Atlantic Canada’s RFINE Launches KAFFIKA®, a Gluten-Free Cocoa Extender from Brewed Coffee Grounds That Replaces up to 60% of Cocoa Powder
A MassChallenge Switzerland 2026 Sustainable Food Challenge Winner, RFINE is bringing its coffee-byproduct ingredient to market in Canada and the EU – giving bakery, confectionery and beverage manufacturers a cost-effective answer to cocoa volatility.
RFINE Biomass Solutions Inc., a winner of MassChallenge Switzerland’s 2026 Sustainable Food Challenge and a finalist for the Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) Impact Prize for Climate Resilience, is making KAFFIKA® - its patent-pending gluten-free cocoa extender - commercially available to food manufacturers in Canada and the European Union. Samples are also available to prospective partners in the United States.
The Swiss recognition caps a year of awards at every level for the Halifax-based company. In 2026 RFINE was named Innovator of the Year by Food & Beverage Atlantic, and received the Foodtech Frontier Award, a national Canadian honour. Regional, national and now international: an Atlantic Canadian solution to a global ingredient problem is making its mark.
After five years of development and testing, KAFFIKA® Cocoa Extender is ready for commercial production. Made from a byproduct of large-scale coffee production, the coffee grounds left over from cold brew and instant coffee manufacturing, it lets manufacturers replace up to 60% of the cocoa powder in existing bakery, confectionery and beverage recipes. With a stable price well below cocoa powder, KAFFIKA® helps manufacturers lower ingredient costs and reduce exposure to cocoa price swings, without compromising quality or taste.
"Cocoa volatility is a real and ongoing pressure for food manufacturers," said Quinn Cavanagh, President & Founder, RFINE Biomass Solutions. "KAFFIKA® was built to solve that problem in a way that is practical, label-friendly and genuinely sustainable. Being recognized in Switzerland, alongside the support we have at home in Canada, tells us the need is global. We're ready to work with partners who want to move fast and build something that lasts."
A clear business need, a commercially ready answer
Cocoa remains one of the most volatile inputs in food manufacturing. Even as spot prices ease, the industry expects cocoa to stay structurally higher and less predictable than historical norms, putting steady pressure on margins.
KAFFIKA® is a practical response that manufacturers can adopt now. It is commercially available, backed by supply infrastructure and supported by product data sheets, technical information and case studies. It is also gluten-free: unlike some cocoa extenders, it suits a broader consumer base and gives formulators a meaningful point of difference.
An international vote of confidence
MassChallenge Switzerland is a global, equity-free accelerator that champions climate-friendly innovation. RFINE was named a 2026 Sustainable Food Challenge winner and a finalist (1 of 4) for the LDC Impact Prize for Climate Resilience, which recognizes solutions to critical challenges in food supply chains, placing it among the international innovators building a more resilient, climate-friendly food system.
"Winning in Switzerland shows that a company from Atlantic Canada can compete on the world stage," said Gordon Neal, Vice President & Founder, RFINE Biomass Solutions. "More importantly, it shows that KAFFIKA® is not a concept. It is a commercially ready ingredient that answers a real business problem that manufacturers everywhere are facing."
The recognition also supports RFINE's expansion: KAFFIKA® is available in the EU as well as Canada, with US partners able to request samples today.
A circular solution from coffee to cocoa products
KAFFIKA® is made from the brewed coffee grounds of large-scale coffee production, including cold brew and instant coffee operations, which generate significant volumes every day. RFINE gives this byproduct a second life. Its patent-pending process turns the grounds into a consistent, clean-label ingredient with the properties needed to replace large portions of cocoa powder. The result is circular by design.
A partner-first model
KAFFIKA® has been through extensive development and testing by RFINE and its customers. RFINE works directly alongside manufacturing partners to define how KAFFIKA® best fits their recipes and processes. Its expert team supports product development and adoption, and stays engaged until the product is fully ready for market.
Product data sheets, technical information and case studies are available on request.
KAFFIKA® is a patent-pending, gluten-free cocoa extender made from brewed coffee grounds, developed by RFINE Biomass Solutions Inc. Sourced from cold brew and instant coffee operations, the grounds are transformed through a patent-pending process into an ingredient for bakery, confectionery and beverage applications. KAFFIKA® lets manufacturers replace up to 60% of cocoa powder while maintaining product quality and opening new formulation possibilities.
RFINE Biomass Solutions Inc. is a Canadian circular economy company that transforms brewed coffee grounds into valuable resources, combining collection, upcycling and measurable environmental impact. Founded in Halifax, Nova Scotia, by Dalhousie University Master of Engineering graduate Quinn Cavanagh and business executive Gordon Neal, RFINE is a 2026 winner of MassChallenge Switzerland and LDC Impact Prize for Climate Resilience finalist, the 2026 Food & Beverage Atlantic Innovator of the Year, and a recipient of the Foodtech Frontier Award.
