Chr Hansen profits up despite Eurozone slowdown

Shares jumped more than 3% to just over €24.05 this morning in Danish enzymes, colours and cultures company Chr Hansen as its yearly revenue hit €699m. Profits improved 10.7% to...

Dispatches from Pack Expo

Clear clamshell wins consumer packaging vote

Clear plastic clamshell packaging won the consumer vote in a recent eye tracking survey conducted for materials manufacturer Klockner Pentaplast, results of which  it revealed at Pack Expo 2012 in...

Sweet politics

Confectioners and US lobbying

In this ‘Sweet Politics’ special edition ConfectioneryNews.com looks at the lobbying efforts of the top US confectioners who are pumping big bucks into campaigns to influence proposed legislation in this...

Sweet Politics

Hershey backs improved US international relations ahead of global push

The Hershey Company has been lobbying for improved foreign market access for US companies as it concentrates on growing its business internationally.

Sweet Politics

Mondelēz favors sweeter US trade relations with Russia

Mondelēz International lobbied the US government to establish permanent normal trade relations with Russia earlier this year as it set its sights on the developing market.

Sweet Politics

Mars pumps bucks into sugar reform

Mars Incorporated has focused much of its lobbying on driving reform of US sugar policy in this presidential election year.

Sweet Politics

Nestlé campaigns on energy reforms and cocoa sourcing

Nestlé has spent more than any other confectioner on lobbying in the US this year and has focused its efforts on waste-to-energy legislation and cocoa sourcing in West Africa.

Hershey boss: Air Delight is a terrific product, but we’re still working out how to market it…

The “communication messages” around Air Delight - the aerated chocolate range launched by Hershey last summer - still need some work, bosses have admitted.

DISPATCHES FROM PACK EXPO 2012, CHICAGO

Bosch launches flow wrapper at Pack Expo

Bosch Packaging Technology is slashing waste and boosting shelf life with the introduction of a new flow wrapper at Pack Expo 2012 in Chicago.

Greenpeace urges food companies to check palm oil suppliers' sustainability score

Greenpeace has published a scorecard rating palm oil producers’ sustainability efforts, in order to provide food and other consumer goods companies with better information about how their palm oil is...

Nutrition runs up front in the US snack bar race: Rabobank

Nutrition and energy bars head up the soaring $6bn US snack bar market, according to a new report.

DISPATCHES FROM PACK EXPO 2012

PTI showcases packaging solutions at Pack Expo

PTI Inspection Systems is displaying a range of packaging solutions, including packaging machinery and testing systems, at trade show Pack Expo in Chicago.

Study claims optimum soya milk chocolate method

Soya milk chocolate can be perfected by increasing the refining time, according to new research.

Hershey eyes China for new Asia plant

China tops the list of countries for Hershey’s new manufacturing facility in Asia, according to the company’s CEO.

IOI Loders Croklaan opens new oils and fats refinery

IOI Loders Croklaan has opened a new oils and fats refinery in Wormerveer in the Netherlands, with a particular focus on sustainably sourced oils.

TNA launches first polyethelene pack machine for pre-wrapped candies

Equipment supplier TNA has launched what it claims is the world’s first vertical form fill and seal (VFFS) rotary polyethylene packaging system.

Nestlé UK goes Fairtrade with Kit Kat two-finger

Nestlé UK & Ireland is doubling its commitment to Fairtrade cocoa by making its two-finger Kit Kat brand Fairtrade from January 2013.

Mars, Nestlé and Mondelez talk cocoa sustainability

The biggest players in global chocolate are meeting to share innovations in cocoa sustainability at an event currently taking place in Switzerland.

Welsh chewing gum tax doesn’t stick

The Welsh Assembly has rejected plans to introduce a 5p levy on chewing gum.

Hershey Q3 profit falls 10%

The Hershey Company has reported a profit drop in its third quarter (Q3) results after tax rate rises, commodity costs and charges related to supply chain efficiencies hit the company’s...

News in brief

Placon expands food container range

Placon has expanded its range of food packaging available with up to 100% post-consumer recycled content.

News in brief

Barry Callebaut appoints new chief innovation officer

Barry Callebaut has appointed ex-Unilever man Peter Boone as its new chief innovation officer.

Ground-breaking laminated recycling technology firm commercialises first site

A revolutionary technology that enables the recovery of aluminium from laminated pouches will be demonstrated for the first time on a commercial scale by the end of the year.

Mars Food UK wins top FDF Community Partnership Award

Mars Food UK has won the Food and Drink Federation’s (FDF’s) coveted President’s Award in its Community Partnership Awards programme.

AAK files patent for composition to prevent fat bloom

Danish ingredients firm AAK has filed a patent for a composition that it claims prevents chocolate fat bloom.

TCHO launches bar after crowdsourcing

US artisan chocolate producer TCHO has launched a new coffee chocolate bar after conducting a unique testing program with customers and working directly with cocoa farmers.

Dispatch from IPA 2012

Manufacturers' 'bold gamble' on R&D

European food and drink manufacturers are making a "bold gamble" on research and development (R&D) investment in the tough economic climate, according to results from the latest IPA 2012 survey....

News in brief

Mondelez appoints Asia specialist to board

Kraft Foods global snacks spin-off Mondelez International has appointed Patrick T. Siewert to its Board of Directors to increase its knowledge of the emerging Asian market.

Barry Callebaut plans Chilean plant after securing Arcor supply deal

Barry Callebaut has reached an outsourcing agreement with a subsidiary of Argentinean confectionery giant Arcor and plans to build a new factory in Chile.

Motion sickness chewing gum gives platform for active ingredient formulation – researchers

A medicated chewing gum prototype that combats motion sickness could give a platform to incorporate other active ingredients with objectionable tastes into gum.

Health to shape NPD in Mexican confectionery, says analyst

Manufacturers can capitalize on the fast growing Mexican confectionery market with functional products that address the nation’s rising obesity epidemic, according to an analyst from Leatherhead Food Research....

Cocoa supplement market close to breakthrough

Positive science results are helping cocoa flavonols make progress in the market, and resolving issues around supply, around sustainability, and even around basic analytical methods could open the field of...

Natra profits rise after cocoa price letup

Spanish chocolate and cocoa processor Natra has more than doubled its operating profit in its ninth-month results helped by relaxing cocoa prices, North American expansion and a shift to value...

News in brief

Hershey added to Dow Jones Sustainability Index

Hershey has been selected for the first time to the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index for its corporate social responsibility efforts.

Exclusive

Nestlé’ UK restarts dark chocolate production at York site

Nestlé UK & Ireland has revived dark chocolate production at its factory in York after ending a third party outsourcing deal.

IFT identifies bitterness thresholds for chocolate

The Institute for Food Technologists (IFT) has validated a method that can help manufacturers determine how much bitterness is too much in chocolate.

Nutritional value is the key, ‘sustainability not a game-changer’: Bakery survey identifies 10 mega-trends for future success

Modern consumers want the best of all worlds when it comes to bakery and chocolate products, with quality & price, local & global, tradition & innovation, and pleasures & health...

Brazil Christmas shipment change hurts Nestlé in Q3

Nestlé’s confectionery segment was shaken in the third quarter by a shift in Brazil’s Christmas confectionery shipment.

US chocolate market ‘staling’, says analyst

The North American cocoa grind has dropped 2% in the third quarter (Q3), leading one analyst to call the region’s largest nation a “staling” chocolate market.

ADM and Wilmar form European vegetable oils joint venture Olenex

Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) and Wilmar International Limited have launched Olenex, a joint venture for the sale and marketing of refined vegetable oils and fats in Europe.

Cargill looks to counter diseased Indonesian trees with sustainable cocoa investment

Cargill has extended its sustainable cocoa program to Indonesia and plans to take preventative measure to turn ailing crops into high cocoa yielding money-spinners.

Emerging markets continue to drive Nestlé sales

Food and nutrition giant Nestlé has reported improved sales in its 9-month results driven by growth in emerging markets, but Q3 was a little slower than last year.

Flowers Foods and Hershey extend cake collaboration

Flowers Foods and The Hershey Company have launched a new cake range under their licensed-product collaboration.

‘World’s first’ blond chocolate, claims Valrhona

French chocolate firm Valrhona claims it has introduced the world’s first blond chocolate bar.

Tereos acquires Romanian sugar refinery to meet Eastern European demand

French sugar group Tereos has said it will acquire Romanian sugar refinery Ludus, calling it a foundation for development in Eastern Europe.

Asia Q3 cocoa grind flat as capacity shift slows

Asia’s cocoa grind for the third quarter has remained essentially flat compared to last year after growth in the previous two quarters, figures released yesterday show.

Exclusive interview

Fiber blends drive up costs for stevia chocolate, says Cavalier CEO

It is three times more expensive to produce stevia chocolate than a sugar counterpart as fiber blends required to give the chocolate structure drive up costs, according to the CEO...

Career Insider

Cargill’s new cocoa MD on his appointment

Cargill’s new managing director for cocoa talks about his new role and career high and lows.

Lowest Q3 cocoa grind for Europe in seven years

The European third quarter (Q3) cocoa grind has slumped 16% on the same period last year, but the statistics do not necessarily mean demand for chocolate is waning, according to...

News in brief

Mondelez recalls Green & Blacks chocolate amid salmonella risk

Mondelez International has issued a US recall of a variety of its Green & Blacks chocolate brand over fears the product may be contaminated with Salmonella.

Ban candy at cash counters, say researchers

Putting candy near cash registers creates an obesity risk and should be banned, according to researchers.

Fire at Mondelez factory

Firefighters were called to tackle a blaze at Mondelez’s Toblerone factory in Brünnen, Berne, Switzerland on Friday afternoon.

Opinion

Cadbury wins Nestlé colour purple row but what next?

Cadbury has recently been successful in extending the trademark protection for its purple colour, despite spirited resistance by Nestlé, writes Christopher Pett, consultant at Dehns Patent & Trade Mark Attorneys....

UTZ Certified sets 50% target for sustainable coffee, tea and cocoa by 2022

UTZ Certified has said it will aim for half of the world’s coffee, tea and cocoa to be produced sustainably by 2022, at a tenth anniversary seminar held in Amsterdam...

News in brief

Baker Perkins appoints biscuit equipment manager

Baker Perkins has appointed Daniel Jordá as sales manager for biscuit machinery for South America and Southern Europe.

India ready to send huge quantities of non-GMO emulsifiers to Europe

Adani Wilmar, one of the largest soy producers in South Asia, has gained non-GMO soya lecithin certification, which it will use to provide the European food industry with 30 tonnes...

Could chewing gum boost performance, reduce stress?

Chewing gum may improve measures of stress and lead to a more positive mood, suggests findings from a series of articles funded by the Wrigley Science Institute.

‘We do not mislead consumers’ says Rainforest Alliance

Rainforest Alliance (RA) stands by its guidelines allowing manufacturers to carry its seal when sourcing just 30% certified cocoa for a product line.

Fairtrade defends ethical chocolate with a cocktail of uncertified cocoa

Fairtrade UK has defended rules that allow products carrying the Fairtrade logo to contain cocoa that has not been ethically sourced.

Mars North America unveils Easter 2013 lineup

Mars North America has revealed the new products that will form part of its 2013 Easter offerings.

Eating chocolate produces Nobel prize winners, says study

Brain power equals chocolate squared according to a study that says countries with high chocolate consumption produce more Nobel Laureates.

Nestlé UK design checks cut accidents by a third since 2009

Nestlé’s confectionery factory in York, UK, has bagged a safety award for a scheme assessing plant design risks that has reduced the frequency of accidents by a third.

Big confectioners and greenhouse gas emissions

ConfectioneryNews.com has scoured reports from the top five confectioners to unearth efforts being made to slash CO2 emissions.

Body fragrancing functional candy set for US stores?

US importers of a body fragrancing candy are seeking a distribution partnership to take the product into retail stores.

Big Interview

Seasonal focus for commercial revamp, says Thorntons CEO

UK chocolatier Thorntons will look to restore profitability by concentrating on Easter and Christmas products in commercial channels as it shifts its strategy away from own-store sales, according to the...

EFSA reaffirms carnauba wax safety at current usage levels

EFSA’s Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food (ANS) has re-evaluated carnauba wax as a food additive and found it to be safe at current usage levels....

News in brief

MWV paperboard declared fit for EU confectionery packaging

MeadWestvaco (MWV) has obtained Robinson EN 1230-2 sensory analysis approval for its Printkote paperboard to be used to package chocolate and confectionery.

News in brief

Mondelez launches Cadbury's Dairy Milk Oreo in UK

Mondelez International has introduced an Oreo variety of its Cadbury’s Dairy Milk chocolate in the UK.

Aasted launches low capacity chocolate molding line

Danish equipment supplier Aasted has launched a chocolate molding line designed for small-size production.

News in brief

Mars to devote $30m per year on sustainable cocoa

Mars has announced that it invested $30m on cocoa sustainability initiatives last year, and plans to invest the same amount each year until the decade is out.

Zetar sold to German firm Zertus for $69m

UK confectionery firm Zetar has accepted a £43m ($69m) offer to sell the firm to German food group Zertus.

Increasing demand for palm oil resulting in ‘massive carbon dioxide emissions’

Growing demand for palm oil by the food industry is causing wide-spread rainforest destruction and enormous carbon dioxide emissions, according to new research.

Review calls for research on mood modifying effects of cocoa

Daily intake of flavanol-rich cocoa products could have benefits for mood and heart healt however there is a great need for detailed research into the mood modifying effects of such...

Mondelez acquires Italian biscuit maker from Danone

Kraft Foods’ global snacks spin-off Mondelez has acquired Italian biscuit business Vitasnella from Danone.

News in brief

Aasted launches UK subsidiary

Danish equipment firm Aasted has inaugurated a UK subsidiary business in order to be closer to its customers.

Editor’s Blog

Over to Mondelez for certified cocoa goals

New chocolate powerhouse Mondelez International will be the next major player to come under the spotlight over child labor on cocoa farms in Africa  and will face pressure from NGOs ...

Univar seals Tate & Lyle Sugars European distribution deal

Chemical distributor Univar has entered into an agreement with Tate & Lyle Sugars to distribute its range of sugar-based sweeteners and texture modifiers across Europe, the company has said.

Mondelez pumps 10% of global marketing into mobile

Mondelez International will inject 10% of its global marketing budget into mobile initiatives including one that pulls insight and innovative ideas from start-up companies and entrepreneurs.

Big Interview: Dave McLaughlin, World Wildlife Fund

WWF: Industry should buy into GreenPalm today, or it will struggle to source fully traceable sustainable palm oil tomorrow

Food manufacturers are beginning to realize that buying more GreenPalm certificates now might be the only way to stimulate enough production of sustainable palm oil to make fully traceable products...

Sustainable cocoa

Hershey outlines details of cocoa child labor pledge

The Hershey Company has told this site that it plans to work with multiple organizations to meet its recent pledge to use only certified cocoa by 2020, and will communicate...

News in brief

‘M&M's colored’ honey prompts Mars action

Mars France is working with beekeepers to determine whether blue and green honey produced by bees in Northeastern France is caused by its nearby M&M's processing plant.

Child labor pledge

Hershey stuns critics with commitment to source 100% certified cocoa by 2020

The Hershey Company has surprised its critics after announcing plans to source 100% certified cocoa by 2020.

News in brief

Salmonella scare sparks Xan Confectioners US recall

Xan Confections is voluntarily recalling 13 gourmet peanut butter chocolate products over fears of salmonella contamination.

Rhodia launches intense vanilla flavors for chocolate and bakery

Rhodia Aroma Performance has introduced a range of intense vanilla flavors that it claims allows manufacturers to differentiate products and mask off-notes.

Exclusive interview

Private label chocolate gains ground in US food stores

Supermarket own brand confections are on the rise in America, according to Gertrude Hawk Chocolates chairman Dave Hawk.

Fraud in chocolate prizes curbed by Gunther Grant

Gunther Grant has developed a security feature for promotional prize tickets in chocolate bars used as giveaways in casinos to curb fraud among customers, it said.

Wrigley locked in 5 Gum ‘Swerve’ trademark row

Gum titan Wrigley is engaged in a legal dispute in the US over a flavor of its 5 Gum that uses the trademarked name ‘Swerve’ belonging to sweetener makers Swerve IP.

Cadbury claims purple reign in Nestlé color mark dispute

Kraft-owned Cadbury has obtained its UK trademark for a shade of the color purple following a UK High Court case, although for a narrower range of goods than for which...

Sugar-free confectionery trend not limited to gum, says Roquette

Sugar-free is not limited to chewing gum and medicated confectionery; there are opportunities in boiled sweets too, says Roquette.

Mondelez will struggle to topple Mars in China and Russia – analyst

Kraft’s global snacks spin-off Mondelez will face fierce competition from the likes of Mars and Nestlé in the emerging confectionery markets of China and Russia, according to an analyst from...

Dispatches from IBA 2012

Reach Food Systems seeks global distribution partner

UK equipment firm Reach Food Systems is looking for a global distribution partner as it moves to develop affordable ultrasonic machines.

Cocoa flavanols give snail brains a boost

Cocoa flavanols found in dark chocolate called epicatechin can improve the memories of snails, according to researchers.

Fairtrade in Spain hits €26m but still lags behind Europe

Fairtrade sales in Spain hit €26m for 2011 but wider Europe is significantly ahead in both sales and awareness, according to a report.