Breaking News on Confectionery & Biscuit Processing

Maltitol has good digestive tolerance: study

Maltitol is better tolerated then previous reported, and could be used as a sugar replacer in a wide range of food products - according to new research.

Cocoa initiative to boost farmer incomes and supply, claims Kraft

Kraft said work conducted by the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership initiative in Ghana will see more cocoa farmer organisations becoming Fairtrade certified by the end of 2010, to ensure sustainability of supply and a guaranteed income for growers.

Fat digestion images point to improved formulation

Netherlands-based scientists have reported data for the real-time digestion of fats containing ingredients like vitamin D3, insights that could advance the formulation of foods.

Nestle invests in premium Russian choc plant

Nestlé reports that an upgrade to its premium chocolate manufacturing facility in the Samara region of Russia will transform it into a key competence centre for confectionery products in Europe.

News in brief

Ganeden eyes chocolate market for its probiotics

Ganeden Biotech has teamed up with Italian firm Agostoni Chocolate for the launch of Chocolate Plus Private Label, combining the GanedenBC30 probiotic with premium Italian dark chocolate.

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Don’t worry about wheat prices: Look at grain stocks

There’s nothing like a shortage of wheat to send some news media searching for superlatives. Talk of “soaring” wheat prices and “rocketing” bread prices were common, in the British press, after Russia decided to temporarily ban grain exports earlier this month. Three weeks later what lessons can we lean?

Fairtrade growth brings benefits to 1.2 milion producers and workers

Around 1.2 million farmers and workers around the world are estimated to have benefited from Fairtrade certification and labelling schemes in 2009, says FLO, with coffee still the largest category.

Chocolate beats the recession with US sales expected to top $19bn

Chocolate products are smashing through the recessionary gloom in the US with sales expected to top $19bn within four years, according to the latest report from research group Packaged Facts.

Healthy cocoa butter alternatives show novel food applications

Sustainable, healthy, cost-effective cocoa butter equivalents may be produced from enriched sunflower oils, and enable formulation of chocolates with higher melting points.

Mars rolls out chocolate bars with reduced saturated fat

New reformulated Mars chocolate bars are going on sale in Europe with 15 to 20 per cent less saturated fat than their predecessors.

Cargill unveils new solid chocolate service for smaller users

Cargill is launching a new service in Europe to offer food manufacturing customers its solid chocolate products in smaller quantities.

Carmine use still strong through 2009

The use of the food colouring carmine has steadily increased in key European markets over the past six years, according to the latest market data from Mintel.

US confectioners urge Mexican border dispute resolution

A new 20 percent tariff on American chocolate and gum being shipped into Mexico has prompted an outcry from US confectioners, as the Mexican government has introduced a raft of new tariffs on American products.

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Let’s hear it for the sound of compostable packaging

The world’s first 100 percent biodegradable chip packet attracted a lot of noise last week, but not the buzz that SunChips’ maker FritoLay had been hoping for.

High carmine prices boost search for alternative colours

Suppliers of the food colouring carmine are taking a cautious approach to new customers, as the industry continues to feel the impact of supply shortages, which this year sent prices for the ingredient soaring six fold.

Olam to build cocoa processing plant in Ivory Coast

Olam International is planning to invest $43.5m to build its first, large greenfield cocoa processing plant in the Ivory Coast as well as additional primary processing and warehouse facilities.

FSA works towards sweetener detection system

The UK government is looking to set up a food analysis system, which would test for the levels of sweeteners found in certain products to ensure their safe use.

Red palm oil shows functional chocolate potential

Adding red palm olein to chocolate spread could boost its antioxidant power and nutrient availability, according to new research published in the journal Food Chemistry.

News in brief

Fair trade cocoa could protect against price volatility, analyst

Opting for fair trade cocoa could be one way for food firms to protect themselves against price volatility for the commodity, according to an industry analyst.

Kraft looks to packaging to protect chocolate from heat

Kraft Foods is reaching out to industry and academic partners to find a packaging technology that will protect chocolate bars from melting.

AAK spies ongoing growth in cocoa butter alternatives

Specialist fat supplier reports strong growth in cocoa butter alternatives, sustaining an increase in operating profits in spite of growing market uncertainty.

Study warns of limitations to chocolate's heart health benefits

An observational study analysing the eating habits of 31,823 women suggests that only moderate consumption of high quality chocolate has a positive impact on heart failure risk.

Puratos launches chocolate-based healthy snacking recipes

Puratos has combined ingredients from its three sectors – bakery, patisserie and chocolate – to develop new ‘healthy snacking’ concepts for its customers in the food industry.

Raisio glows as Glisten boosts net sales

Raisio is reaping the rewards of buying British snack brand Glisten with a 22 per cent increase in net sales in H1; with a new growth phase now underway, more acquisitions could be on the horizon.

Cocoa bean speculation is causing price volatility, analyst

Recent cocoa bean price volatility is due in large part to hedge funds attracted by quick returns taking short-term positions on the commodity, according to a leading analyst.

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‘MacStatins’ are not the answer to unhealthy food

Do you want a statin with that cheeseburger and milkshake? Touting pharmaceuticals as the neutralisers of fast food is not the answer to unhealthy diets and even the suggestion sends out the wrong message.

Court blocks planting of GM sugar beets pending assessment

A federal judge ruled on Friday that genetically modified (GM) sugar beets should not be planted or processed until the US Department of Agriculture has carried out a thorough assessment of their impact on other crops.

US organic confectioner to source direct from farmers

Trading directly with Ecuadorean farmers ensures a better quality bean and boosts the ecological and ethical profile of a chocolate company, claims a US manufacturer.

Products carrying “may contain” allergen labels often contaminated, finds study

Consumers allergic to milk, egg or peanut should not ignore “may contain” labels – as they are often contaminated with the stated allergen – much more so than those that make no claim, new research suggests.

News in brief

Emerging food safety issues 2010: What's lurking on the horizon?

Are you prepared for the next sudan-1 or melamine scandal? What are the food safety risks threatening the food supply chains of tomorrow, and do you have the technical and financial resources to deal them them?

New OPP wrap for figurines claimed to ensure EU compliance

A new thin polypropylene film layer that coats retro gravure inks can provide a barrier coating between the printed material and confectionery products, said its developer, the Slovakian packaging firm Moneta.

Chocolate category proving winner for Nestlé in India

Nestlé chocolate products recorded double-digit growth in emerging markets, driven partly by the performance of the lowest priced products in its portfolio, said the group as it posted gains of 7.5 per cent in net profit for the first six months of the year.

Sweetener users welcome early sugar quota announcement

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has set sugar import tariff-rate quotas for the 2011 fiscal year – including extra specialty sugar “to accommodate a rapidly expanding organic food sector”, USDA said.

Cocoa goes lower as signs supply pressure may ease

Cocoa fell to a three month low in London on signs that supplies in the world’s biggest producer countries would be boosted by the better crop husbandry initiated over the past three years.

Persica based chewing gum could boost gum health

The use of Salvadora persica extract chewing gum may have benefits for gum health, according to Iranian researchers.

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Is cloned food legal? Europe must decide, and fast

Big oops. Meat and milk from the offspring of cloned animals has entered the UK food chain. Cue scary headlines and scared consumers. But the leviathan of EU-lawmaking means no-one actually knows if it’s legal or not. And that’s an even bigger oops.

Soluble cocoa fibre could replace muffin fat

Replacing some of the original fat in muffins with soluble cocoa fibre could help manufacturers boost the health profile of their products, says a new Spanish study.

News in brief

£1.7m investment at Zeina Foods

Nuts, dried fruits and confectionery firm Zeina Foods has boosted its cold storage capacity by 70% following a £1.7m investment in a new cold store.

Cadbury helps Kraft to unwrap sweet first quarter profit

Food giant Kraft’s acquisition of UK confectionery company Cadbury in February 2010 helped the firm to a better-than-expected first quarter net profit of $937m (£590m), up from $827m in the same period a year earlier.

Veggie confectionery could prove a winner with kids, says Mintel

Confectionery that includes vegetable ingredients could prove a winner with children and marketers, according to Marcia Mogelonsky, global food analyst with Mintel Food and Drink.

Cadbury launches £50m Olympic marketing campaign

A Spots v Stripes sport challenge is the centre piece of Cadbury’s £50m marketing campaign linked to the Olympic and Paralympic Games to be staged in London in 2012.

Cocoa smuggling undermines Ghana’s aim to boost production

Ghana’s drive to boost cocoa production to 1m tonnes by 2012, is being frustrated by smugglers, warn government agencies.

Special Edition - Plant Efficiency

EMS offers food processors benefits and challenges

Environmental management systems (EMS) can be a good tool for food processors looking to achieve the twin goals of improved productivity and corporate responsibility.

Base voluntary front-of-pack labeling on calories, say confectioners

The National Confectioners Association (NCA) has said it favors voluntary listing of calories front-of-pack rather than introducing a scale or rating system, in comments to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

New microwave spectrometer brings in-line excellence to processing

A new in-line guided microwave spectrometer cuts costs and downtime, while boosting the speed and accuracy of measuring a raft of key food product properties, said Thermo Fisher Scientific.

SPECIAL EDITION - PLANT EFFICIENCY

Should anaerobic digestion plants be on the menu for food processors?

The financial and eco-benefits of investing in anaerobic digestion (AD) technology to generate energy from food waste is something that all processors should be considering, said InSource Energy.

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Energy drink makers must do more to protect children

Energy drinks makers risk a regulatory clamp down if they fail to take action on marketing campaigns that irresponsibly target young consumers.