Breaking News on Confectionery & Biscuit Processing

Kraft rolls out sustainable chocolate range

Kraft Foods said its premium dark chocolate range is the first to carry the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal, showing it contains cocoa from farms that meet the sustainability standard.

Industry wants more moves on food sector competitiveness

Plans to help the smoothing the European food supply chain function more efficiently do not go far enough in addressing unfair practices, says the CIAA, and initiatives should be fully integrated with other efforts to boost competitiveness.

Arla unites R&D resources with new milk protein centre

Arla Food Ingredients has opened a new application centre in Aarhus, Denmark, consolidating its R&D facilities as part of its plan to double milk protein sales by 2013.

Government should urgently raise sugar quotas: Report

Food and agricultural consultancy Promar has added its voice to those calling on government to raise sugar import quotas, saying that uncertain supplies lock in high costs for manufacturers and consumers.

Inulin may offer low-sugar, tasty milk chocolate

Combining inulin with the bulking agent polydextrose may reduce the sugar and fat content of milk chocolate, without affecting consumer acceptance, suggests a new study.

Chewing gum may keep appetite at bay - study

Chewing gum can help to reduce calorie intake and burn up energy, claims a US study.

Barry Callebaut to help steer cocoa programme

Chocolate maker Barry Callebaut’s decision to join the UTZ Certified sustainable cocoa programme will bolster efforts to scale up the project and help to get all parts of the supply chain on board, claims the non-profit group.

Senomyx calorie-cutting sucrose enhancer gets FEMA GRAS

Senomyx has received notification from the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA) that its new sucrose enhancing flavor ingredient is GRAS (generally recognized as safe).

Necco goes natural with wafer line

Increasing consumer interest in healthy eating ideals is the driver behind US confectionery maker Necco’s switch to natural colours and flavourings for its wafer candy.

Tate & Lyle to sell stakes in Saudi and Egyptian sugar refineries

Tate & Lyle has reached an agreement to sell its minority stake in sugar refineries in Saudi Arabia and Egypt to Saudi-based sugar refiner Savola, the companies have said.

Investors put price on Cadbury, Kraft deal - report

One of the leading investors in Cadbury has revealed he would consider a bid from Kraft if it were in the region of 820p per share, according to recent media reports.

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Tackling E.coli – legislation or self-regulation?

Everybody wants food to be safe - but the recent slugging match over how best to protect US consumers from E.coli-tainted meat highlights whether legislation or self-regulation is the answer to mending the country's flawed safety system.

New generation appeal serving Tangerine well

A strategy to revamp ‘cult’ sweet brands thought lost to bygone eras has resulted in sales doubling for a UK confectionery company in 2008.

Special edition: Healthy chocolate

Regulation: the rules governing healthy chocolate

In the final part of our series on healthy chocolate, NutraIngredients scans the regulatory landscape to see how the movement towards healthy cocoa offerings is being affected by the rules in some of the lands they are proliferating in.

Consumer response to health claims varies by country: Study

Italians are unswayed by healthy messages and images on foods, whereas the Finnish respond to medical pictures and British consumers are more likely to buy foods making even a weak health claim, indicates new research.

Ethical food purchases set to rise

UK consumers are likely to become more interested in purchasing ethically produced foods as the country emerges from recession, according to research from IGD.

Chocolate proving winner for Nestle

Growth in sugar confectionery weakened but the chocolate sector continued to perform well for Nestlé, according to the global food giant’s third quarter results.

Special edition: Healthy chocolate

Supply: Sourcing heart healthy chocolate

In the third part of a special series on the health benefits of cocoa polyphenols, NutraIngredients looks at the sourcing and supply issues associated with ensuring antioxidant levels in chocolate.

Special edition: Healthy chocolate

Science: Getting to the heart of chocolate’s benefits

In the second part of our special series on the health benefits of cocoa polyphenols, NutraIngredients looks at the science behind the claims, and asks how much is too much

Pressure on Kraft as Cadbury upbeat on results

Cadbury’s upwardly revised revenue forecasts are a strong defence to the bid from Kraft, claim industry analysts.

Special edition: Healthy chocolate

Markets: functional chocolate finding its feet

In the first of a four-part special series, NutraIngredients.com dips its investigative strawberry into the world of healthy chocolate and finds a relatively embryonic sector still finding its way but buoyed by ever-more cocoa polyphenol science, exciting product innovation and increasing public interest.

Choc makers should look to China and India, says report

Developing regions will drive demand in the global chocolate sector which is predicted to have the fastest rate of growth of the global confectionery market during 2009 and 2013.

Preschoolers’ diets mimic unhealthy adult eating

Many American preschoolers do not eat any fruit or vegetables in a given day and most eat too much sodium and saturated fat – a situation reminiscent of adult habits, according to Nestlé-sponsored research.

Shoppers still prepared to pay for healthier foods, says research

Consumers are prepared to pay more for foods that note health attributes on packs, and are becoming more aware and sophisticated in their attitudes to diet and food labelling, according to research from Tate & Lyle.

Kraft sale could help with Cadbury bid - report

Kraft may look to sell its brand Maxwell House to generate a higher offer to Cadbury, the world's second largest confectionery group, claim media reports.

Chocolate manufacturers go pink for cause

US confectionery giants have been customising their wrapping or chocolates in support of breast cancer awareness month, while advocates caution consumers over the increasing number of pink products.

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Branded Corn Flakes are great for branding

Will we all be waking up bleary-eyed to bowls of tattooed Corn Flakes any time soon? Probably not, but by suggesting that we could, Kellogg’s has hit on a winning marketing ploy.

News in brief

Peanut sales at near-record levels despite salmonella

USDA figures show that consumers bought near-record quantities of peanuts over the past year, despite a salmonella outbreak blamed for nine deaths and more than 700 illnesses.

Nostalgia boosts UK food market growth

Nostalgic and ‘retro’ foods have helped drive continued sales value growth in the UK food and beverage market even as the country entered recession, according to a new report from Leatherhead Food Research.

Water may trump chocolate in pain relief effects

Eating chocolate may provide pain relief but scientists at the University of Chicago believe that it may be no better than ordinary water.

Stevia’s reputation still to build, says survey

Stevia sweeteners have already hit on the radar screens of one in three moms, a PureCircle survey indicates – but the next step from awareness is building a good impression.

Lower phosphate and potash prices slash Cargill’s Q1 earnings

Cargill has reported a 65 percent drop in earnings for the first quarter of fiscal 2010 from the same period last year, partly due to the company’s investment in phosphate and potash suppliers The Mosaic Company.

Symrise revamps colour range for new EU rules

Symrise has reorganised its natural food colourings range and is now offering tailored advice to manufacturers that want to avoid artificial hues that will soon require off-putting warnings on labels.

Quality sustainable palm oil in short supply, says confectioner

Quality and supply problems stand in the way of buying palm oil entirely from certified sustainable sources, according to Nutella manufacturer Ferrero.

Comment

Soda tax: A lot of froth over freedom

Is taxing soda really an evil plan to curb your individual freedom? Conspiracy theories aside, perhaps it’s simply a sensible scheme to tackle obesity when personal choice has failed.

ADM opens Ghana cocoa plant

ADM has officially opened its new cocoa processing plant in Ghana, planned to boost its ability to provide cocoa products from a single source.

IBA 2009

IBA success reflects resilient baking industry

IBA show organisers have hailed the success of last week’s event in Düsseldorf, Germany, as a “clear vote of confidence” in the baking sector and its resilience to the global downturn.

Borregaard launches application-specific vanillin

Borregaard is launching four new vanillin ingredients for use in chocolate, bakery, dairy, and sweets, which are said to be better tuned to the taste of the product.

Brits’ love of chocolate feeds sales growth

British people spend more money on chocolate than any other Europeans – and sales continue to grow, according to new figures from Mintel.

News in brief

USDA grants $1.6m for organic trade research

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded $1,666,000 to the Organic Trade Association (OTA) for projects that tackle trade issues for organic products.

Study links liquorice to mental health problems

Children whose mothers ate excessive amounts of liquorice during pregnancy are more likely to perform poorly in tests and have behavioural problems, according to new research.

Firmenich plans post-recession with partnerships, innovation

Sweet goods, snacks and soups were amongst the categories that performed well for Firmenich in a recession struck year in which sales fell 4.3 per cent overall

Seaweed harvest could yield new flavours and colours

One of Ireland’s natural resources - seaweed – could yield a range of new food ingredients, including colour, flavours and healthy compounds.

Stevia-sweetened strawberries point to low-cal fruit potential

Replacing the sugar in strawberries with the natural sweetener stevia could lead to a new range of low-calorie dried fruit products, says a new study from the Americas.

Recession not driving ethical spending underground

Tighter purses are not turning consumers away from ethical shopping with interest in all things sustainable or humane thriving despite the recession, according to market researcher, Packaged Facts.

Comment

Bad day at the EU health claims office

October 1 was not a good day for many in the functional foods and food supplements business in the European Union as the meaning of life under a highly restrictive health claims regime came more into focus.

News in brief

Cadbury family member attacks Kraft bid

A member of the Cadbury family has attacked the Kraft takeover bid and promised to mobilise family opposition.

New carrageenans to help jelly withstand the heat

Danisco is introducing two new carrageenan ingredients for use in powdered jellies and hot milk-based powdered desserts, said to provide a gelatine-like texture but withstand warm conditions better.

Survey shows huge lack of salt content awareness

The UK’s Food Standards Agency is launching a new campaign to encourage people to check salt levels on food labels, as 77 per cent of people are not aware that bread and breakfast cereals are amongst the most laden products.

Weight management shifts from ‘food minus’ to ‘food plus’: Euromonitor

The market for foods and beverages that claim to address weight management is set for a shift in focus – from the omission of certain ‘bad’ ingredients to the addition of other ‘good’ ones, suggests Euromonitor.

Food insecurity increases US children’s risk of obesity, says study

New research from the American Dietetic Association has found a "paradoxical correlation" between obesity and food insecurity – defined as lack of access to food, or nutritionally adequate food – in young American children.

Could sweets every day as kids make adults aggressive?

As new study suggests that eating sweets every day in childhood could make adults more aggressive, the food industry warns against trivialising of complex social issues.