Breaking News on Confectionery & Biscuit Processing

SPECIAL EDITION: NANOTECHNOLOGY

Is the food processing industry poised to embrace nanocoatings?

Nanocoatings on food processing equipment hold huge potential for boosting safety and performance but lingering doubts and cost concerns among industry players are hampering take up, said an expert

Comment

Scientific failings are the organic industry’s gain

Are organic foods healthier? The sad truth is that nearly 100,000 studies later, we just don't know. Meanwhile, this lack of certainty presents major business opportunities for the organic food industry.

Barry Callebaut sees huge growth in Brazil as plant opens

A new Barry Callebaut chocolate factory in Brazil, which commenced operation last week, is building on the predicted growth for consumption of chocolate products in Latin America, according to the pod-to-pallet chocolate maker.

Special edition

Markets: Nanotech food struggles to graduate from the lab

Nanotechnology has been a buzz word in the food industry for years but that has done little to turn ideas in a lab into commercially viable innovations.

Cargill gets Novel Foods for Xtend sucromalt

A sucromalt ingredient from Cargill has received Novel Foods approval in Europe, opening up the use of the sweetener in a range of food and beverage products in the bloc.

Takeover Panel censures Kraft over Cadbury bid

The UK Takeover Panel this week issued a rare public censure of Kraft after the company was held in breach of the executive body’s code by going back on promises relating to the closure of a Cadbury chocolate factory in Somerdale.

Tate & Lyle shifts focus as profits fall

Tate & Lyle has announced a major shake-up of its business, shifting focus to specialty food ingredients and away from its traditional sugar business.

From iconic tastes to regulations: Givaudan flavour chief shares insights

What are the hot topics on the lips of the flavour industry? In a rare interview Mauricio Graber, president of flavours at Givaudan, talked to FoodNavigator.com about acquisitions, icon flavours, healthier foods, and the regulatory landscape.

News in brief

Tortilla chips sole offender in Danish GM survey

An investigation by Danish authorities into illegal GMOs in food products found all but one batch of tortilla chips followed content and labelling riles.

PureCircle establishes institute to promote science-based stevia information

Major stevia supplier PureCircle has established an institute with the stated aim of providing a consistent voice on the science behind the zero-calorie plant-derived sweetener.

Rent reductions way out for Thortons: analyst

UK chocolate maker and retailer, Thorntons, should renegotiate on own shop leases in order to claw back some lost profits, claims an analyst as the group issues another pre-tax profit warning and its CEO steps down.

Italian Chocolate producer ICAM targets North American market

A new US sales office will provide private label chocolatier ICAM with a platform to expand into North America and Mexico.

Confectionery wrapper said to meet rapid changeover demands

Meeting confectionery and cosmetic industry demand for flexibility and reliability in wrapping large pack formats, UK firm Marden Edwards said its new semi-automatic tooling system is also suitable for small batch runs.

Industry backs sale of EU intervention milk powder

The confectionery division of the UK Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has backed the move by the European Commission to open tenders for the sale of intervention skimmed milk powder (SMP) as a way of bolstering raw material supply for the sector.

Comment

Realistic prices needed for European food stability and to safeguard society

Please: A big round of applause for Jozsef Kapuvári. Who? You might well ask. Kapuvári is the author of an EU report that highlights the importance of realistic food prices – not just to underpin the food supply chain but to maintain the fabric of European society.

'Very large confectioner' in baobab trial

Product developers at a “very large confectionery company”, a smoothie maker, a babyfood manufacturer and several cereal bar makers are conducting trials of products containing powder from the pulp of the African baobab fruit.

Comax sweetness enhancer responds to lower-sugar demand

Comax Flavors claims to have ‘set a new standard’ for sweetness enhancers for foods and beverages with the latest addition to its Max FlavorLab range of enhancers.

Randomness may be key to reduced sugar products

Uneven distribution of sugar in a food may allow formulators to reduce the sugar content of foods without detrimentally affecting the sweetness of the finished product, Dutch researchers report.

Suppliers face threat of exclusion with new Nestlé palm oil partnership

Nestlé has bolstered its sustainable palm oil commitments by partnering with The Forest Trust (TFT) in a move described as “game-changing” for the industry.

New joint venture aims to secure higher quality cocoa supply

Blommer Chocolate, Petra Foods, and Cemoi Chocolatier have created a joint venture that will establish 30 fermentation centres to improve the supply of high quality, fermented cocoa from the Ivory Coast.

Dispatches from Vitafoods

Lycored enters omega-3 market

Lycored has taken its first step outside the carotenoid sector with a vegetarian omega-3 launch that is the fruition of several years’ research, it was announced at the Vitafoods trade show in Geneva yesterday.

Researchers claim novel method to boost polyphenol levels in cocoa products

A wet heat treatment process that avoids the cocoa fermentation and roasting steps produces polyphenol-rich cocoa powder, claims a Spanish study.

Kraft Food pledges commitment to Cadbury Ireland

Senior Kraft Food executives pledged their commitment to Cadbury Ireland this week in discussions with the Irish minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe.

Comment

IOM report: One step forward, two steps back

The call for better biomarkers to substantiate health claims is a bold and timely move, but we need to move away from trying to judge foods as pharmaceuticals.

First quarter bears fruit for Frutarom

Frutarom has reported a positive start to 2010, indicated that the acquisition-hungry firm is back on track after a tough 12 months.

Bid reported for independent Polish confectionery firm

Private equity fund Eva Grupe is set to make a bid for Polish confectionery company Mieszko, according to media reports.

UK confectionery maker penalised over worker injury

UK manufacturer Magna Specialist Confectioners has been fined £75,000 for breaching equipment regulations after a worker suffered serious head injury when completing maintenance on machinery.

High calorie foods seen as positive when restricted

Restraining from eating high calorie foods can influence the positive associations in consumers’ minds, according to two Dutch studies that could help inform measures and more research on healthier eating.

Candy tax due in Washington next month

A sales tax on certain candy and gum products is due to come into effect in Washington State on June 1, as part of the state’s effort to plug its $2.8bn deficit.

Healthier snacking informs Zetar sales growth

UK snack and confectionery group, Zetar, claims its new healthy snacking range informed its accelerated sales growth and aided “strong” financial recovery in the second half of 2009.

News in brief

Appeal verdict in Asda 'nasty' case expected in early June

The legal battle between Asda and Ajinomoto over the rights to describe aspartame as 'nasty' has moved into a new phase.

Moneta develops new nanotech foil and waxed paper confectionery wraps

A new nanotechnology based coating for aluminium film can be used to wrap chocolate figurines and is currently being trialled with a Polish confectionery manufacturer, claims its Slovakian developer.

Tate & Lyle brings on new glucose capacity in Slovakia

Tate and Lyle now has new capacity for glucose syrup up and running at its facility in Slovakia, to cater to European demand and, in particular, underserved manufacturers in Central and Eastern Europe.

News in brief

Loma's metal detection technology wins UK award

A metal detector range from Loma Systems won the Technical Development award at the UK’s Food Processing Awards.

Air bubbles may help cut salt and sugar: Unilever

The salt and sugar content of foods may be reduced by using air bubbles as an “inert filler” in liquid products, according to new research from Unilever R&D Vlaardingen.

RSSL takes on global R&D role as Kraft restructures

Reading Scientific Services (RSSL) will house an expanded global science and technology centre supporting Kraft worldwide following a radical restructuring that will also see Cadbury Bournville transformed into a global centre of excellence for chocolate research.

Kraft Q1 revenues soar by 26 percent after Cadbury acquisition

US food giant Kraft has announced first quarter 2010 revenues up 26 percent to $11.3bn after its acquisition of British food and confectionery company Cadbury.

Healthy chocolates may need more sugar: Kraft study

Ensuring consumers reap the benefits from the beneficial compounds in cocoa may mean formulating products with more sugar, suggests a new study from Kraft.

Comment

Biodegradable alternative or a levy - gum makers should chew on that

It’s a sticky issue that just won’t go away. There are sugar-free, tooth whitening and nicotine added versions but none from leading makers, as yet, that are dissolvable in rain.

News in brief

Food policy in limbo as hung parliament reigns

The hung parliament has raised a large question mark over some key areas of food policy, with uncertainty surrounding everything from the future of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to the implementation of Labour’s 2030 strategy, according to law firm Eversheds.

Confectionery takeover will provide Baltic expansion platform, says Orkla

Norwegian group Orkla said the purchase of Kalev Chocolate Factory by its subsidiary Felix Abba will bolster the group’s expansion efforts in Estonia and neighbouring countries.

Sucralose does not promote weight gain: Human study

Consumption of sucralose and sucralose-sweetened products does not affect gut hormones linked to hunger, or detrimentally affect blood sugar levels, says a new study from Australia.

Cargill denies allegations of illegal deforestation for palm oil production

Cargill has denied allegations made by the Rainforest Action Network (RAN) which claims that the company has destroyed rainforest for its palm oil plantations.

Education and law enforcement will solve gum litter problem, says industry body

Effective enforcement of litter laws coupled with consumer education programmes rather than costly clean ups is the only sustainable approach to chewing gum litter, claims the Irish gum litter task force (GLT), which includes members of the chewing gum industry as well as regulatory bodies.

Near infrared detection system beats X-ray blind spots

A breakthrough non-ionising food defect detection system that identifies the presence of materials in foodstuffs that are normally transparent to X-rays is reliable, fast and versatile, said the UK company behind the development.

International acqusitions may be on the cards, Hershey

US chocolate maker, Hershey, said it is still open to international expansion and it claims acquisitions will be made easier by the fact that the global chocolate markets are still fragmented.

News in brief

Danisco ups expectations in advance of FY results

Danisco has indicated that its Q4 was better than expected thanks to good volumes and stable pricing for ingredients and industrial enzymes.

Comment

Why food is a vital issue in the UK general election

Voting is a basic human right. Eating is a basic human need. British voters who eat should mull future meal plans carefully before putting an X in any box on Thursday.

Sugar quota increase not enough, say confectioners

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has said it will increase sugar quotas by 200,000 short tons in order to relieve supply pressure, but candy makers are still calling for more.

SPECIAL EDITION - SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING

Investment in sustainable packaging essential, says study

Producers must ensure packaging is more sustainable as customers remain convinced that food packing is excessive and are altering their consumption patterns as a result, warns research from Datamonitor.

Pack designed to reduce chewing gum litter, claims developer

A paper dispenser on packaging designed for a new chewing gum launch aids more responsible disposal of the product, claims its UK based developer.

Salmonella found in chocolate product at Nestlé plant, report

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.

Guest article

Pumping up performance to boost efficiency, maximise yields

Pumps are becoming increasingly essential in food and beverage processing, particularly when it comes to improving efficiency and maximising yield, said Keith Driver of NOV Mono. In a guest article for FoodProductionDaily.com, he explains how high performance pump designs are now being used in a range of applications, from introducing the raw material, to discharging the final product.