Breaking News on Confectionery & Biscuit Processing

Weekly Comment

Training the salt of the earth

On International Labour Day, workers across the world will be raising a glass in honour of the salt of the earth.

CAP code backlash highlights UK food ad divide

Ten organisations have voiced concerns over a new code for non-broadcast advertising of food products aimed at children in the UK, claiming that it is inadequate and will not reduce children's exposure to promotions for unhealthy foods.

Hershey and Barry Callebaut join forces

Chocolate giants Hershey and Barry Callebaut, have teamed up for a landmark partnership which will see the Swiss cocoa producer providing the raw material for Hershey's chocolate products and expanding facilities in South America.

ABF sugar buy helps keep business afloat

After a problematic year involving tampering incidents and disappointing bread sales, UK food producer Associated British Foods (ABF) has posted a 7 per cent rise in profits which the group attributes to increased investment and acquisitions.

Chitosan complex superior for emulsion flavour stabilisation?

A chitosan-containing complex was more effective at stabilising citrus flavours and could offer a cost-effective alternative to gum arabic, suggests joint Italian-US research.

Special edition: Global food trade

EU sugar reform sours at home and abroad

Still in its initial stages of implementation, the EU sugar reform effort appears dogged by problems - a significant quota cut in the last few months left producers scrambling to keep up while non-members seeking a stable trading partner remain concerned over its long-term effects.

Sugar-free gum fails to fight plaque, study

Gum-chewers hoping their habit will protect them from dental plaque and tooth decay would be better sticking to brushing as scientists reveal the preventative effects of sugar-free gum may have been overstated.

Food ads make fat kids eat more, study

A study at the University of Liverpool has shown up a strong tendency for children to eat more after watching food adverts on TV - a finding that lends support to recent UK curbs on junk food advertising around children's programmes.

Barry Callebaut to study cocoa butter for diabetics

Barry Callebaut is funding research aimed at discovering the component in cocoa butter responsible for an observed improvement in insulin sensitivity, with the ultimate aim of developing chocolate products for diabetics.

Weekly Comment

Ditch the marketing madness

Marketing strategies - two words that incorporate everything from pseudo scientific research to shock value advertising campaigns. But shouldn't honesty be the best policy?

Bakers offered new moisture resistant sugar product

UK sugar processor British Sugar has developed a new line of moisture-resistant sugar to its dry ingredients range for bakers, which it claims can prolong shelf life and improve product quality.

Cadbury charged in salmonella contamination case

Cadbury and some of its managers face prosecution for allegedly ignoring a case of salmonella contamination at one of the company's UK plants.

Competition heats up in Ukrainian chocolate sector

Ukrainian confectionery company AVK has announced it will up chocolate production in order to strengthen its leading position in the country's highly competitive market.

Thorntons recovers from sales slump

UK luxury chocolate manufacturer Thorntons has managed to boost sales after a difficult start to the trading year saw consumers shunning the high street confectionery maker.

Hershey dark chocolate growth boosts sales

US based chocolate giant Hershey may have successfully taken advantage of the consumer trend for dark chocolate but work still remains to be done to reinvigorate core brands.

Exclusive interview

Inside Nestle's R&D brain centre

In the first of a new series of exclusive interviews, Professor Peter van Bladeren, Nestlé's director of science and research, tells Stephen Daniells how collaboration is key to innovation at the Nestlé Research Center.

Danisco explores future of trans fat alternatives

Designing foods with trans-fat alternatives must be a 'multidisciplinary' approach, say Danisco scientists in a review that looks towards a trans-fat free future.

Cargill patents new cocoa processing method

US based cocoa producer Cargill has developed a new method of processing cocoa which allows for reduced fat content and greater dispersibility in cocoa powder.

A kiss is just a kiss, chocolate gives better buzz

Chocolate boosts brain activity and increases heart rate more effectively than kissing, according to British researchers.

Tate & Lyle grows value-added offering with GC Hahn buy

Tate & Lyle has signed an agreement to acquire an 80 per cent holding in German family-run specialty ingredients firm GC Hahn - the latest step in a refocusing on value-added ingredients in place of commodities.

Weekly comment

Food contamination: time for action

At a time when so many resources are being pumped into improving consumer health through food, it is pitifully ironic that more and more people are getting sick or dying from what they eat because of safety slips.

McNeil and Merisant battle over Splenda in court

Last week marked the start of a long awaited court case between sweetener firms McNeil Nutritionals and Merisant, after which a jury is expected to decide if consumers are being misled by the marketing strategy for popular sweetener product Splenda.

Jar packaging boosted by trend for sweet-shop style candies

The trend for individually sold confectionery is boosting growth at UK packaging firm RPC Containers.

Health hype fails to deter dessert-lovers

The furore over rising obesity rates has failed to dissuade UK consumers from tucking into desserts such as cheesecakes, trifles and cream cakes, judging from a new report from market analysts Mintel.

Nestle Nutrition acquisitions continue with Gerber

Swiss food giant Nestlé has acquired iconic US baby food brand Gerber as the group's transition to a nutrition, health and wellness company continues.

Mars seeks to protect cocoa extract from Spanish competition

Chocolate giant Mars has filed a lawsuit against Natraceutical, alleging that the Spanish company is infringing its patents on polyphenol-rich cocoa extracts by selling CocoanOX extracts in the United States.

Investor acquires German candy maker

German equity investment company Arques has taken over confectionery firm van Netten in yet another example of private investors moving into the food industry sphere.

Row over chocolate composition escalates

Disgruntled US chocolate manufacturer Guittard is mounting a defence of chocolate ahead of possible changes to the product's composition by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Weekly comment

You cannot judge a juice by its cover

Have you heard this one before? There are two blackcurrants, one has a high vitamin content and the other - well it doesn't.

Tate & Lyle files ITC case for sucralose patent infringement

Tate & Lyle has filed a United States International Trade Commission (ITC) case over alleged infringement of its patented sucralose manufacturing technology.

Meta-analysis boosts cocoa's blood pressure lowering effects

Polyphenol-rich dark chocolate could reduce blood pressure to the same extent as beta-blockers, suggests a new meta-analysis from Germany.

Hershey ups prices to offset costs

US chocolate manufacturer Hershey has announced it is to raise prices on its domestic confectionery line to offset the rising cost of ingredients, such as corn syrup, and packaging materials.

Nestlé builds science to support cocoa polyphenol claims

The polyphenol content of many chocolates varies greatly around the world, scientists from the Nestlé Research Center (NRC) report in an article that adds to the company's ability to validate potential nutritional and health claims for it cocoa-based products.

Chocolatiers rejuvenate boxed chocs

UK luxury chocolate maker Elizabeth Shaw is set to join the growing number of premium confectionery manufacturers targeting the boxed chocolate niche with exotic flavours and single-origin sourcing.

Waste and taste concerns over Easter eggs

Consumer group Which? has placed retailers' own-label Easter egg brands above those produced by market leader Cadbury in taste tests conducted ahead of the lucrative holiday trading period.

Filling machine bags snacks fast, its manufacturer claims

A new vertical form, fill and seal machine is designed to package high density snacks into smaller bags at high speed, its manufacturer claims.

Which? criticises complicated sugar labelling

Consumer watchdog Which? has hit out at confusing labelling of sugar content in foods, placing the onus on manufacturers to put full nutritional information on packs after a survey found high levels in savoury foods that were not immediately apparent.

Palsgaard develops stress-resistant cake emulsifier

Danish ingredients manufacturer Palsgaard has developed a new instant cake emulsifier which safeguards cake quality throughout the stresses inflicted on batter during processing.

Barry Callebaut profits from outsourcing trend

The trend towards food manufacturers outsourcing their chocolate ingredient needs translated into impressive volume and sales growth for Barry Callebaut's industrial business segment for the first six months of the fiscal year.

Chocolate test ensures sugar consistency

Switzerland-based pharmaceutical company Metrohm has developed a test to determine the exact sugar content of chocolate - helping manufacturers ensure consistency on the production line.

Sweet wrapping test stops stickiness

Sticky, easily torn sweet wrappers could soon be a thing of the past thanks to a new test from Stable Micro Systems (SMS).

Weekly comment

Wanted: testing for supplements

The dietary supplement industry needs an independent testing program that is recognizable to consumers in order to enhance the credibility of its products as well as encourage solid science and sourcing.

Kids' cookie hits health niche

UK bakery supplier BakeMark UK, has developed a 'better-for-you' cookie for the children's snack market in order to introduce healthier snacking habits to sweet-toothed youngsters.