Review: AlterEco

Company and Product Background

AlterEco was founded in 2005 by Mathieu Senard (whom I have met) and Edouard Rollet. The About page says, “Their goal was to bring delicious foods to conscious consumers, addressing issues of fair trade and environmental impact.” AlterEco promises “The Cleanest Greenest Chocolate” and you can find links to their sustainability report and more on their About page.

The company was acquired by Trek One Capital in 2023.

AlterEco is a marketing company – they do not manufacture any of their branded products. One clue to this is from the packaging – the use of “Distributed by ...” not “Made by ...” with Switzerland as the country of origin designation and San Francisco as the location given for Alter Eco.

AlterEco’s products are manufactured by Chocolats Halba, which ranks highly on the most recent Chocolate Scorecard, whose methodology I have issues with. The relationship between Chocolats Halba and AlterEco is shown on the Chocolats Halba detail page (scroll down to the Product Lines section).

AlterEco products are broadly available at grocery locations around the US. A selection of products is available for in-store pickup at my local Sprouts and Walmart in central Arizona and for delivery from Fry’s (Kroger).

AlterEco offers four main product lines: a) plain and flavored (some with inclusions) solid dark chocolate bars; b) “truffle thin” bars; c) truffles (some of which use milk chocolate); and d) granola. AlterEco also offers bagged quinoa in three varieties.

AlterEco competes against (in the sense it is shelved near) brands like Hu Kitchen (owned by Mondelēz), Dr Bronner, Lily’s (owned by The Hershey Company), and similar brands. AlterEco packaging displays many certifications: B-Corp (2009), USDA Organic, Fair for Life (“fair” trade), Climate Neutral, and Gluten-Free. Some of the packaging is recyclable and some is home-compostable. The search tool displays filter attributes that include “vegan,” “keto,” and “paleo” in addition to gluten-free.

Bars – both the solid dark and Truffle Thins – 2.65oz (75gr), are priced on the AlterEco website at $4.95/ea with an option to purchase boxes of 12 at no discount and by subscription with a 15% discount.

Truffles are available on the website in a variety of formats. 5-count pouches in packs of 6 or 12 are $33 and $64 respectively. Single 10-count packages start at $8.99. Single 60-count bulk packages start at $54.99.

Review TL;DR

My reactions to the products I was sent are mixed. You can watch my live tasting in Ep86 of PodSaveChocolate (the link goes directly to that part of the episode).

More Detailed Impressions

Bars

1. Classic Blackout (85%)
2. Raspberry Blackout (85%)
3. Brown Butter (70%)
4. Orange Crème (60%) Truffle Thins

Of the four bars, the only one I can recommend (in the sense I found it to my taste and I would eat it if offered) is the Orange Crème Truffle Thins bar.

The Classic Blackout at 85% seems over-roasted to my taste and predominantly one-note. I must admit I have been tasting other bars from craft makers around this percentage, so this bar suffers from that comparison. The closest comparable may be the 85% Lindt Excellence bar ($3.50 for a 3.5oz (100gr) bar at WalMart).

To my taste (as I recall), the Excellence bar may provide a better overall chocolate experience for many. However, the Excellence line is bereft of any certifications and lacks all of the other brand promises AlterEco makes.

This means I am not likely to purchase either the AlterEco or Lindt 85% bars for myself. Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV).

I surmised ahead of the tasting in #PSC Ep86 that I would not like the Raspberry Blackout bar. This turned out to be the case as the fruity acidity of the raspberry emphasized all of what I perceived to be the negative aspects of the plain Blackout bar.

Although I do like raspberries in chocolate, I do not like this bar and would not eat it, even if offered.

I wonder if the Mint and other flavored Blackout bars would be better than the Raspberry – but not enough to go out and buy and try them to see if that is, in fact, the case.

The Brown Butter bar is an interesting idea, but the AlterEco version suffers in comparison with Fruition’s version. AlterEco chose to use dark chocolate for this bar, but this hardly seems necessary as butter is not vegan, and that might be the issue for me. The flavors of this bar are out of balance and I did not find the combination pleasant, other than the texture.

Even though the Fruition bar is more than 2x the cost of the AlterEco bar, I would purchase and recommend it over the AlterEco bar.

Maybe a milk chocolate version of the AlterEco bar would be better? Maybe?

The Orange Crème Truffle Thin bar was the standout of the four bars I received. The orange filling was well balanced against the 60% dark chocolate.

If you are a fan of orange in your chocolate and want an alternative to Lindt, et al, at the under $5 price point – this bar is one you should try.

Alter Eco makes a Raspberry Truffle Thins bar and I am pretty confident I would like it much better than the Blackout version. Other Truffle Thins flavors include Mint, Crème Brûlée, and Salted Caramel and my sense is that I could recommend those, even without tasting them.

Truffles

1. Classic Dark Truffle
2. Silk Velvet Truffle (dark milk)
3. Salted Caramel Truffles

What these are not are gourmet truffles with thin, highly decorated shells. They are obviously produced on a one-shot line and the major issue I had with two of the three flavors was the presence of large air pockets in the Classic and Silk Velvet varieties. I only cut one of each open so I don’t know how prevalent this manufacturing issue is. (The oxygen in the pocket could reduce the shelf life.) The Salted Caramel truffle has a more fluid center and did not show an air pocket in the one I cut open.

That said, the texture of all three centers was quite good, and the flavors of the center and the chocolate are balanced and clean.

The direct comparison I can make is with Lindt’s Lindor balls.

If you are looking for an alternative to Lindt’s Lindor balls – one with a much better ingredient list + has the certifications and brand promises that AlterEco makes – then I can recommend the AlterEco Truffles without reservation, even with the price difference. One shortcoming I can see is there is no mixed assortment in the 60-piece size.

The Salted Caramel was quite surprising (in a good way) with a simple caramel flavor up-front before the salt makes itself known in a good way. I am sensitive to over-salting and that was defiinitely not an issue here.

I am a huge sucker for salted caramel in all its many forms and these are definitely more-ish. I could see myself polishing off a 10-count pouch in a length of time that would put a frown on the face of any self-respecting nutritionist.

Concluding Thoughts

On the plus side:

• Ingredients – clean compared with many brands, especially when it comes to the fillings in the Truffles and Truffle Thins bars.
• Demonstrated long-term (nearly twenty years) concern for enviromental and ethical sourcing concerns – especially when compared against brands commonly found in grocery outlets.
• Recyclable, and in some instances home-compostable, packaging.
• Being privately-held means AlterEco may be less susceptible to pressure to shore up profits by bean counters, investors, and market forces. Ownership matters. The new owners, Trek One Capital, have voiced their commitment to maintaining the concerns that drove the founders to create the brand.

It is up to each of us to decide if we like any of these products enough to want to purchase them over other options.

I have only tasted a portion of the product line, and the results align with my general observation of more than twenty years: I rarely like everything from a maker. The same is true for music, based on my experience as a radio DJ in my teens. To this day I rarely play an album from the first track to the last without interruption. Instead, I pick and choose. A “good” band or album has a higher percentage of songs I like; a “bad” band or album has a lower percentage.

This is a lesson I bring to chocolate makers: YMMV. If you are looking for a brand that has the attributes I highlight as pluses above – AlterEco should be on your list to try. And while you might not like a specific product, just as you might not be excited by this or that song by a musician you like, keep on sampling to discover the one(s) you do like.

Website

Organic Chocolate Bars, Truffles, Granola & Snacks | Alter Eco

Shop our decadent chocolates that are organic, non-GMO, fair-trade certified, and responsibly sustainable packaged. Free shipping on orders over $75.

Alter Eco Foods

Your Thoughts

Are you familiar with these products? Have different opinions? Are you interested in me scheduling an interview with the new CEO as an episode of PodSaveChocolate?

Let me know in the comments.