Breaking News on Confectionery & Biscuit Processing

Unhealthy diet a lifestyle choice, says UK study

17-Jul-2007 - People on low incomes consume just as much unhealthy food and drink as the general population, and so bad diets are the result of personal choice, according to a study published by the UK regulator Sunday.

Court fines Cadbury 1.5m over salmonella contamination

17-Jul-2007 - A UK court yesterday fined Cadbury-Schweppes £1m (€1.5m) for knowingly allowing salmonella-contaminated chocolates to be sold to the public last year.

EU sugar reform hit Agranas sugar revenues

16-Jul-2007 - Sales revenues for Agrana's sugar segment were down to €171m for the three months ended May 31, from €243m the same quarter the previous year, due to EU sugar reforms.

Barry Callebaut follows India trend

13-Jul-2007 - Zurich-based cocoa manufacturer Barry Callebaut will open a sales office in India in September 2007, the company said today.

Cadbury's Sheffield factory washed out by floods

13-Jul-2007 - Cadbury is being forced to source alternative supplies after floods suspended production at its Sheffield factory, the company announced today.

Real Good Food focuses on sugar and bakery

12-Jul-2007 - Real Good Food said this week it is focusing upon its sugar and bakery sectors following the disposal of its fish business.

Cadbury spreads further into developing markets

11-Jul-2007 - Cadbury has launched its Bubbaloo bubble gum in India, as part of its continuing bid to take advantage of developing markets.

Rocky Mountain Chocolate boosts sales by 8 per cent

11-Jul-2007 - US-based Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory this week reported an eight per cent revenue increase for the three months to 31 May, compared to the same period last year.

Private label bakery keeps strong market position

10-Jul-2007 - Private label bakery products continue to hold a strong foothold in the growing UK market, accounting for 58 per cent of sales by value, according to a study by Nielsen.

Marketing to kids in spotlight, obesity report postponed

10-Jul-2007 - A task force designed to examine the link between food advertising and childhood obesity has delayed the release of its formal report to take into account the new marketing measures expected to be imminently announced by major food firms.

Future of cocoa prices uncertain, says ICCO

06-Jul-2007 - Cocoa prices in June reached their highest levels since 2003, according to the monthly review by the International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO).

Darrell Lea sweet on outside investment

06-Jul-2007 - The Australian confectionery manufacturer Darrell Lea is looking for investment as exports boom, the company announced last week.

Sugar prices expected to stabilise, forecasts FAO

06-Jul-2007 - A rising global demand for sugar is set to be met by an increase in production, leading to a more stable market and prices, forecasts the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Sales of honey rise, marmalade drop

04-Jul-2007 - Sales of honey rose 14 per cent between 2004 and 2006 while marmalade sales dropped 10 per cent, according to a new study in the UK.

Cadbury pleads guilty to all salmonella charges

04-Jul-2007 - Cadbury yesterday is to plead guilty to six additional salmonella charges over an outbreak in the Herefordshire factory last year.

Barry Callebaut expands presence with Nestle units

03-Jul-2007 - Barry Callebaut has completed the purchase of two Nestle units, the company said yesterday.

Cadbury to cut CO2 emissions by 50 per cent

03-Jul-2007 - In a bid to boost its green credentials, Cadbury Schweppes yesterday unveiled a programme to cut down on its use of energy, packaging and water in response to climate change.

Weekly comment

M&A: Urge to merge

02-Jul-2007 - Mergers and acquisition activity is always ongoing in every segment of industry, but this summer looks to be a particularly hot one for food and beverage manufacturers.

Peltz's increased stake in Cadbury leads to bidding war

29-Jun-2007 - US shareholder activist Peltz has increased his stake in Cadbury to more than 3 per cent, as bidding for the company's beverage division heats up.

Outsourcing boosts Barry Callebaut sales

28-Jun-2007 - Zurich-based chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut said today that like-for-like sales increased 6.1 per cent in the nine months to 31 May, despite the unstable cocoa market.

Cadbury should continue targeting niche markets, says report

28-Jun-2007 - Niche markets offer the UK company better profit opportunities than the traditional chocolate and sweets sectors, according to a Euromonitor report on Cadbury's strategy.

Own brand confectionery grows across European markets

28-Jun-2007 - European confectionery private label market share is continuing to grow strongly, according the latest statistics by Neilsen for the Private Label Market Association.

Business tycoon eats 45 per cent share of Israeli food company

26-Jun-2007 - The owners of Israeli food giant Willi-Foods announced yesterday that they will sell 45 per cent of the company to international businessman Arcadi Gaydamak for $40.5m (€30.1m).

Indonesia gears up to meet rising cocoa demand

26-Jun-2007 - Indonesia is expecting an increase in the country's cocoa production, despite recent poor crops, according to local news media.