Mars’ Grupo Turin buy gives it a premium chocolate brand to expand internationally, but consumers are increasingly building loyalty to its competitors as the segment grows saturated, writes Euromontior analyst Jack Skelly.
Farm efficiency is back at heart of the industry’s sustainability push after Mars’ acquisition of Ecuadorian cocoa plantation Hacienda La Chola, according to Hardman Agribusiness.
Nestlé says it is primarily guided by science when setting nutrition guidelines for its confections, while Mondelēz International takes account of multiple factors, but says consumer preference and taste is key.
'THE GOAL IS TO REFORMULATE SO THEY CAN BE LABELLED 'EVERYDAY PRODUCTS''
Mars will add labels to some savoury products in its global portfolio, such as Uncle Ben's and Dolmio, that don't meet its own nutrition criteria to say they should only be eaten 'occasionally'.
Four of the world’s biggest food companies have moved swiftly to cease trading with Malaysian firm IOI after it fell foul of sustainable palm oil rules, but NGOs say it’s too little too late.
Mainstream players like Hershey may struggle to maintain grip on the US chocolate market amid rising competition and a shift to seasonal and premium products, claims an analyst at Swiss-based financial services firm UBS.
The World Cocoa Foundation’s acting president has defended farmer inclusivity under the industry-backed CocoaAction initiative and says efforts are not limited to yield increases.
ConfectioneryNews presents our pick of products entering the global confectionery category this quarter from major players such as Mars, Lotte and Nestlé.
A district court in California has thrown out lawsuits accusing Hershey and Nestlé of misleading consumers by failing to disclose cocoa in some chocolate brands may come from slave labor.
Confectioners, including Mars, Hershey and Peeps have introduced new products for the upcoming Easter, which the National Confectioners Association predicts will help US Easter candy sales grow 1.4% from 2015.
Australia’s leading chocolate companies such as Mondelēz, Nestlé, Mars and Lindt have all pledged to source only “sustainable” cocoa for domestically manufactured goods, says the Australian Industry Group.
It was prompted by pragmatism, rather than an ideological shift, but General Mills and Mars have resolved to roll out GMO labeling nationwide as Congress has proved unable to hammer out a federal solution that all stakeholders can get behind before new...
A recall of Mars and Snickers chocolate has had a negative consumer impact on both brands but the signs are it will only be short-term, according to YouGov data.
Mondelēz International‘s cocoa sourcing manager for Asia and Mars’ Vietnam cocoa manager are among the speakers at the 2nd annual Cocoa Revolution conference.
Britain’s National Heath Service (NHS) could save £8.2m ($11.8m) a year if all the territory's 12-year olds chewed three pieces of sugarfree gum a day, says a study in the British Dental Journal.
Cocoa off-flavors can be avoided by fermenting beans in sealed vacuumed bags inside an incubator with yeast starter cultures, claims Mars in a patent application
Bio-Rad Laboratories has joined a consortium set up by IBM Research and Mars to categorize microorganisms and what influences their activity in a normal factory environment.
Mars Chocolate North America has handed a $10,000 grant to Fort Ticonderoga for a new exhibition on how chocolate was used by armies and cultures that held the fort in 1777.
A short burst of hot air or incubation can prevent unsightly white marks on chocolate obtained via friction during production and packing, according to a patent application from Mars.
Consuming up to two grams per day of cocoa flavanols for 12 weeks is well tolerated in healthy men and women, says a new study from scientists from Mars Inc. and the University of California, Davis.
Cadbury Dairy Milk remains the top selling UK chocolate confectionery brand in convenience stores, but sales have dipped as Mars brands Galaxy and Maltesers grow, according to IRI data.
Chocolate makers must pay double the market price for cocoa farmers to receive a living income, says the CEO of Fairtrade as the organization gears up to review pricing.
PepsiCo, Mars, Mondelēz and Fonterra will focus their efforts on the Middle East at Gulfood Manufacturing in Dubai next week (October 27-29) with two conferences entitled Next Generation Manufacturing and F&B Innovation.
Treofan has spent €60m in the past two years upgrading its plants in Germany, Italy and Mexico. It also has a sales office in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, US.
Trefoan invited guests including Bosch, Nestlé, Mars and Danone, to see what it claims to be one of the largest production lines in Europe for five-layer label and packaging film last week.
Three class action lawsuits brought in California allege Mars, Nestlé and Hershey use child labor to produce their best-selling chocolate brands. The firms say they are tackling the issue and will fight the cases.
Cocoa flavanols have been tied to lowering blood pressure and heart disease risk in new research by a Mars-backed project, but study authors say chocolate is too calorific to be a delivery vehicle.
The cocoa and chocolate industry acknowledges it must do more to combat cocoa child labor after the number of kids working in hazardous conditions on cocoa farms in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire rises 18%, a report from Tulane University shows.
Global dark chocolate sales are expected to rise 9% each year up to 2019 due to increased demand in developing nations and associated health benefits, according to Technavio.
Mars plans to expand capacity at its Veghel plant over the next 10 years to produce miniature versions of its brands as Western Europeans limit their calorie intake.
