RECOCOA
Science

Upstream biology, not downstream symptoms.

Our scientific programme investigates the mechanisms shared across the diseases of ageing, and how characterised bioactive flavanols interact with them. Earlier research has largely relied on cocoa solids or synthetic flavanols recovered by chemical extraction to fortify them. Our patented process yields a natural flavanol ingredient at significantly higher concentration levels than any obtained before. The materials used in previous studies as the research basis differs from the composite materials that we have developed and patented. This is a significant advance.

Platform Position

A flavanol technology platform, not a product.

ReCocoa is developing an evolving technology platform at the convergence of food, medicines, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and botanicals.

ReCocoa

Flavanol
Technology
Platform

  • FOOD
  • MEDICINES
  • PHARMACEUTICALS
  • NUTRACEUTICALS
  • BOTANICALS

The diagram describes the strategic and scientific space in which the platform is being developed. It is not a statement of regulatory status in any category.

Shared Mechanism

How the biology connects.

  1. 01

    Ageing

    Accumulating cellular and metabolic burden.

  2. 02

    Inflammation

    Persistent low-grade inflammatory signalling.

  3. 03

    Vascular Dysfunction

    Declining endothelial performance.

  4. 04

    Cardiometabolic Disease

    Hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease.

  5. 05

    Reduced Healthspan

    Loss of healthy, independent years.

Scientific Position

Evidence first. Claims only when earned.

ReCocoa makes no clinical claims as yet. We are at the pre-clinical stage and are about to carry out clinical trials to establish our own Heart Health Claim. We are an industrial biotechnology company building the analytical and evidentiary foundation required for credible health applications at every level of medicinal product development.

Published literature describes relationships between cocoa flavanols and vascular function. EFSA has authorised a maintenance-of-vasodilation claim at 200 mg of cocoa flavanols per day, and mechanistic work attributes the effect to (−)-epicatechin and nitric-oxide signalling.1,3 The largest randomised trial to date, COSMOS, did not meet its primary cardiovascular endpoint, though a pre-specified secondary analysis of cardiovascular death favoured supplementation.2 Our programme tests whether a standardised, retention-engineered flavanol fraction can be reproducibly characterised and independently evaluated against that mixed evidence base.

Results, protocols and citations will be published here as the programme progresses.

Workstreams

Current scientific programme.

  • Analytical characterisation

    Composition, stability and standardisation of flavanol fractions across processing conditions.

    COMPLETED

  • Mechanistic review

    Structured review of published mechanisms linking flavanols to vascular and metabolic biology.

    COMPLETED

  • Meets EFSA/FDA Claim standard

    Innovate UK has supported the company to carry out the research and therapeutic development for the EFSA /FDA Heart Health Claim validation.

    COMPLETED

  • Clinical trials to meet FDA/EFSA Heart Health Claim

    Independent human study protocols developed with academic and clinical collaborators.

    BEING DESIGNED CURRENTLY

Why does this matter?

Cardiometabolic disease and population ageing are the dominant pressures on health systems worldwide. Shared upstream biology offers leverage across several conditions at once.

Why now?

Analytical, mechanistic and regulatory understanding of bioactives is now sufficient to support rigorous evaluation.

Why ReCocoa?

We are building the evidence infrastructure: disease data, analytical characterisation and independent study design, alongside regulatory framework mapping.

References

  1. 01EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies. Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of a health claim related to cocoa flavanols and maintenance of normal endothelium-dependent vasodilation. EFSA Journal 2012;10(7):2809. Source
  2. 02Sesso HD, Manson JE, Aragaki AK, et al.. Effect of cocoa flavanol supplementation for the prevention of cardiovascular disease events: the COSMOS randomized clinical trial. Am J Clin Nutr 2022;115(6):1490–1500. Source
  3. 03Schroeter H, Heiss C, Balzer J, et al.. (−)-Epicatechin mediates beneficial effects of flavanol-rich cocoa on vascular function in humans. PNAS 2006;103(4):1024–1029. Source
  4. 04GBD 2021 Risk Factors Collaborators. Global burden and strength of evidence for 88 risk factors, 1990–2021. The Lancet 2024;403(10440):2162–2203. Source
  5. 05World Health Organization. Global report on hypertension: the race against a silent killer. WHO, 2023. Source