Breaking News on Confectionery & Biscuit Processing

First quarter bears fruit for Frutarom

17-May-2010 - Frutarom has reported a positive start to 2010, indicated that the acquisition-hungry firm is back on track after a tough 12 months.

UK confectionery maker penalised over worker injury

14-May-2010 - UK manufacturer Magna Specialist Confectioners has been fined £75,000 for breaching equipment regulations after a worker suffered serious head injury when completing maintenance on machinery.

High calorie foods seen as positive when restricted

14-May-2010 - Restraining from eating high calorie foods can influence the positive associations in consumers’ minds, according to two Dutch studies that could help inform measures and more research on healthier eating.

Candy tax due in Washington next month

12-May-2010 - A sales tax on certain candy and gum products is due to come into effect in Washington State on June 1, as part of the state’s effort to plug its $2.8bn deficit.

Healthier snacking informs Zetar sales growth

12-May-2010 - UK snack and confectionery group, Zetar, claims its new healthy snacking range informed its accelerated sales growth and aided “strong” financial recovery in the second half of 2009.

RSSL takes on global R&D role as Kraft restructures

10-May-2010 - Reading Scientific Services (RSSL) will house an expanded global science and technology centre supporting Kraft worldwide following a radical restructuring that will also see Cadbury Bournville transformed into a global centre of excellence for chocolate research.

Kraft Q1 revenues soar by 26 percent after Cadbury acquisition

10-May-2010 - US food giant Kraft has announced first quarter 2010 revenues up 26 percent to $11.3bn after its acquisition of British food and confectionery company Cadbury.

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.