Breaking News on Confectionery & Biscuit Processing

Unilever results show sharp recovery

02-Nov-2007 - Anglo-Dutch consumer goods giant Unilever has reported a steep increase in its third quarter profits on lower charges and improved sales, thanks to company cost cutting as well as an increase in consumer prices.

Kraft Q3 operating profit falls 20 per cent

31-Oct-2007 - Kraft Foods Inc today posted a 27 per cent decrease in operating profit for the third quarter, blaming high dairy and other commodity costs for the tumble.

News briefs: Fairtrade, Salmonella and Ruza Russia

31-Oct-2007 - An Archbishop calls for consumers to buy Fairtrade chocolate, Fox discovers Salmonella at a plant and Russian factory Ruza is rumoured to be for sale.

Facebook chocoholics still not satisfied

31-Oct-2007 - Only two months after Cadbury gave into a Facebook campaign to re-launch Wispa chocolate bars, members of the online social networking site are now clamouring for the return of Wispa Gold.

Galam, Atomer, strengthen position in EU fructose market

31-Oct-2007 - Israeli fructose supplier Galam Group will take a majority share in the Spanish company Atomer SL, building on the market demand for natural sweeteners with a low Glycemic Index and calorie count.

UK moves one step closer to ban on trans fats

30-Oct-2007 - The UK government has taken a significant step towards the possible banning of trans fatty acids by asking the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for its urgent advice.

Governments form coalition on CO2 trading

30-Oct-2007 - The UK, Germany, Portugal, France, the Netherlands, some US states and Canadian provinces, New Zealand and Norway yesterday agreed to form a coalition that lead to a global emissions trading system.

Rocky Mountain's franchising strategy pays off

26-Oct-2007 - Rocky Mountain has shot up 64 places in the Forbes annual listing of the US's 200 best small companies, recognition of an aggressive franchising and marketing strategy that turned it into a major confectionery player.

Wrigley's sales up 13 per cent

25-Oct-2007 - US-based confectioner Wrigley yesterday posted a 13 per cent increase in sales for the third quarter on the back of strong sales outside the US, increased marketing spend and positive exchange rates.

Natra launches truffles for premium market

24-Oct-2007 - Natra said yesterday it will tap the premium and private label chocolate markets with a new range of Belgium truffles, only two days after acquiring a chocolate factory in the country.

News briefs: Chewing gum, cocoa and Nestle

24-Oct-2007 - A new report claims chewing gum helps weight loss, Nestle job cuts are imminent in the UK, and cocoa price jumped up the last two weeks of September.

Chocolate sales set to rocket this Halloween

24-Oct-2007 - Halloween is one of the top holiday in terms of volume sales for confectioners, as consumers will spend more than $2.1bn (€1.5bn) on chocolate and sweets later this month in the US alone, states a new report.

Weekly Comment

The weather excuse

22-Oct-2007 - With all the threats facing food and beverage production -- from contamination in the food chain, to rising input prices -- there appears to be one menace that towers above the rest, namely 'The Weather'.

Economic inequality fuels obesity crisis

22-Oct-2007 - The food industry must increase healthy choice through innovation to combat the uneven distribution of health resulting from economic inequality, according to participants at a European parliamentary symposium on obesity.

Natra moves into chocolate spread market

19-Oct-2007 - Spanish cocoa company Natra announced yesterday the acquisition of Belgium-based All Crump, as part of the company's plans to enter the chocolate spread market.

Nestle weathers commodities storm, sales rise 7%

19-Oct-2007 - Nestle yesterday reported organic sales rose by seven per cent in the first nine months of this year, with the company successfully managing to offset rising raw material costs by hiking prices.

Hershey's profits plummet

19-Oct-2007 - Hershey said yesterday that third quarter margins fell a massive 13 percentage points from the same period in 2006, as a result of tough competition in the premium chocolate market and rising milk costs.

Union tackles Cadbury over factory closure

17-Oct-2007 - UK union Unite yesterday announced it would ballot its members for strike action, as Cadbury's plans to close one UK factory and reorganise another will result in job losses.

Confectionery giants jostle for position

17-Oct-2007 - International firms such as Cadbury are the most successful confectionery companies in Western Europe, according to Euromonitor, suggesting that a global outlook is necessary to survive in an increasingly competitive market.

Obese not personally responsible for weight, says study

17-Oct-2007 - Obesity is not an individual problem but a result of technological progress that exceeds the pace of human evolution and changes in food availability, according to a UK government-sponsored study released today.

Cocoa companies pledge sustainability

16-Oct-2007 - World Food Day is galvanising global food companies to help support cocoa labourers, some of the poorest workers in the world, as more and more businesses are signing up to sustainability programmes.

Weekly Comment

Time to get serious on health claims criteria

15-Oct-2007 - The European Food Safety Authority's task to assess thousands of health claims is a headache in anyone's book - and one made worse through vague instructions to industry.

Suedzucker expects benefits from sugar reform concessions

15-Oct-2007 - Suedzucker has adjusted its profit and revenue expectations for full year 2007/8 following EU moves to make sugar reform more attractive to growers, indicating that the industry efforts to lessen the blow for the industry could be effective.

Boost chocolate profits in Asia, says report

12-Oct-2007 - There is great potential for Western chocolate manufacturers in China, India and Japan, despite the relatively small size of the markets in these countries, according to a new report.