Fijian Chocolate Is At $4.50 Locally
Fijiana Cacao owner Tomohito Zukoshi said the move was in line with plans to make chocolates affordable for the local market.
Saturday 13 June 2020 | 12:35
Fijiana Cacao is manufactured in Nadi and available at major retail outlets for $4.50. Photo: Laiseana Nasiga
Local chocolate manufacturer Fijiana Cacao is selling milk and dark chocolates for as low as $4.50.
Fijiana Cacao owner Tomohito Zukoshi said the move was in line with plans to make chocolates affordable for the local market.
He said he carried out market research which helped him select a formula for the new range of chocolates.
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The announcement follows Mr Zukoshi’s intent to change people’s mindset that chocolates were only manufactured abroad.
While locally made chocolates came with its own challenges, it proved Fijians could make chocolate.
Chocolate varieties
Fijiana Cacao began making three locally made chocolate varieties, all sugar free.
These were vanilla beans white chocolate, milk chocolate with 57 per cent cacao and glycemic index (GI)-zero, with 72 per cent dark chocolate.
“All chocolates on the shelf other than ours use preservatives,” Mr Zukoshi said.
“We have a manufacturing facility in Fiji that allows us to deliver every week, so we don’t need any preservations.
“This is natural, as we don’t use sugar.
“Instead, we use natural erythritol - a sugar alcohol that makes one think it is sweet, when in fact your body won’t receive much sugar because it’s a sugar substitute.”
Mr Zukoshi’s aim was to make chocolates available for all ages and gender.
“I adopted this formula from a chocolate factory in Japan, where I also export to.
“This is good for everybody in Fiji.
“I want everybody to enjoy these sugar free chocolates especially during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, where people are becoming health conscious,” he said.
He said he wanted to make varieties of chocolates to help the cacao farmers.
Fijiana Cacao’s raw material is supplied by farmers in Rakiraki, while the processing plant is based on Denarau, Nadi.
Packaging
To give a local look to the chocolate packets, Fijiana Cacao has changed packaging.
Mr Zukoshi uses recycled milk wrappers for his brand of chocolates.
“Previously, we used brown packets which made people think it was an overseas product .
“We changed it because we wanted the locals to buy chocolates,” he said.
Available for $4.50 a packet, Fijiana Cacao chocolate is available at all NewWorld IGA supermarkets, Kundan Singh supermarkets and Extra supermarkets.
Feedback: laiseana.nasiga@fijisun.com.fj
