Breaking News on Confectionery & Biscuit Processing

News in brief

Revolymer enters 450 retail chains in US with degradable gum

09-Feb-2012 - UK-based firm Revolymer has secured distribution agreements with 450 retail chains in the US for its degradable chewing gum Rev7.

Robotics, clean-label and stevia: ProSweets 2012 roundup

03-Feb-2012 - The confectionery trade fair ProSweets ended on Wednesday after four days of intensive trade fair business in Cologne, Germany.

Cocoa can be the new cranberry, says food marketing guru

02-Feb-2012 - Cocoa and its extracts have the potential to rival the success of cranberries as healthful powerhouses, especially if a recently applied for European Union health claim is approved this year, says a leading consultant and author.

Market opportunities in medicated confectionery – Leatherhead

26-Jan-2012 - Medicated confectionery such as cough and throat sweets has enjoyed an upsurge in recent months and there is scope for new products to enter the category, according to Leatherhead Food Research.

Mexican sugar shortage could lead to price hike unless USDA acts – analyst

25-Jan-2012 - Global sugar prices could rise following a shortage in Mexican production unless the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) allows additional imports, according to the Jenkins Sugar Group.

PRODULCE head looking for healthy innovation

23-Jan-2012 - The Spanish confectionery sector must innovate on a health awareness platform, according to the head of the recently formed national confectionery association.

News in brief

Barry Callebaut and Unilever in global cocoa partnership

23-Jan-2012 - Cocoa giant, Barry Callebaut will become a first choice source of cocoa and chocolate for ice cream manufacturer Unilever under a new long-term global partnership.

Tangerine eyes new markets while large chew bars launched in UK

19-Jan-2012 - UK-based Tangerine Confectionery has added large chew bars to its Barratt Sweets brand in the UK market while it considers Scandinavia for other brand product launches planned for Spring.

News in brief

European Cocoa Association becomes Primary Food Processors member

19-Jan-2012 - The European Cocoa Association (ECA) has joined the association of Primary Food Processors (PFP).

Ethical claims create health halos, study suggests

16-Jan-2012 - Ethical production claims such as ‘fair trade’ may influence how consumers perceive calorie content, according to new research published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.

New Spanish confectionery association formed: PRODULCE

16-Jan-2012 - Five segments of the Spanish sweets market have come together to form the new Spanish Confectionery Association (PRODULCE).

Fazer to enter Asia with Angry Birds partnership

13-Jan-2012 - Finnish firm Fazer has announced a strategic partnership with media company Rovio Entertainment to make Angry Birds branded confectionery as it aims to grow in international markets.

External influences likely to keep sugar prices high, says USDA

06-Jan-2012 - World sugar prices are likely to stay high in 2012 due to external factors such as government policies, oil prices and instability in the Eurozone, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Review of the year: ConfectioneryNews.com's 2011 highlights

22-Dec-2011 - ConfectioneryNews.com takes a look back at 2011, a year that saw continued investment in emerging markets, innovative product developments and big money mergers, all in the face of volatile commodity prices.

News in brief

Dispatches from ProSweets 2012

19-Dec-2011 - ConfectioneryNews.com will be reporting from the annual ProSweets exhibition in Cologne, Germany next month.

‘Some growth potential’ for gum and fair trade chocolate in Belgium – Leatherhead

19-Dec-2011 - Any growth in the mature Belgian confectionery market lies in fair trade chocolate and chewing gum, according to an analyst at Leatherhead Food Research.

Confectionery NPD ‘lacks quality’; health claims need to be specific – analyst

14-Dec-2011 - Confectionery sales in Europe dwindle as new product developments (NPD) have not met consumer preferences which demands more definite health claims, according to an analyst at Mintel.

High demand for clean label low sugar confectionery in Germany, says trade body

09-Dec-2011 - German consumers are turning health conscious and are looking to confectionery that is low sugar, fair trade and organic, according to investment group Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI).

Laima looks to expand to China and Brazil

08-Dec-2011 - Latvia’s largest confectionery producer, Laima, has announced plans to increase its export proportion from 40% to 52% over the next three years, with intentions to target new markets outside of Europe.

Sugar prices to fall for 2012 amid volatility - Rabobank

06-Dec-2011 - Sugar prices for the coming year are forecast to fall by 12% as the market records a surplus for the first time in three years, according to financial service provider Rabobank.

Cocoa crop boom to push prices lower in 2012 – Rabobank

05-Dec-2011 - A larger than expected supply of cocoa beans from West Africa will add to high buffer stocks and push cocoa prices down by 4%, according to financial service provider Rabobank.

Manufacturers moving steadily towards sustainable palm oil - WWF

25-Nov-2011 - The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has found that food manufacturers are making progress towards ecologically friendly palm oil practices.

News in brief

Analysts say EU debt crises could lead to cocoa price hike

24-Nov-2011 - Goldman Sachs has forecast cocoa prices to climb 12% in the next three months as West African cocoa harvests slide and the EU debt crisis continues, according to reports.

Jelly Belly sports beans ‘still growing in the double digits’

23-Nov-2011 - Sales of sports beans – jelly beans laced with vitamins B, C and electrolytes – are “still growing in the double-digits each year” six years after launch, bosses at brand owner Jelly Belly have revealed.