Breaking News on Confectionery & Biscuit Processing

News in brief

Food policy in limbo as hung parliament reigns

07-May-2010 - The hung parliament has raised a large question mark over some key areas of food policy, with uncertainty surrounding everything from the future of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to the implementation of Labour’s 2030 strategy, according to law firm Eversheds.

Confectionery takeover will provide Baltic expansion platform, says Orkla

07-May-2010 - Norwegian group Orkla said the purchase of Kalev Chocolate Factory by its subsidiary Felix Abba will bolster the group’s expansion efforts in Estonia and neighbouring countries.

Cargill denies allegations of illegal deforestation for palm oil production

07-May-2010 - Cargill has denied allegations made by the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) which claims that the company has destroyed rainforest for its palm oil plantations.

International acqusitions may be on the cards, Hershey

06-May-2010 - US chocolate maker, Hershey, said it is still open to international expansion and it claims acquisitions will be made easier by the fact that the global chocolate markets are still fragmented.

News in brief

Danisco ups expectations in advance of FY results

06-May-2010 - Danisco has indicated that its Q4 was better than expected thanks to good volumes and stable pricing for ingredients and industrial enzymes.

Comment

Why food is a vital issue in the UK general election

04-May-2010 - Voting is a basic human right. Eating is a basic human need. British voters who eat should mull future meal plans carefully before putting an X in any box on Thursday.

Sweets demand fuelling hike in China's sugar imports, USDA

29-Apr-2010 - Products such as confectionery, biscuits and juice products are experiencing double-digit growth in China with this consumer demand fuelling an increase in the country’s sugar imports, according to a USDA report.

Comment

Foods with artificial trans fats should be considered adulterated

26-Apr-2010 - There is a pile of evidence linking artificial trans fats with heart disease, so why is it still in our food? It’s time to get real and recognize that artificial trans fat is an adulterant with no place in the global food supply.

Drop in demand for sugar-free sweets in US: report

26-Apr-2010 - The market for sugar-free sweets in the US has declined in recent years, according to a new report from Leatherhead International.

Tate & Lyle secures new sugar supply

23-Apr-2010 - Tate & Lyle has finalised a new sugar supply agreement with Jamaica, which secures just under 10 per cent of its annual stocks.

Cocoa supplies likely to be down on last year, report

22-Apr-2010 - Latest data on cocoa output from the world's leading cocoa growers, the Ivory Coast and Ghana, shows that levels are well-below last year, according to Reuters.

Ingredients drive ABF's strong performance

22-Apr-2010 - Strong performance in the Americas, particularly for bakery ingredients, has seen Associated British Foods (ABF) post an operating profit up 25 per cent.

New: FoodNavigatorJobs Service

21-Apr-2010 - FoodNavigatorJobs.com is the new jobs service for employers and job seekers in the European food and beverage industries.

Thornton's remains 'cautious' about choc market outlook

20-Apr-2010 - Below par Easter sales along with disruption from severe weather conditions have hindered profits at UK based chocolate maker and retailer Thornton’s.

Nestlé proposes ‘modest’ pay rise at York

19-Apr-2010 - Nestlé UK has offered staff at its York factory a 1% pay rise in order to avert the threat of industrial action.

Comment

Groundhog Day for European health claims?

19-Apr-2010 - “Many in industry are pinning their hopes on EFSA showing them the light at the meeting, including the likes of Danone, which withdrew three probiotic immunity/digestive health article 13.5 claims in April, citing clarification it is expecting on Big Monday as the reason.”

Biofuels to blame for palm oil deforestation, says Nestlé

19-Apr-2010 - Political decisions encouraging biofuel production from palm oil is causing deforestation in Indonesia and not the low tonnage sourced by Kit Kat maker Nestlé, according to the chairman of the Swiss based food company.

Latest cocoa stats reveal ‘higher than expected’ increase

19-Apr-2010 - North American cocoa bean grindings revealed a double-digit growth in the first quarter of 2010, the first gain since 2008, according to the latest statistics released from the National Confectioners Association (NCA).

News in brief

UK food and drink exports surge on back of weak sterling

19-Apr-2010 - UK food and drink exports grew by 4.4% to a record £9.65bn in 2009, boosted by the weak pound, according to figures just released by the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).

Dark chocolate could be beneficial to liver patients

16-Apr-2010 - Eating dark chocolate reduces damage to the blood vessels of cirrhotic patients and also lowers blood pressure in the liver, according to research presented this week at the International Liver Congress in Vienna.

Mars sues over cocoa flavanols

14-Apr-2010 - Mars Inc is suing Nutraceuticals, Life Extension Foundation and Naturex for infringing nine patents covering the manufacture of its CirkuHealth cocoa flavanols.

Analyst sees 2011 recovery as European cocoa grindings rise

14-Apr-2010 - European cocoa grindings in the first quarter of 2010 rose 8.1 per cent on the year, the biggest first-quarter gain in four years, according to data from the European Cocoa Association (ECA) but an industry insider claims a double-digit hike would have lent recovery hopes more weight.

Cargill upbeat about future Vietnamese cocoa output

12-Apr-2010 - A new cocoa buying station in Vietnam will support an ongoing programme of cocoa farming expertise transfer and shows the high expectations Cargill has for cocoa development in the country, said the industry chocolate supplier.

Removing palm oil from foods gives wrong signal

09-Apr-2010 - Groupe Casino’s plan to remove palm oil from its own brand food products for environmental and health reasons are misguided, according to a RSPO representative.