Crop processing giant ADM Cocoa is running a series of workshops to show chocolate makers how to get “optimal results” from their formulations, with health trumping new product development.
Cargill’s sweetener experts have further enhanced its reduced calorie chocolate prototype that was shown at FIE in November 2009, with the commercial product set to hit the market at the end of 2011, said the company.
UK supermarket chain, Marks & Spencer, said its entire Swiss chocolate range will now feature a corn starch-based Plantic tray to hold the chocolates, while the outer-box, it added, is made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified cardboard.
Seasonal and chocolate box sales are projected to increase by 12.9 per cent between 2010 and 2015, growing to an estimated £4.1bn by 2015, according to a Mintel report.
A stevia-based chocolate incorporating a blend of dietary fibres has been developed by Barry Callebaut for Belgian confectioner Cavalier for a tablet product to be launched next month.
Frequent chocolate consumption was associated with a lower prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) in men and women independent of traditional risk factors, according to a review of a national US based heart, lung and blood study.
A hike in demand for lactose free products prompted leading industrial chocolate supplier Barry Callebaut to reformulate a 100 per cent dairy free alternative to milk chocolate.
Ganeden Biotech has teamed up with Italian firm Agostoni Chocolate for the launch of Chocolate Plus Private Label, combining the GanedenBC30 probiotic with premium Italian dark chocolate.
Chocolate products are smashing through the recessionary gloom in the US with sales expected to top $19bn within four years, according to the latest report from research group Packaged Facts.
Adding red palm olein to chocolate spread could boost its antioxidant power and nutrient availability, according to new research published in the journal Food Chemistry.
An observational study analysing the eating habits of 31,823 women suggests that only moderate consumption of high quality chocolate has a positive impact on heart failure risk.
Puratos has combined ingredients from its three sectors – bakery, patisserie and chocolate – to develop new ‘healthy snacking’ concepts for its customers in the food industry.
Nestlé chocolate products recorded double-digit growth in emerging markets, driven partly by the performance of the lowest priced products in its portfolio, said the group as it posted gains of 7.5 per cent in net profit for the first six months of the...
An innovative scheme involving the return of dividends to investors in batches of premium chocolate has raised £3.7m for UK company Hotel Chocolat’s facility and retail outlet expansion plans.
Blends of stevia rebaudiana extract with inulin and polydextrose as bulking agents can produce sucrose free chocolate with little differential noted between it and sucrose sweetened milk chocolate in terms of sensory attributes, finds an Australian study.
Indian joint venture Godrej Hershey is reported to be introducing chocolate products into amdist strong competition from dominant players such as Cadbury and Nestlé.
A hike in sales volumes of Fairtrade chocolate in the UK are expected following a retailer’s decision to extend its own brand range of the ethically sourced chocolate.
Short-term cocoa consumption can significantly lower blood cholesterol, but only in modest quantities and only in those with risk factors for heart diseases, according to a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials by Chinese researchers.
Beverages formulated with stevia are preferred by consumers over similar products sweetened with sugar or other common high intensity sweeteners, says new research from Croatia.
Ensuring consumers reap the benefits from the beneficial compounds in cocoa may mean formulating products with more sugar, suggests a new study from Kraft.
Nestlé has shut down a production line after a positive salmonella test on a batch of chocolate morsels at its one of its facilities in the US, for the second time this year.
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.
Blends of low-calorie sweeteners like maltitol with polydextrose boosted gut microflora when formulated in chocolate with excellent tolerance, says a new study from the University of Reading.
Chocolate maker Barry Callebaut has reported increased profits and sales volumes for the six months to the end of February 2010, despite a declining global chocolate market.
Partial substitution of cocoa butter in confectionery products may be achieved with tea seed oil, a by-product of tea processing, says new research with the potential to help chocolate makers cut costs.
German chocolate ingredient supplier, Herza Schokolade, said it has recently concluded a series of trials on the incorporation of health boosting ingredients into chocolate based on the hike in demand for the functional additions from its food manufacturer...
Equipment that separates liquid chocolate from solid rework components by centrifugal force helps eliminate food waste by enabling the chocolate to be reused in product manufacturer, claims its German developer.
A simple test of volatile compounds in chocolate may serve as chemical tracers to enable better traceability of cocoa and inform consumers of the countries of origin, say French researchers.
Two companies have been served with serious citations for workplace safety and health violations from the US Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) following the death of a worker in the summer of 2009.
The worst of the global economic crisis on chocolate is over but global market volumes will remain flat throughout 2010, predicts Barry Callebaut – which itself is expecting to outperform the market.
Chocolate packaged with an oxygen absorber in a barrier packaging material will maintain its aroma, taste and nutritional quality substantially longer than other packaging methods, according to a new study.
Brands such as Kit Kat and Wispa are performing well but new data shows the UK chocolate confectionery market appears to be taking a hit from the economic downturn
A tool to detect the correct levels of vegetable fat levels in milk chocolate has been rubber stamped by an international standards body, and benefits all stakeholders in the industry, claims the developers at the European Commission’s Joint Research...
The chocolate sector looks set for further consolidation with the smaller players struggling to offset higher cocoa prices, claims one market analyst as the rumour mill goes into full gear over potential rivals to Kraft for a Cadbury takeover.
Daily consumption of 40 grams of dark chocolate for two weeks can reduce stress and benefit metabolism and microbial activity in the gut, claims scientists based at the Nestle Research Centre.
Chocolate maker Barry Callebaut has reported increased profits and sales volumes for the full 2008/09 fiscal year, despite shrinking global chocolate consumption.
The levels of antioxidant activity and flavan-3-ol levels in chocolate products are stable over a controlled shelf life of one year, according to a new study.
Barry Callebaut has signed an agreement to acquire Spain’s Chocovic, in a deal that will give the chocolate giant its first manufacturing plant in Spain.
Kraft Foods said its premium dark chocolate range is the first to carry the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal, showing it contains cocoa from farms that meet the sustainability standard.
