Breaking News on Confectionery & Biscuit Processing

Nestlé defends Nesquik website as CFC demands ASA action on ‘cynical’ child marketing

09-Feb-2012 - Nestlé has leapt to the defence of its Nesquik milk-based drinks brand, after the Children’s Food Campaign (CFC) lodged a ‘super complaint’ with the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), complaining that well-known beverage and food brands were targeting children with 'cynical junk food marketing' practices online.

Industry backs EU call on cocoa child labour and warns 100% certified is no guarantee

08-Feb-2012 - The chocolate and cocoa industry has backed an EU resolution to tackle child labour in cocoa production and warns children may still have produced cocoa that is 100% certified.

Cocoa offers ‘consistent’ benefits for heart health: Meta-analysis

03-Feb-2012 - Consumption of cocoa and the compounds it contains offer significant and ‘consistent’ benefits to blood flow and blood pressure, says a new meta-analysis of 42 studies.

Europe must move to stamp-out cocoa child labour, MEPs tell Commission

31-Jan-2012 - A committee of MEPs is calling on the European Commission (EC) to consider legislating against use of child labour in cocoa plantations that fuel the EU's demand for chocolate, while the world's largest food firm Nestle has outlined its measures to safeguard against the problem.

News in brief

Belgian food industry mimics Dutch 2015 palm oil pledge

31-Jan-2012 - All palm oil designated for the Belgian market will be produced based on the sustainability criteria of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) by 2015, claims a new pledge from the food sector in that country.

Mars probed by ad watchdog after footballer and glamour model Twitter endorsement

27-Jan-2012 - Mars has become the subject of an investigation by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority following a campaign involving footballer Rio Ferdinand and model Katie Price to endorse its Snickers bar using social media site Twitter.

News in brief

Sweet imitating decorative stones hit rocks over choking risk

26-Jan-2012 - The European Commission has ordered a manufacturer of decorative stones to withdraw some of its products over fears they present choking risks because they look too similar to sweets.

Cocoa may prevent intestinal disease: Rat study

25-Jan-2012 - Eating cocoa could help to prevent intestinal disease and complaints linked to oxidative stress, including colon cancer caused by chemical substances, suggests new research in rats.

Something is rotten in the state of Indian gelatine controls, FVO audit suggests

20-Jan-2012 - The European Commission (EC) has released a scathing audit report on the Indian gelatine industry, and said its visit late last year revealed“very little progress" since the last mission in 2008 regarding improving substandard legislative and safety controls for exports.

Judge upholds USDA requirement for raw almond pasteurization

20-Jan-2012 - A federal judge has again upheld a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) rule that US raw almonds must be pasteurized in order to mitigate risk of salmonella, after organic almond growers challenged the rule.

Thorntons fined over broken finger

12-Jan-2012 - UK chocolatier Thorntons has been fined £20,000 after a worker broke her finger while operating a wrapping machine that was improperly guarded.

Chocolate giant submits cocoa flavanol-blood health claim to EFSA

10-Jan-2012 - Barry Callebaut has submitted an article 13.5 health claim dossier to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) linking cocoa flavanols and healthy blood flow.

News in brief

Sales ban lathered on chocolate doppelganger

09-Jan-2012 - The European Commission has ordered a sales ban on a bar of soap deemed to be too similar to a chocolate bar.

Revolymer seeks collaborators as Rev7 degradable gum base gets EU novel foods approval

04-Jan-2012 - UK-based polymer firm Revolymer has gained novel foods approval in the EU for a gum base that degrades faster than conventional bases and is seeking commercial partners to launch chewing gum products in the EU.

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Undeclared sulphites prompt Baraka Apricot Candy recall

02-Jan-2012 - US based UBC Food Distributors has recalled 400g cellophane wrapped, product of Lebanon Baraka Apricot Candies after they were found to contain undeclared sulphites as preservatives.

Natural flavours ‘identified in nature’ to have major industry impact – report

02-Jan-2012 - EC regulations implemented last year that require natural flavouring substances to be identical to something found in nature will greatly impact the industry, according to a report assessing the new regulation.

Exclusive interview

Beneo board: “Let us not forget that functional food responds to a clear demand of the consumer”

20-Dec-2011 - In the first part of this exclusive interview, Beneo Group executive board member, Yves Servotte, explains how European Union health claim rules have informed strategic thinking at one of Europe’s biggest and most vocal ingredient vendors.

Comment

Lobbyists, start your engines: Can a new health claims formula be won in the European Parliament?

12-Dec-2011 - Five years ago the European Union nutrition and health claims regulation (NHCR) became law. Around the bloc, hopeful EU healthy foods and supplements stakeholders submitted more than 44,000 health claim applications.

News in brief

EC extends deadline on major sugar takeover

07-Dec-2011 - The European Commission has been given more time to investigate German sugar company Südzucker’s bid to acquire a 25% stake in British commodities trading company ED&F Man and the deal's impact on competition.

EC proposes different cadmium levels for milk and dark chocolate

02-Dec-2011 - The European Commission has proposed higher maximum cadmium levels for dark chocolate as more of the heavy metal is found in chocolate with high cocoa content.

Study claims chewing gum can reduce daytime tiredness

30-Nov-2011 - British researchers have conducted a study that suggests chewing gum can combat daytime sleepiness.

Nestle ‘sure’ child labour occurs in supply chain as company allows probe

30-Nov-2011 - Nestle has become the first food company to allow the Fair Labor Association (FLA) to investigate whether children are working on cocoa farms supplying its factories as the company said that it would almost certainly be the case.

Xylitol chewing gum could cut ear infection risk in children– study

28-Nov-2011 - Researchers at the University of Toronto have published a study review that claims chewing xylitol- based chewing gum five times a day can reduce acute middle ear infections (AOM) in young children.

Caobisco calls for extended buffer stocks to combat supply fluctuations

24-Nov-2011 - The Association of the Chocolate, Biscuit and Confectionery of Europe (Caobisco) has called for buffer stocks to be extended to cover the supply of commodities like wheat, skimmed milk powder and butter oil as part of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reforms.