Breaking News on Confectionery & Biscuit Processing

Montezuma starts shift to green packaging

British chocolatier Montezuma is one of the latest confectionery companies to promote its green credentials by introducing recycled and recyclable packaging.

Low-fat foods drive emulsifiers, other ingredients

Food ingredients that are key to low-fat foods are seeing the fastest growth in their sectors as the health and wellbeing trend continues, finds a new report.

Danisco sponsors research on dietary fibres

Food ingredients, sugar and industrial bioproducts firm Danisco is sponsoring a professorship in healthy dietary fibres, which could help to develop foods with health-promoting benefits.

Tesco carbon footprint labels back organic, says Soil Association

Organic potatoes have the same carbon footprint as conventionally grown varieties, shows an assessment by supermarket Tesco.

Mars-Wrigley merger creates world's largest confectionery player

Leading global confectioners Mars and the Wrigley have announced that they will merge, creating what Bill Wrigley called 'the world's leading confectionery company'.

Can flavonoid-rich chocolate protect against heart disease?

A study to be conducted by the University of East Anglia (UEA), UK, will examine whether adding flavonoids found in cocoa to the diet, gives additional protection against heart disease on top of that provided by prescription drugs.

Weekly comment

No quick fix to the food price crisis

The food crisis is neither new nor sudden. The several underlying causes have been independently, steadily gathering speed and have collided in a perfect storm not seen for generations. It is going to take a coordinated, long-term effort to untangle them.

Food Design opens new chocolate panning room

UK-based Food Design has extended its chocolate coating facilities as a means of increasing its market reach in both the UK and worldwide.

Kraft Foods sells European assets

Kraft Foods announced on 24 April that it has signed agreements to sell its Artiach biscuits business in Spain to Barcelona-based bakery Panrico and its Balaton chocolate trademark in Hungary to Nestle.

News briefs: Cloetta Fazer, salty ice-cream and a confectionery conference

Rising costs cause Cloetta Fazer profits to drop, Haagen-Dazs puts salt in ice-cream, and the UK Food and Drink Federation (FDF) holds a conference on the changing confectionery market.

Cargill cranks up European operations with Polish expansion

Ingredients firm Cargill yesterday completed the expansion of its Polish wheat processing facility, designed to meet consumer demand across the European bloc.

Solae introduces new uses for soy in CEE

Solae is seeking to build sales of its soy ingredients in Central and Eastern Europe by spearheading applications that are new to the market, such as dairy and meat replacement and nutrition bars.

Cadbury Adams ceases all advertising to kids

US confectionery firm Cadbury Adams yesterday pledged to stop advertising Bubblicious Gum to children under 12, the last product in its portfolio to come under a nationwide initiative.

News briefs: AB Foods, Nestle, Cadbury and volatile commodities

The global commodity market continues to worry confectionery and sugar firms, as AB Foods profit is dented by sugar reforms, Nestle combats costs with price hikes, and Cadbury may be ripe for takeover.

Companies urged to 'green' their supply chain

Firms should look at measures to make their supply chains 'greener' not only because it is seen as 'doing the right thing' but because it is also the 'right thing to do', a new study suggests.

Ireland issues multi-lingual food labelling guidance

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has published new labelling guidance for food manufacturers, which it hopes will help international companies meet the nation's labeling requirements.

Imperial Sugar to rebuild refinery damaged in blast

The Imperial Sugar Co today said it will rebuild the parts of its Georgia sugar refinery that were damaged in last year's explosion, reinstating it as the second largest refinery in the US.

Internet, text messages tout bad food to kids, says Which?

Which? has renewed calls for greater controls on food marketing to children, claiming that new technologies like text messages are contributing to the 'pester power' of manufacturers.

Flavanol content of cocoa cut during manufacturing

Alkalising cocoa beans reduces the total flavanoid content by two-thirds, reducing the antioxidant potential of the product, according to new research.

News briefs: Polyols, Cargill, and Cadbury Schweppes

This week, demand for polyols is reported as experiencing substantial growth on the back of health trend, Cargill provides more convenient cocoa packaging, and Cadbury Schweppes moves nearer to its beverage-arm demerger.

Callebaut ethical investment ensures cocoa traceability

Barry Callebaut has acquired a 49 per cent stake in Biolands of Tanzania, Africa's largest exporter of certified organic cocoa, after purchasing 100 per cent of its top-end cocoa for the past eight years.

US consumer group warns against GM sugar beets

Citizens for Health, a US consumer advocacy group, has launched an online campaign to warn consumers about the dangers of genetically engineered (GE) sugar beets in food products.

Peanuts and chocolate point to greater soy beverage potential

Greater acceptability for soy beverages could be achieved by formulating with peanut proteins and flavour masking with chocolate, suggests a new study from the US.

Senomyx and Nestle collaborate beyond savory flavors

Senomyx has announced a two-year extension to its collaborative research and license agreement with food and beverage giant Nestle, focusing on developing new flavor ingredients for use in dehydrated, culinary and frozen foods.

D-Ribose lined up for novel foods assessment

US firm Bioenergy is seeking European novel foods status for its D-Ribose ingredient, a type of sugar that is said to help boost energy levels.

Cadbury to remove artificial colours by end of 2008

Cadbury Schweppes has pledged to remove all artificial colourings from its confectionery products by the end of the year in response to concerns over their possible effects on behaviour.

Cargill focuses on sustainability with wheat processing plant

Cargill's new UK wheat processing plant is aimed at ensuring market competitiveness and sustainability by localising the production of wheat glucose for sweeteners.

Cadbury continues fight to protect purple packaging

The Australian arm of Cadbury Schweppes, has lost another round in its bid to protect the use of its characteristic colour purple, used in wrapping for many of the company's confectionery products and for advertising purposes.

Dark chocolate gets pulses racing

Consumption of dark chocolate and cocoa may not boost heart health, and could actually increase pulse rates, according to new research.

Confectionery industry event to focus on health

Consumer concerns about health, wellness and lifestyle will be the main focus of a one day conference to be held in May by the European biscuit and confectionery trade body CAOBISCO.

Global consumer conscience to boost fair-trade sales

Increased consumer sensitivity to ethical shopping will send the UK fair-trade market rocketing to over £800m (€1,000m) by 2012, according to a new report.

Cargill builds first sugar refinery

Ingredients firm Cargill yesterday announced the construction of its first ever sugar refinery in the US, as part of the company's plans to provide all possible sweeteners or sugars to the food industry.

STV launches plastic click box for confectionery

Packaging supplier Ileos STV (Seufert Transparente Verpackungen) says that its new plastic click-top box provides confectioners with the transparency required to showcase their products and set them apart from the competition.

Software simplifies supply systems, says manufacturer

A newly devised software solution for warehousing could allow food processors to streamline their entire storage and distribution operations into a single more efficient system, according to the developer.

Weekly comment

HFCS and the battle for natural

It is hard for food companies not to get drawn into the temptation of using attractive label claims that may be shrouded by a veil of doubt. But the real risk comes when the 'if you don't know, don't ask' question is finally answered.

Wine waste could boost stability and health profile of ice cream

Wine lees, the sediment left in the bottom of the barrel after winemaking, could boost the antioxidant profile of ice cream and slow the melting time of ice cream, suggests a new study from Taiwan.

Consumers want better industry efforts to combat obesity

Food manufacturers are not proving to consumers they are dedicated to cutting fat, sugar and salt levels in their products, suggests a new survey.

Further success for green packaging

Innovia Films says that the sales of its biodegradable packaging material NatureFlex, used for confectionery products, is going from strength to strength on the back of increased consumer concerns about the environment.

Governments examine food labeling, marketing to kids

Government officials, nutritionists and consumer groups will next week examine the state food labeling and marketing as part of efforts to reduce childhood obesity globally.

ICCO places more focus on sustainable cocoa

Sustainable cocoa production and standards were the focus of the first meeting of a working group for the Roundtable on a Sustainable Cocoa Economy (RSCE), organised last month by the International Cocoa Organisation.

Cosun defies sugar conditions to report growth

Cosun is expecting its recent acquisition of CSM Suiker to prop up its margins somewhat in the coming year, as conditions remain tough for the European sugar industry.

Profits remain flat for Barry Callebaut

Barry Callebaut today said profits for the first half of the year remained stable as high input and expansion costs offset overall sales volume increases for the Switzerland-based firm.

Tate & Lyle takes a hit from dollar rates

Tate & Lyle is expecting to report £11m less profit that predicted for the year ended March 31, as a result of unfavourable exchange rates against the US dollar, but is still expecting to maintain levels seen in the first half.

News briefs: ADM, Hershey and Sweet China

In recent confectionery news, ADM reshuffles its management team, Hershey launches a new premium line to try and boost its US market share, and Sweet China reports a quarterly profit loss.