Brazil's Chocolates Genevy, a small company from São Paulo city, the largest business center in South America, is managing to overtake competition this Easter. According to company partner Gisele Camargo, the industry launched for this holiday chocolate products based on soy, Genevy Soy.
"We are identifying lower demand for traditional chocolate, but we have increased our number of clients after soy products by 50%."
Soy chocolate is 100% vegetable, made out of soy extract, without lactose or gluten. It is specifically recommended for people with lactose intolerance and celiac disease.
"We used only to sell the product to people who couldn't consume traditional chocolate, now we have new clients. They generally buy small quantities, try the product and place larger orders."
Apart from that, according to studies by the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), soy is considered a functional food as, apart from basic nutritional functions, it produces beneficial effects to health, reducing the risk of some chronic and degenerative diseases.
Soy is rich in good quality protein, has polyunsaturated fatty acids and herbal compounds like isoflavonoids, saponins and phytates, among others. It is also an excellent source of minerals, like copper, iron, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, manganese and vitamins in the B complex.
The company is selling from Easter eggs to bonbons, chocolate bars and pastries, among other products. The fillings are also made out of soy condensed milk, with fruit and nuts.
Chocolates Genevy has been in formal operation for two years, but the production of chocolates goes from mother to daughter and Gisele's mother and her sisters have been producing it for over 20 years.
According to her, other companies also produce soy chocolate, but the Genevy Soy differential is that the products are artistic, with special packages.
"We are still small, but we have representatives in various regions of the city. Our objective is to expand our operation in the state."
