Weekly Comment

WTO's failure is food industry's loss

The short sighted failure of greedy WTO trading partners to achieve any sort of meaningful agreement on global agricultural tariffs is bad for Europe's food industry.

Mars promotes cocoa-flavanols' health benefits

Confectionary giant Mars has lauded recently published research as further evidence of the benefits of flavanols from cocoa for a wide range of health conditions, and looks set to lead...

Chocolate goes to the dark side

Fuelled by a combination of health concerns and changing tastes, dark chocolate has become one of the most rapidly growing sectors in the confectionery market in the last year.

Chocolate-guzzling bacteria emit hydrogen

Confectioners could soon find themselves doing their bit to help the environment following the news that scientists have found a way to extract hydrogen from chocolate waste.

Wrigley reports rising gum sales

The world's largest chewing gum producer, the Wm Wrigley Jr Company, has announced record sales in the first quarter, boosted by new product launches and an increased worldwide presence.

Cadbury enters Vietnam with new Kinh Do partnership

Cadbury Schweppes, the world's biggest confectionery maker, signed an agreement yesterday with Vietnam's leading food maker Kinh Do, giving it access to the company's extensive distribution network.

Health concerns drive sugar-free ingredient growth

Sugar-free alternatives are beginning to take off in a number of food sectors, driven by health concerns and product innovation according to new research.

Thorntons' profits show sales slump

UK confectioner Thorntons has announced poor financial results after struggling with waning sales since the start of the year.

'Healthy' confectionery boosts market

New opportunities for health-focussed products in the confectionery industry have bolstered the market, which is estimated to increase by 16 per cent in the next four years to more than €115bn.

Chocolate that melts only in the mouth

Gooey chocolate ruined by heat could soon be a thing of the past thanks to researchers at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN).

Cadbury at war over the colour purple

Global confectionery giant Cadbury Schweppes are appealing against a court ruling that they do not have exclusive rights over the colour purple.

Weekly comment

Vanity fayre: cosmetic foods are not nutraceuticals

Functional foods are generally defined as products imbued with additional nutrients with health-promoting properties. But the industry needs to be wary of foods that present no actual health benefit from...

Authorities pinpoint Cadbury as source of Salmonella outbreak

Cadbury Schweppes was the most likely source of an outbreak of Salmonella montevideo that poisoned 37 people from February to June this year, according to the UK's health authorities.

Hershey enjoys profit surge

Global confectionery giant, Hershey, has announced encouraging sales and rising profits - thanks to a strong focus on product innovation and seasonal marketing in the last year.

Tate and Lyle set to double sucralose production

Global ingredients manufacturer, Tate and Lyle, has announced that expansion at its new artificial sweetener facilities is on target - heralding an imminent boost in supplies to manufacturers.

Hershey unveils new high profile appointments

US confectionery giant Hershey has unveiled a number of new high profile appointments this month.

World Cocoa Foundation expands membership

Two new members have joined the World Cocoa Foundation, extending the organisation's global reach and influence.

Lotus plans acquisition of Dutch gingerbread firm

Belgian firm Lotus plans to acquire Dutch firm Koninklijke Peijnenburg in order to gain a strong foothold in the country's popular gingerbread market.

Weekly Comment

Sex, pills and bad information

The Internet is offering a wealth of information to more and more people, but also an avenue for irresponsible businesses to exploit consumer health concerns.

Citric acid, glycine could cut acrylamide

Addition of citric acid and glycine could reduce the formation of acrylamide, but not affect flavour, suggests a model study from the UK.

Treatt launches '100% natural' raspberry flavour

Treatt has launched a natural new raspberry flavour that it says is wholly distilled from fresh fruit.

Alcan to close UK snack packing plant

As part of a plan to cut costs, Alcan said it will close a snack food packaging plant in the UK due to declining demand.

Suedzucker shows confidence in EU sugar regime

Suedsucker's remains confident about the EU sugar industry's future, as its first quarter interim report, published today, revealed.

New carrageenan technology eliminates gelatin, cuts costs

PL Thomas has launched a new carrageenan product designed for use in gel sets, which claims to cut costs in half and eliminate the need for gelatin or locust bean...

Fat, calories remain top consumer concerns, reveals survey

Fat and calorie content remain at the top of the list when it comes to checking food labels, according to a recent poll, which reveals that although most consumers check...

Cadbury tries to clean up its act

Cadbury Schweppes has been forced to improve cleaning processes at its Herefordshire factory after last month's recall of Salmonella-contaminated products.

Confirmed: Kraft buys Spanish UB unit

Leading food manufacturer Kraft has paid £575m (€829.6m) for United Biscuit's southern European snack business. The deal was signed off over the weekend, said British daily The Financial Times.

Weekly comment

Organic food is selfish

The rise of organic food is a knee-jerk reaction to consumer health fears, and threatens to unhelpfully steer us away from improving the quality of food generally.

Flavor firm uses nanotechnology for new ingredient solutions

Blue Pacific Flavors has entered into an exclusive partnership with nano processing firm MicroFluides, a move the company says will allow it to create new food solutions that combine the...

Irish health groups demand clamp down on junk food ads

The National Heart Alliance (NHA) and Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) have joined calls for tougher action on food marketing to kids.

Blue conveyor belt targeted at food processing market

Habasit Rossi is colouring its processing equipment blue in a bid to meet demands for better safety from the food industry.

Cadbury blasted for incorrect safety procedures

Cadbury Schweppes has come under renewed criticism following a regulatory finding that it did not adhere to EU safety measures at its Herefordshire plant, where salmonella was discovered earlier this...

Chupa Chups family-ownership comes to an end

The world's largest lollipop manufacturer, Chupa Chups SA has been sold to Italian-Dutch company, Perfetti van Melle after its failure to recover from falling sales.

Body Shop International donates to Fairtrade chocolate

Body Shop International has donated its shares in Fairtrade chocolate enterprise, The Day Chocolate Company - giving the money back to the cocoa farmers who originally founded the business.

New techniques could help combat chocolate bloom

New imaging techniques are being developed that could be used to monitor the onset of the common and costly problem of chocolate bloom - and confectionery manufacturers are being invited...

Weekly Comment

Cadbury's mistake

Chocolate has a nice feeling to it - tasty, fun, luxurious and slightly sinful. This is comfort food, accessible to all and epitomised in the recent film, Charlie and the...

Barry Callebaut on solid financial ground

Leading chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut has reported an increased operating profit (EBIT) of 14.6 per cent for the first nine months of fiscal year 2005/06.

Sweet, fat taste preference equal in men and women, suggests study

The preference of fat or sweet foods amongst obese adults is equal, and more related to personality type and eating behaviour than gender, suggests new research from Sweden.