Page 77 - FoodFocusThailand No.244 August 2026

UNLOCKING THE VALUE

OF COCOA BEAN SHELLS INTO

HIGH-VALUE KOMBUCHA:

THE PATH OF UPCYCLED FUNCTIONAL
BEVERAGE INNOVATION

The global food and beverage industry is transitioning into an era where consumers prioritize health, safety,
flavor, and sustainability simultaneously. Manufacturers must look beyond the development of new formulas
by considering raw material origins, resource efficiency, and impacts across the supply chain. Under the
Circular Economy framework and the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) economic model, agricultural waste is no
longer viewed merely as “waste,” but as a valuable resource that can be repurposed to create nutritional,
economic, and environmental value.
Thailand possesses diverse agricultural resources, kombucha market reached approximately USD 4.8 billion in 2025
resulting in substantial quantities of processing by- and is projected to expand to USD 9.1 billion by 2033, representing
products, such as fruit peels, coffee grounds, tea dregs, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.6%. Key growth drivers
grains, dairy whey, and cocoa bean husks/shells. Many include rising demand for fermented products, functional beverages,
of these raw materials still contain dietary fiber, proteins, and gut-health-promoting goods.
phenolic compounds, and bioactive substances. When Market competition in the kombucha sector is shifting from
managed with appropriate technologies and strict safety selling the novelty of a fermented drink to offering reduced-sugar
controls, they can be developed into high-value food and products, natural flavorings, accessible price points, and scientifically
beverage products. supported claims. A 2025 consumer survey conducted among Thai
and Indonesian consumers revealed that “sugar reduction” was a
Upcycled Ingredients Innovation and paramount attribute in both countries. Thai consumers additionally
Kombucha Market Trends emphasized natural fruit flavors, reasonable pricing, and clear
Under these trends, the application of upcycled communication regarding gut-health benefits.
ingredients has gained increasing attention due to its
ability to meet both health and sustainability demands. The Potential of Cocoa Bean Shells as
It transforms raw materials that might otherwise be an Upcycled Ingredient
discarded or excluded from human consumption into One candidate ingredient with strong upcycling potential is the
value-added products. The Upcycled Food Association roasted cocoa bean shell, a major by-product generated during
defines upcycled ingredients as materials produced the roasting and winnowing processes in the production of cocoa
through traceable supply chains that deliver positive nibs, cocoa mass, and chocolate. These shells retain multiple
environmental impacts. This differs from general waste bioactive compounds. A survey of cocoa producer groups in Na
reuse by aiming to create high-quality products while Ngua Subdistrict, Phetchabun Province, revealed that shell waste
demonstrably reducing food loss. accounts for approximately 15% of total output. Because it cannot
A promising application of upcycled ingredients lies be directly re-introduced into chocolate manufacturing, it is typically
in the development of functional beverages, a sector discarded or converted into fertilizer, leaving its value-addition
growing alongside health-conscious lifestyles, particularly potential underutilized.
kombucha, a fermented beverage produced through the Compositionally, cocoa bean shells contain significant amounts of
symbiotic action of bacteria and yeast known as SCOBY dietary fiber, phenolic compounds (such as catechins, epicatechins,
(Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast). A market and procyanidins), and methylxanthines—most notably theobromine
analysis report published in 2026 indicates that the global
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