Breaking News on Confectionery & Biscuit Processing

Tate & Lyle defiant in face of sugar regime change

Tate & Lyle has vowed to continue to pursue its ambitious expansion plans despite warnings that proposed changes to the sugar regime could begin to affect business as soon as 2007, writes Anthony Fletcher.

Food scientist sought as journalist

Novis seeks a bright, driven food scientist for a reporter's post in southern France. The main mission is to deepen coverage of scientific breakthroughs in food techniques and nutritional understanding on flagship websites, FoodNavigator.com and NutraIngredients.com.

Real Good Food buys sugar supplier

In a move to secure its supplier base for its bakery operations and expand its business, the UK's Real Good Food Company (RGFC) said yesterday it would buy Napier Brown Foods, a sugar group, for £67.7min stock.

Xylitol sweetener, growth opportunities pinned on teeth

Growth areas for the polyol sweetener xylitol highlighted, as leading ingredients firm Danisco claims new health guidelines recommend xylitol to prevent dental caries, reports Lindsey Partos.

EU sugar reform to impact local operations for enzyme leader Novozymes

Number one food enzyme supplier Novozymes likely to move production to the US and China as a result of the new EU sugar reform, the daily Berlingske Tidende reports.

Good sales for Cadbury Schweppes after forward buy-up

British confectionery and soft drinks company Cadbury Schweppes yesterday revelled in its best performance for a decade, with half-year results flattered by a trade buy-up of extra stocks of chocolate in the UK, reports Lorraine Heller.

Cocoa flavonols emerging as functional food ingredients

Cocoa compounds can be extracted and marketed as functional food ingredients, or even synthesised for use in pharmaceuticals, said confectionery giant Mars this week, reports Dominique Patton.

Flavonols may impact brain functioning

Cocoa flavonols, already shown to benefit heart health, may also have an impact on the brain, reports Dominique Patton.

ADM innovations tap health and regulation concerns

ADM's promotion of two innovative ingredients at the IFT conference this week illustrates how health awareness and regulatory concerns have shot up the industry's priority list, writes Anthony Fletcher.

Jigawa state to boost gum arabic supplies

Global supplies for the hydrocolloid gum arabic could creep up as Lagos announces plans to sow 500 million seeds to produce the popular confectionery ingredient, writes Lindsey Partos.

Cargill cuts jobs at sweetener operations on market pressures

Job losses at the sweetener operations of ambitious ingredients firm Cargill are imminent as the largest private firm in the US appears to feel the squeeze of "market conditions".

Fibre-enriched cocoa products raise health stakes for confectionery firms

A new low-carb cocoa, being launched by Spanish firm Natraceutical this month, will help confectionery makers lift the fibre levels and lower the glycaemic response of their products, reports Dominique Patton.

Cadbury Schweppes ponders European drinks sale

Cadbury-Schweppes looks set to try and sell its European soft drinks arm, again, but whoever buys it may have a tough time improving the division's rather average performances, reports Chris Mercer.

EU ministers split on sugar reform plan

The first wrangling over EU sugar reform proposals by agriculture ministers saw protests and a passionate debate in Brussels yesterday, but the opposition looks increasingly isolated, reports Chris Mercer.

Taste: bitter and sweet research benefits food makers

Food makers will benefit from new findings that deepen our understanding of how the human brain distinguishes between different types of taste, writes Lindsey Partos.

FiberGel Technologies launches oat and soy-based fat replacer

FiberGel Technologies launched its new oat Z-Trim and soy Z-Trim fat replacer at the IFT show that opened this weekend in New Orleans.

Senator warns industry: change or prepare for backlash

Senator Tom Harkin claimed yesterday that if stringent self-regulation in the marketing of children's food products is not put into place soon, a backlash against the food industry is inevitable writes Anthony Fletcher.

A first, pectin ingredient enters Cargill's portfolio

Acquisitive US ingredients firm Cargill leapfrogs into a leading pectin position as the Citrico acquisition clears allowing pectin products to fall into Cargill's portfolio, reports Lindsey Partos.

New tool to harmonise risk assessment of food ingredients

A new tool for food developers, Europe's food risk agency recommends the launch of a harmonised food database across the EU to shed light on favourable and adverse effects food ingredients may have on our health.

Smell: scientists examine key protein pathway

With potential impact on food makers, scientists in the US have uncovered new details of how smelly things create signals in the nose that eventually go to the brain.

Demand for wood-sourced vanillin soars on price pressures for vanilla

Food makers turn to wood-sourced vanillin as high oil prices continue to put pressure on the price of petrochemical-based vanilla alternatives, and natural vanilla stocks remain vulnerable,writes Lindsey Partos.

Biodar makes mineral-fortified candy taste good

Biodar's new line of microencapsulated vitamins and minerals for kids' chewable applications could help improve diets and even save food makers money, writes Anthony Fletcher.

Sucralose dominates food and drink product launches

Food makers opt for the latest darling of the sweetener industry, sucralose, for their new products with fresh data showing this sweetener gained ground over aspartame and Acesulfame K in new launches using sweeteners, for the first six months of the year,reports Lindsey Partos.

Weekly comment

Let food be thy medicine

A society that views food as taste-bud entertainment rather than a basic of well-being was always bound to run into health problems. But with obesity now afflicting 300m people, and diabetes set to reach similar numbers within two decades, the problems borne of food abuse are emerging as more than a glitch. They amount to a profound loss of direction in our understanding of both food and medicine.

Russia sees surge in foreign wine demand

Russian firm Sanserite will import new, Spanish wines aimed solely at Russia as demand for foreign wine increases thanks to rising consumption, higher disposable incomes and a declining domestic wine industry, reports Angela Drujinina.

Chocolate recall after Australian poison threat

Tens of thousands of Snickers and Mars chocolate bars were recalled in the Australian state of New South Wales following a threat to contaminate the products, writes Claire Johnston.

Chocolate consumer unit cuts into Barry Callebaut profit

Barry Callebaut, the world's largest supplier of bulk chocolate, plans to cut costs in Europe as the Swiss firm posts a fall in revenue for nine month figures.

Food formulations to use new allergen-free apple?

Food makers looking to slice potential allergens from their food formulations will benefit from a new allergen-free apple designed by researchers in The Netherlands, reports Lindsey Partos.

Aspartame sweetener dominates new product launches in sweetener category

Weight and health concerns continue to propel the market for low-calorie sweeteners, with a host of recent global product launches showing the popularity of sugar replacer aspartame in new sugar and sweetener formulations, reports Lindsey Partos.

Trans-fat deadline pushes healthy oil innovations

The fast-approaching deadline for trans-fat labeling has created enormous momentum behind the development of trans-free oils, writes Anthony Fletcher.

Chr Hansen, profits rise despite slowdown in US market

Danish ingredients group Chr Hansen, shortly to be sold to private equity firm PAI, posts a small rise in revenue and a decent boost in pre-tax profit for the nine months to May, reports Lindsey Partos.

Organic sector fears decline after ingredients ruling

There are worries that a district court ruling in Maine banning all synthetic ingredients in products labeled organic could significantly slow the sector's growth, writes Anthony Fletcher.

Weekly Comment

Food intolerance: a scientific void

It is time to draw on science to establish once and for all whether food intolerance is just a source of succour for hypochondriacs, or whether it is genuinely a modern scourge.

Colours and flavour focus for food scientist meeting

At this year's annual IFT meeting later this month flavour and colour firms will be dishing up their latest ingredients for food and beverage makers. Here we dip into a few examples.

Trans fat label law offers threats and opportunities

While some food companies remain petrified that they will not be ready for new trans fat and food allergen labeling requirements, others have recognised the January 1 deadline as an opportunity, writes Anthony Fletcher.