Nestlé Goes Cocoa‑free In Germany With Choviva-Coated Choco Crossies

The new ‘Snack Vibes’ range launches this month and targets Gen Z snackers with three flavours – Classic, Hazelnut, and Salted Popcorn Caramel Taste.

Nestlé’s German press release leans heavily into lifestyle messaging: the products come in ‘handy snack pouches’, are positioned for on-the-go sharing, and are marketed via TikTok and creator collaborations to meet younger consumers where they live online.

Marc Nussbaumer, Nestlé Germany’s confectionery boss, calls Gen Z a generation inundated with constant information, and frames Snack Vibes as a brief “chill‑out vibe”: “a snack that engages the senses and offers a brief, personal chill‑out vibe”.

A ‘Big Food’ Signal Rather Than A Gimmick

Planet A Foods, the Munich-based startup behind ChoViva, describes the Nestlé partnership as a ‘significant milestone’ and casts ChoViva as a toolkit for brands seeking trend-driven flavour experimentation without “altering the core identity” of flagship products.

Planet A CEO Dr Maximilian Marquart says the cooperation supports brands in building “lasting relevance with the consumers of tomorrow”.

Inside Choviva: Seeds, Fermentation, Conching – Without Cocoa

Nestlé keeps its ingredient description relatively simple for consumers: ChoViva is “a cocoa-free chocolate alternative” made from ground sunflower seeds instead of cocoa beans.

Other industry reporting fills in more of the production picture with ChoViva described as a blend of sunflower seeds, sugar, plant-based fats and milk powder (with a vegan version that swaps the dairy)

According to reports, Planet A ferments and roasts sunflower seeds before conching the mixture – borrowing a key chocolate-making step.