoa Market Thomas Vanderstappen, Barry Callebaut |
| 17:00 | Cocoa with Impact: Driving Sustainability Across the Value Chain Martina Gaebler, GISCO (German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa) & Nicoletta Lumaldo, SWISSCO (Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa) |
| 17:30 | Discussion and Q&A |
| 17:45 | End of the First Day |
| 19:30 | Festive Dinner at the Chocolate Museum in Cologne |
Wednesday, December 09, 2026
Begin: 8:30 - End: 20:30The progream will be divided in Session A and Session B
Session A1: Raw Materials Cocoa | Session B1: Regulatory Affairs |
|
| 8:30 | Welcome | |
| 8:40 | Cacao diseases, contaminants, flavor quality - Solving challenges and driving innovation in the cocoa sector. Dr. Daniel Kadow, August Storck KG | 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) |
| 9:10 | Sensory quality: the role of microbial networks in the formation of fruity aroma compounds Dr. David Gopaulchan, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham | The journey to setting maximum levels for MOAH and its impact on the chocolate industry Dr. Frank Heckel, Lebensmittelchemisches Institut des Bundesverbandes d. Dt. Süßwarenindustrie e.V. (BDSI) |
| 9:40 | Discussion and Q&A | Discussion and Q&A |
| 9:50 | Session Changeover |
|
| 9:55 | Poster Pitch |
|
| 10:05 | Session A2: Raw Materials Nuts | Session B2: Alternative Raw Materials |
| 10:05 | Pistachio Meets Chocolate – A Successful Duo (Cultivation, Processing, and Market Situation) Fouad Lilabadi, Jupiter Pistachios GmbH | Protein-enriched bars and chocolate products – potential for innovation and technological challenges Christian Zacherl, Fraunhofer-Institut für Verfahrenstechnik und Verpackung IVV |
| 10:35 | Pesticide Use, Environmental Impacts, and Sustainable. Alternatives Stink Bug Control in Turkish Hazelnut Cultivation | Development of Chocolate Without Cocoa Trees Noémi Weiss , Food Brewer AG |
| 11:05 | Discussion and Q&A | Discussion and Q&A |
| 11:15 | Coffee Break, Networking & Foyer Exhibition. |
|
| 12:15 | Poster Pitch |
|
| 12:25 | Session A3: Latest Scientific Insights | Session B3: Chocolate Quality |
| 12:25 | 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) | Cocoa Butter Crystallisation Under the Microscope: Bean Quality and Its Impact on the Crystallisation Pathway Dr. Isabell Rothkopf, Fraunhofer Institut für Verfahrenstechnik u. Verpackung |
| 12:55 | From Small-Amplitude to Bite: Linking SAOS, LAOS, and Tribology to Oral Processing of Fat-Continuous Confections Prof. Koen Dewettinck, Cacaolab bv | BCI of fat blends consisting of cocoa butter and other vegetable fats Yuantong Zeng, Bühler AG |
| 13:25 | Discussion and Q&A | Discussion and Q&A |
| 13:35 | Lunch, Networking & Foyer Exhibition. |
|
Session A4: AI & Automation in Chocolate Manufacturing | Session B4: Quality-Supporting Processes |
|
| 14:45 | Beyond Chocolate Trends: Solving the R&D Lag with AI Dr. Christian Klein, UMYNO Solutions GmbH | tba |
| 15:15 | tba | Production of Intermediate Products from Droplets, Chunks, and Flakes – Technologies, Rheology, and Factors Influencing Plant Performance Till Bäumer, Sollich KG |
| 15:45 | Discussion and Q&A | Discussion and Q&A |
| 16:00 | Coffee Break, Networking & Foyer Exhibition. |
|
| 17:00 | Poster Pitch |
|
Session A5: Fats / Compounds and More | Session B5: Cocoa and Chocolate Processing Technology |
|
| 17:10 | tba | Behavior of alternative raw materials during the grinding process Leif Seidel, DIL - Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik e. V. (DIL e. V.) |
| 17:40 | CBE - An opportune alternative to cocoa butter in confectionery applications Morten Daugaard Andersen, AAK Denmark A/S | Sonocrystallization in Chocolate Production: Less Fat Bloom, More Process Stability Dr. Isabell Rothkopf, Fraunhofer Institut für Verfahrenstechnik u. Verpackung |
| 18:10 | Discussion and Q&A | Discussion and Q&A |
| 18:20 | Poster-Session in the exhibition hall with beer and pretzel |
|
| 20:30 | Evening Free for Individual Activities/ End of the 2nd day |
|
Wednesday, December 09, 2026
Begin: 8:30 – End: 20:30
The program will run in two parallel tracks: Sessions A and B.
Thursday, December 10, 2026
Begin: 8:30 - End: 13:00Plenum 2: Visions for the Chocolate of Tomorrow |
|
| 8:30 | Welcome |
| 8:35 | Vegan Vegetable-Based Chocolate |
| 9:05 | New insights into the structural behavior of chocolate shells during cold forming and rotational cooling using ultrasonic analysis Dr. sc. Johannes Burkard, CHoNova AG / ETH Zürich |
| 9:35 | Growth Prospects & Markets |
| 10:05 | Discussion and Q&A |
| 10:20 | Coffee Break, Networking & Foyer Exhibition. |
| 11:20 | Whole-Fruit Chocolate Without Added Sugar – Using Cocoa Husk Endocarp and Cocoa Pulp Juice Concentrate as Novel Ingredients Prof. em. Dr.-Ing. Erich J. Windhab, ETH Zürich / ChoNova AG |
| 11:50 | Have cocoa’s structural deficiencies been addressed by high prices? Andrew Moriarty, Expana |
| 12:20 | What AI Really Means for the Chocolate Industry – Opportunities, Limits, and the Road Ahead Manuel Höhener, Bühler AG |
| 12:50 | Discussion and Q&A / Review & Summary |
| 13:00 | Congress Closing |
The program is updated regularly!
