Australian tastes

Milk bars losing out to servos as Australia gains a sweet tooth

Supermarket service stations are gaining ground on corner shops, and baked staples now losing out to chocolate and confectionery, according to new research from Australia.

Fox’s Biscuits in ‘axing holidays’ row with union

Food manufacturer Fox’s Biscuits, now part of the 2 Sisters Food Group, has rejected claims by union Unite that it had acted meanly in allegedly "axing" its workers’ holiday entitlement....

EU food and drink production flat in Q4 2012

Food and drink production in the EU remained flat in the fourth quarter of last year as some raw materials became costlier, according to data from FoodDrinkEurope.

Lindt loses 12-year gold bunny trademark case

Lindt & Sprüngli has lost a trademark case for its Goldbunny against Confiserie Riegelein in Germany that spanned 12 years.

Inaugural Food Vision heralded as success by global food industry – organisers commit to return in 2014

Following a highly successful inaugural summit last week, organisers William Reed Business Media have confirmed that Food Vision will become an annual event, returning to Cannes, France, in March 2014. 

News in brief

Lindt invests €70m in French plant expansion

Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Sprüngli will invest €70m ($90m) to expand its factory in the South of France to up its capacity for premium tablet ranges.

Oxfam fallout: Mars pledges to empower women cocoa farmers

Mars Chocolate promises to assess conditions for women cocoa farmers and will sign up to the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles after Oxfam accused it of neglecting gender inequality.

News in brief

Hershey: 10% certified cocoa by 2013

Hershey has set milestones to certify its entire cocoa supply by 2020 and hopes that 10% will be covered by the end of the year.

China ‘our number one international priority’, says Hershey CEO

China will become Hershey’s number two market behind the US in the next five years and will get there through advertising, expanding distribution and new launches, according to the company’s...

A peek at Lindt’s sustainable cocoa commitments

ConfectioneryNews.com examines the sustainable cocoa commitments of one of the leading premium chocolate makers, Lindt, after it announced a big charitable investment last week. 

Hershey defends commitment on sustainable cocoa

Hershey has called attacks on its text messaging tips for farmers program CocoaLink “disingenuous” after a group of NGOs questioned the effectiveness of the project.

Lindt claims partial immunity from economic downturn as profits surge

Lindt & Sprüngli’s operating profit rose 10.3% in 2012 and the company has declared itself “partially unaffected” by the continuing economic downturn as consumers still seek quality chocolate in tough times....

News in brief

Nestlé Girl Scout Crunch bars surpass sales estimates by 150%

Nestlé USA’s Girl Scout Crunch bars have exceeded sales forecast by 150% and have bagged several innovation awards since the product’s launch last year.

Nestlé outlines sustainability and nutrition goals

Nestlé has published a raft of sustainability and nutrition commitments it aims to meet by 2020 or earlier, including sourcing 100% certified sustainable palm oil, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and...

Wrigley’s caffeinated energy gum misses core youth market - analyst

Mars-owned Wrigley is to launch an energy chewing gum with the caffeine equivalent of half a cup of coffee in each piece but one analyst says the product misses the...

Maltesers and Lindor get bar format makeover

Two major chocolate brands have been launched in block format as Mars Chocolate unveils Maltesers Teasers and Lindt introduces Lindor single serve bars.

EFSA health claims chief to share ‘magic recipe’ insights in Geneva

The chief of EFSA’s health claims panel will discuss where the agency stands on the topic in 2013, at this year’s Vitafoods conference and expo in Geneva in May.

News in brief

United Biscuits wins ‘Savory Snack Product of the Year 2013’ for Jacob’s Oddities

United Biscuits brand Jacob’s Oddities has been voted the Savory Snack Product of the Year 2013 from a 10,000-strong consumer survey.

Nestlé promises action to improve women’s lives on cocoa farms

Chocolate giant Nestlé has written to Oxfam promising action on inequality in the cocoa supply chain.

Oxfam confronts Mondelez, Nestlé and Mars over women’s rights on cocoa farms

Oxfam has called on the three biggest chocolate manufacturers to conduct independent audits on conditions for women on cocoa farms supplying their factories after finding evidence of unequal pay, discrimination...

Playdough-like chocolate toy set for international markets

A non-melt edible chocolate toy that can be used like playdough is braced for international markets after a successful spell in toy stores in the UK, according to distributors of...

Indian investigation

Cadbury to face tough questions over so-called “phantom factory” scam

Almost exactly a year ago, Cadbury India was showing off its position as the country’s fourth most admired company, according to Fortune magazine; but today the chocolate major is preparing...

News in brief

Mars to expand Maltesers plant in Australia

Mars Chocolate Australia plans a A$52m (US $53m) expansion of its factory in Ballarat, which manufactures Maltesers and other Mars confections.

Industry Voices – Functional Gum Formulator

High-dose weight loss gum launches in US

A high-dose satiety gum containing a potato extract and African mango has launched in the US that takes four pieces to achieve clinically-backed results.

Oxfam thanks food industry for ‘bland’ and ‘complacent’ response to damning CSR report

Oxfam will step up its campaign to improve the treatment of people and resources that form part of the supply chain of the world’s biggest food conglomerates, after it cast...