Scientists invent brand new flavour of chocolate called ‘Ruby’

The red-hued treat is said to be an intense sensorial delight - but a chocolate expert is sceptical

A chocolate firm says they've created a fourth type of chocolate after milk, dark and white - the first new type in 80 years.

Swiss chocolate giant Barry Callebaut says it used the ruby cocoa bean to create a confectionery with “berry-fruitiness and luscious smoothness”.

The new sweet, named Ruby after its characteristic red hue, is only the fourth ever type to be created since the white version in the 1930s - according to the firm - which hopes it'll be a hit among chocoholics and foodie millennials alike.

The flavouring comes from the cocoa bean itself, which means the flavours and colouring are entirely natural with no berries or berry flavour added.

Angus Kennedy, an industry expert, told The Sun, that it's "very different and clever stuff. It’s refreshing and has a light, creamy texture."

“It tastes so light and fruity you don't really realise you're gobbling up one chocolate the other, so it means consumers will be able to eat more of it than other types of conventional chocolate.

“Whether this a good or bad thing depends on your point of view.”

British chocolate expert Dom Ramsey told The Independent that he is "sceptical" of the claim that a fourth type of chocolate has been created.

"A few years ago, French chocolate company Valrhona launched a caramelised white chocolate that they also sold as the 'fourth type of chocolate', and that turned out to be little more than marketing.

"Barry Callebaut are not giving much away about what this new chocolate is, or how it is made, but as I understand it, they’ve used a combination of processing techniques and specific cacao varieties to produce a milk chocolate that has lightly fruity colour and flavour.

"I’ve heard from my own contacts who were at the launch event in Shanghai that this does appear to be something quite different and potentially interesting, but even at there, nobody has seen the ingredients and Barry Callebaut aren’t giving anything away about the processes involved in making it. I’m told it will be at least a year before most people will get to try it, so it remains to be seen if it really is something exciting, or if it’s just a marketing gimmick."

While it remains to be seen whether this is just a marketing gimmick or heralds a new type of chocolate as widespread as the others, the fact that it is made by one of the largest manufacturers of both chocolate and cocoa products is encouraging.

Headquartered in Switzerland, the Barry Callebaut Group has been listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange since 1998 and resulted from the merger between Belgian chocolate maker Callebaut and French chocolate producer Cacao Barry.

“Consumer research in very different markets confirms that Ruby chocolate not only satisfies a new consumer need found among millennials - Hedonistic Indulgence - but also high purchase intent at different price points,” said Peter Boone, Barry Callebaut’s chief innovation and quality officer.

“We’re looking forward to working with our partners on introducing this innovative breakthrough to the market and making the new Ruby chocolate category available to chocolate manufacturers and consumers around the world as the fourth reference next to dark, milk and white chocolate."