The US National Confectioners Association (NCA) has earmarked consumer education on calories and sugar as an industry priority for 2014 but admits there is skepticism about industry-funded research.
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A sweetener produced by isolating agavins from the tequila producing agave plant could offer blood sugar benefits to people with type 2 diabetes and offer weight loss hope to obese people, say researchers.
Chocolate giant Mars and the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute are readying themselves for a five-year research project into possible heart-health benefits of taking a daily flavanol-rich capsule.
DIGGING INTO INNOVATION & NPD WITH DATAMONITOR CONSUMER
The National Advertising Division has recommended that Hershey modify its packaging and advertising for Brookside candies so consumers know the product is made with fruit flavors and not real fruit.
Mondelēz International said it may include a pledge to reduce sugar in its new health & wellness program, but only if the World Health Organization (WHO) makes its latest sugar advice formal.
Special Edition: Consumer friendly confectionery packaging unwrapped
White packaging is on the rise globally, but it will be interesting to see how this plays out within the retail space, according to an industry commentator.
Barry Callebaut says chocolate makers can produce products in novel colors far easier with its new flower-shaped food colorant pellets compared to using high doses of powder and liquid dyes.
Mondelēz is to cut saturated fat and sodium by 10% by 2020, but suggests reducing consumer sugar intake is manageable with portion controlled products and education.
Reduction of salt, sugars, trans fat and total fat is a key focus area for Nestlé in efforts to meet its nutrition commitments, according to its latest annual report, "Nestlé in Society 2013".
Banning junk food near schools, one of India’s biggest and long-running public health issues, seems like it will continue some more after industry officials and health activists on a court–appointed panel were unable to forge a common direction.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has advised halving sugar intake advice from 10% of total calories to 5% of total calories in a new dietary guideline proposal.
Restricting marketing to children and continuing to cut salt, fats and added sugar in processed foods are among initiatives put forward in a plan to tackle childhood obesity, agreed by EU member states in Greece last week.
Dark chocolate may help restore flexibility to arteries and prevent white blood cells from sticking to the walls of blood vessels, but increasing flavanol content will not affect these effects and may even put consumers off, say researchers.
Goodbye Deo, hello Aroma Candy. Perfumed candy’s new name, lavender scent and packaging seeks to sedate high consumer expectations and go after a more “universal” appeal.
The US National Confectioners Association (NCA) and leading US firms say sugar has been ‘unjustly’ victimized in recent months and the public should be free to enjoy a sweet treat if they so desire.
The confectionery industry is in good shape and demand for sustainable products and those catering to health needs has never been higher, according to ISM organizer Koelnmesse.
The confectionery industry will begin to move away from sugar to ‘healthier’ alternatives, according to a manufacturer of stevia-sweetened energy and confectionery bars.
The FDA says it has “no reason to believe” that 4-MeI - an impurity generated during the manufacture of caramel colors III and IV - poses a health risk at current dosage levels, but says it is reviewing new data to determine whether it needs to revise...
Food manufacturers’ organisation the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has slammed a Channel 4 programme on sugar – screened earlier this week (January 20) as – “highly misleading”.
Confectioners should replace white color titanium dioxide with rice starch to alleviate consumer health concerns, says supplier Beneo, even though toxicity has not been demonstrated by any authority in typical food uses.
Belgian chocolate is profiting from a consumer trend for authentic and traceable products, according to industrial chocolate producer and ingredients supplier Puratos.
A Channel 4 Dispatches programme to be aired in the UK this evening is to accuse scientists advising health ministers on sugar of a conflict of interest due to funds some receive from the food industry.
A rise in the North American cocoa grind is a positive sign for the mature US chocolate market, but analysts predict health-concerns will challenge future growth.
Discount retailer Lidl has rolled out its Healthy Till program across its UK stores, removing all chocolate and sweets from checkouts except for Wrigley’s gum.
Prominent nutritionists have provided their exclusive feedback on Action on Sugar’s sugar reduction campaign, designed to combat the rising incidence of obesity in the UK.
Children can eat candy in moderation without increasing their risk of becoming obese and developing heart problems later in life, according to a study backed by the National Confectioners Association.
Replacing sugar with fibers in chocolate could be more effective in reducing global sugar consumption than cutting portion sizes, but will come at a cost, according to Barry Callebaut.
Teenagers should stick to low fat diets to prevent build-up of dangerous abdominal fat – irrespective of how much they exercise or how many calories they consume, according to a new study.
A new campaign group headed by medical professionals says the food industry can improve profit margins while cutting ‘unnecessary’ added sugar from products, which it says is responsible for rising global obesity.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is working towards a method to validate the effectiveness and safety of medicated chewing gums such as nicotine gum.
Low-calorie products such as sugar-free chocolates will be the driving force behind modest growth in the US chocolate market in the next five years, according to market analysts Lucintel.
Freeze drying could unlock the potential of red berries and citrus fruits as decorations and inclusions in chocolate while preserving the color and nutrients of the fruit, says supplier Chaucer Foods.
Semi-solid vegetable oils created using low-calorie sugars such as mannitol and sorbitol dioctanoates could provide alternatives to trans- and saturated fats, according to new research.
Mars UK says it has exhausted reformulation options for Mars and Snickers bars and has been left with no choice but to cut portion sizes to meet calorie reduction pledges.
Special Edition - Beyond sugar: Hitting the sweet spot