Breaking News on Confectionery & Biscuit Processing

Barry Callebaut looks to Malaysia for alternative cocoa sources

16-Mar-2010 - Ambitions growth targets are fuelling leading chocolate supplier Barry Callebaut’s strategy to source cocoa from regions other than West Africa, with Malaysia the focus of the first stage of its cocoa production expansion plan.

Weekly comment

The HVP recall: Damage control déjà vu

15-Mar-2010 - Not again! It emerged last week that Basic Food Flavors, the company behind the ongoing HVP recall, knew its products were tainted with salmonella but carried on shipping them anyway. Déjà vu anyone?

Kraft CEO to miss UK political inquiry on Cadbury, report

15-Mar-2010 - Directors of both US food group Kraft and Cadbury are being called to account at a committee of UK politicians regarding the acquisition of the Dairy Milk maker tomorrow.

Even three-year-olds know brands: Study

12-Mar-2010 - Children as young as three recognize and have preferences for different brands, according to new research published in the journal Psychology and Marketing.

Research investigates what consumers see as 'natural'

11-Mar-2010 - An investigation into what the term ‘natural’ means for consumers has concluded that manufacturers wanting to position products as natural should use ingredients that have undergone physical rather than chemical processing, process less, and label chemical names rather than E-numbers.

Cargill calls for harmonized fair trade cocoa schemes

08-Mar-2010 - As Cargill expands its cocoa farmer training programme in the Ivory Coast this month, we caught up with managing director of Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate, Harold Poelma, to hear about developments in the sourcing of sustainably derived cocoa and his call for audit convergence among schemes.

Cocoa speculators damaging industry, German producers

08-Mar-2010 - The German confectionery industry has expressed concern over the fluctuation in the price of its key raw ingredient, cocoa, as a result of speculation.

Food marketers could read minds, say researchers

05-Mar-2010 - Brain scans could allow food marketers to learn about a product’s appeal – or lack thereof – while it is still at the design stage, according to analysis published in Nature Review Neuroscience.

New global monitoring tool identifies food safety offenders

05-Mar-2010 - A new monitoring tool presented at a recent EFSA conference has named China, Iran, Turkey, the United Sates and Spain as the top five offenders in food contamination between 2003 and 2008.

Cocoa prices dip on reports of buoyant supply

04-Mar-2010 - Cocoa futures in New York hit their lowest price since September yesterday on signs of increased production in Ivory Coast, which is the leading global supplier.

Divine buys up first Sierra Leone Fairtrade cocoa shipment

03-Mar-2010 - The first shipment of Fairtrade certified cocoa by farmers based in Sierra Leone has been bought by Divine Chocolate, a company co-owned by cocoa farmers in Ghana.

News in brief

Candy makers respond to call for choking hazard labels

03-Mar-2010 - The National Confectioners Association has responded to a policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics last week suggesting warning labels and even redesign for foods that pose a high choking hazard.

Snacking study shows kids eat nearly constantly

03-Mar-2010 - American children are moving toward ‘constant eating’ with three snacks a day as well as three regular meals, according to a paper published in the journal Health Affairs.

Symrise celebrates recession resilience

03-Mar-2010 - Germany’s Symrise has reported a year of above-market growth, buoyed by especially good sales in South America and acquisitions in the US.

Weekly comment

What's the colour of money? Bonuses should be green

01-Mar-2010 - Never before has the dangling of golden carrots in the boardroom been so closely scrutinised. DSM and others’ decisions to ensure those carrots have green shoots of sustainability attached to them is a wise and forward thinking move.

News in brief

M&S strives for ‘most sustainable’ title

01-Mar-2010 - UK grocer Marks and Spencer has announced a new raft of eco and ethical commitments, in a bid to become the most sustainable retailer by 2015.

New test improves control of chocolate origins

26-Feb-2010 - 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.

Cocoa power project gets green light

25-Feb-2010 - A trial by chocolate maker Lindt USA to supply cocoa bean shells to a fuel burning facility to produce ‘green’ power is now being implemented officially following approval by the state environmental authorities.

News in brief

Date confirmed for Kraft probe by MPs

24-Feb-2010 - A committee of politicians in the UK will meet next month to investigate the controversial takeover of chocolate firm Cadbury by US food giant Kraft, reports the Press Association.

Sugar and stevia join forces to cut calories

23-Feb-2010 - PureCircle and Imperial Sugar have launched a joint venture to offer sugar and stevia combinations to the food and beverage industry as it looks to meet consumer demand for natural lower calorie products.

Weekly comment

Banning energy drinks is a doomed shot in the dark

22-Feb-2010 - Energy shot drinks have come under fire from German authorities which are employing an old-school prohibition logic that history has repeatedly dunce-hatted.

Health Canada proposes stricter color labeling

19-Feb-2010 - Health Canada is seeking comments on a proposal to change Canadian regulations on how food colorings are listed on ingredient labels, the agency said on Thursday.

Training scheme aiding sustainable choc supply, Cargill

19-Feb-2010 - Cocoa bean crop quality and yield is benefiting from a farmer training programme in the Ivory Coast, which is set to be extended to a wider number of farmer cooperatives this month, said Cargill.

Kraft silent on pension freeze impact for Cadbury

18-Feb-2010 - Kraft has announced that it will begin to end pension increases for current and non-union hourly employees from year end 2019 but the US food group did not provide any clues in regulatory filings as to the future of the 100-year-old Cadbury pension fund.