Markets

20-Apr-2005 - Pressure on European chocolate suppliers mounts as US agri-giant extends its influence in Europe, announcing a deal to buy industrial chocolate facility Schierstedter Schokoladefabrik from existing customer, Ludwig Schokolade.

Mystery buyer throws Highland Toffee a lifeline

14-Apr-2005 - McGowans, the Scottish confectionery outfit behind the Highland Toffee brand, has been bought by a mystery buyer, ending its month long receivership battle, Tom Armitage reports.

Flavour sales fall for Givaudan in Q1

08-Apr-2005 - Givaudan, the world's number one fragrance and flavour player, saw sales in its flavour division slipping by 6.5 per cent for the first quarter, impacted by a loss of products and a fall in prices, writes Lindsey Partos.

Lotte consolidates interest in Chinese gum market

08-Apr-2005 - South Korea's Lotte Confectionery Company, the country's largest snack food manufacturer, has acquired a 100 per cent stake in a Chinese confectioner - a move which will not only bolster its influence among China's fragmented confectionery sector, but also help it move one step closer to catching up with number one gum giant Wrigley, Tom Armitage reports.

Sour times as Nestlé closes sweet factories

04-Apr-2005 - Nestle will close three candy plants that manufacture products like Sweet Tarts, Fun Dip and Pixie Sticks, the company announced last week.

Aarhus sell off likely in April

31-Mar-2005 - The sale of Danish cocoa butter replacer Aarhus United is 'taking longer than anticipated' with news today that the majority stakeholder is still waiting to confirm a buyer, Lindsey Partos reports.

Splenda sales boost trading at Tate & Lyle

29-Mar-2005 - Tate and Lyle said today that overall trading had continued to be strong during the last three months boosted by demand for its high intensity sweetener Splenda.

US food-industry M&A activity stable

29-Mar-2005 - The number of food-industry M&As in the US declined by 5 per cent last year compared to 2003, according to the Food Institute.

Cloetta Fazer to close subsidiary in Poland

22-Mar-2005 - Cloetta Fazer, the Swedish confectionery group, has finally lost patience with its perennially underperforming Polish unit, deciding to close the Gdansk-based company after failing to elicit an improvement in its performance, writes Chris Jones.

Rhodia acquisition brings gains to Danisco in Q3

18-Mar-2005 - Acquisition of Rhodia Food Ingredients brings growth to Danisco in a third quarter squeezed by low growth in flavours, writes Lindsey Partos.

Lindt notches up record sales, mass market threat lurks

17-Mar-2005 - Swiss chocolatier Lindt and Sprüngli has announced record sales figures during 2004, on the back of improved export sales and burgeoning consumer demand for premium chocolate products in Western Europe, Tom Armitage reports.

Mars shunts UK production to Europe, 700 jobs axed

10-Mar-2005 - Mars, one of the most recognisable chocolate confectionery brands in the world, has confirmed that UK production of its Twix and Starburst brands is to be outsourced to Continental Europe, ending weeks of speculation and axing 700 jobs in the process, Tom Armitage reports.

ADM gains €70m on sale of share stake in Tate & Lyle

08-Mar-2005 - US oilseed and cocoa processor Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) said on Monday it will post a gain of €70 million in its fiscal third quarter, due to the sale of a 27.9 million share stake in UK starch and sweeteners firm Tate & Lyle, reports Lindsey Partos.

Glisten starts to see benefits of 'one-stop shop'

08-Mar-2005 - Glisten, the acquisitive UK confectioner, has reported strong first half figures reflecting its rapid growth, but highlighted the increasing cost of integrating its growing number of niche businesses as it seeks to turn itself into a 'one-stop-shop' for retailers and manufacturers alike, reports Chris Jones.

Flagging growth for flavour leader Givaudan

02-Mar-2005 - Contributing the biggest revenue stream to Givaudan, the flavours unit posted sales of CHF 1.6 billion (€1 billion) sales in 2004, representing stagnant growth on a like-for-like basis in Swiss francs.

Pace quickens for Chr Hansen sale

02-Mar-2005 - The sale of Chr Hansen's ingredients arm gains pace with reports suggesting the unit could fetch nearly €1 billion ($1.31 billion), writes Lindsey Partos.

Tougher climate evident in Kerry full year results

01-Mar-2005 - Ambitious Irish ingredients and flavours firm Kerry sees costs rising for the year and sales inching up by just over 1 per cent for 2004, the company reports today.

Profits up for Nestlé as confectionery sales improve

24-Feb-2005 - Nestlé, the world's number one food company, hopes to appease investors by offering a sizeable dividend payout, despite announcing a disappointing overall drop in 2004 sales, Tom Armitage reports.

Degussa breaks up ingredients unit in fruit system sale

23-Feb-2005 - Flavours and texturants firm Degussa will shrug off its fruit preparation business to an American equity company in a sale that prepares the ground for a total divesture of its remaining food ingredients unit.

Cadbury Schweppes back on track after reshuffle

23-Feb-2005 - British confectionery and soft drinks group Cadbury Schweppes is back on the path to growth after the acquisition of confectionery group Adams and a complete overhaul of its US beverage business. Cost reductions, investment in confectionery innovation and a strong performance in the difficult US soft drinks market all contributed to a major bounce back in 2004, writes Chris Jones.

Thorntons boosted by wider retail sales

22-Feb-2005 - British confectionery manufacturer and retailer Thorntons suffered along with most of the UK's retail sector over the Christmas period, but its first half results were buoyed by an otherwise solid performance from products sold through other retail outlets. But the company remains clear that its future lies in improving its own network of stores and range of products, writes Chris Jones.

Tate & Lyle builds up ingredients portfolio with new investment

21-Feb-2005 - Race for the next high margin ingredient continues as the UK maker of Splenda sweetener signs off €36 million over the next five years to invest in "next-generation food and industrial ingredients".

Bidding starts soon for Degussa ingredients unit

10-Feb-2005 - Bidding for the food ingredients business at Degussa, Germany's third largest chemicals group, could be underway by the start of the second quarter.

Cloetta Fazer turns to core brands as profits slide

10-Feb-2005 - Scandinavian confectioner Cloetta Fazer remains optimistic that it can turnaround flagging Polish sales, despite posting disappointing 2004 operating profits, Tom Armitage reports.

Unilever rejigs management as core brand sales flag

10-Feb-2005 - Anglo-Dutch consumer giant Unilever is set to overhaul its management structure - a move which it claims will help restore top-line sales growth and allow it to draw a line under what it called an "unsatisfactory" 2004 performance, Tom Armitage reports.