PRONATEC SWISS COCOA PRODUCTION

PRONATEC is a pioneering Swiss, family-owned company that has been passionately committed for over 45 years to fair trade and eco-friendly, sustainable production of food ingredients. For years, we have sourced our cocoa beans directly from smallholder cooperatives in the country of origin.

PRONATEC has been established in the world of cocoa for about 30 years. Our customers benefit from our many years of experience of working with different, exacting organic and fair trade certification standards such as Bio Suisse, Demeter, Naturland, FLO Fairtrade, Fair for Life etc.

We only process organic cocoa beans, so there is no possibility of any mixing with conventionally cultivated raw ingredients. In other aspects of our operations, too, we strive consistently for sustainability. For example, PRONATEC Swiss Cocoa Production meets 100% of its electricity needs from renewable sources, thereby making a small but important contribution to climate protection.

PRONATEC Swiss Cocoa Production is designed to be fully traceable, with complete batch separation. That is to say, the route taken by the cocoa mass (cocoa liquor), butter, powder and nibs at our plant can be traced at all times, while batch processing precludes the possibility of any mixing. We use an automated batch production system with digital process ccocoa ontrol, to guarantee strict batch separation during both processing and storage. To ensure a clean separation from previous batches, our pipes are cleared and cleansed using a so-called “pig” after each production run.

However, it’s not just our production methods that are transparent – our supply chain is also fully traceable. We source our cocoa beans directly from smallholder cooperatives in the country of origin. From procurement from small-scale farmers, through fermentation and export to processing and sale of the finished product, all stages of the process are in our hands. The PRONATEC supply chain is unique and guarantees full traceability of all our cocoa products back to the original smallholder farms. This enables us to offer maximum transparency and security of supply.

To guarantee reliable and efficient production, we depend on experienced employees, defined, tested processes and high-performance machinery. The centrepiece of PRONATEC Swiss Cocoa Production is our ultra-modern, FSSC 22000 certified cocoa processing plant. There, we produce high-quality, Swiss-made cocoa products.

Each production run starts with a preliminary sensory evaluation of the organic cocoa beans by our sensory team. This enables us to process the beans in the best possible way. The whole production process is also monitored digitally. Important parameters such as the fineness of the cocoa mass are regularly tested from the start of the production process and adjusted if necessary. Before delivery, product samples are taken to our in-house laboratory. There, experts test their physical and sensory properties and the results of any external analysis and only give approval to the goods if they satisfy our high quality standards.

Our “SECURE liquid delivery” service offers you the confidence of knowing that even liquid products meet your specifications when they leave the factory. Our tank storage facility for liquid cocoa mass and butter gives us an extra-long window of time during which the products can be analysed in detail, both internally and by external laboratories, before delivery.

We are happy to support you when you are developing new products. From planning to production, we are at your side with our specialist expertise and experience. Together, we create customised products for you, or we can plan the careful processing of your own cocoa beans at our plant. We analyse the beans in detail in advance to ensure that we process each batch of cocoa beans in the best possible way. If you wish, we can produce a bespoke blend of beans specially for you.

At PRONATEC Swiss Cocoa Production, we use nibs-roasting technology. In this method of cocoa processing, the beans are broken down into cocoa nibs first, and only then are they roasted. Nibs-roasting offers the advantage of regulated, very gentle temperature control, and maximum flexibility in defining the required roasting profile. With the perfect roasting curve, the flavour of the beans develops to the full.

When it comes to the form of delivery, again, we cater for your needs – cocoa mass (liquor) and cocoa butter in blocks (cardboard boxes), chunks drops or in liquid form, cocoa powder inin big bags or 25 kg bags, cocoa nibs in 25 kg bags. If required, we can arrange for additional analyses to be carried out, for example for baby food or pharmaceutical applications.