Breaking News on Confectionery & Biscuit Processing

Antioxidant-rich fruit flavours driving confectionery innovation, report

Flavour innovation has been driving new product development in a relatively mature European chocolate, chewing gum and sugar confectionery market with antioxdant-rich fruits coming to the fore, according to a new report from Leatherhead Food Research.

Seasonal Video Greetings From Decision News Media

Welcome to this seasonal holiday video from Decision News Media. As we prepare to celebrate our tenth anniversary next year and first year as part of William Reed Business Media, we present 10 fun number facts about our company. And, later this week, the holidays begin.

Weekly comment

Time to speed sustainable palm oil supply

Global food giants have vowed to source all their palm oil sustainably by 2015 – but consumer pressure could grease the wheels for more rapid change.

British Heart Foundation survey sparks festive food spat

UK food manufacturers have slammed the latest report from the British Heart Foundation which alleges they are misleading mothers with false information about the fat, salt and sugar content of their children’s foods.

Volume sales of UK chocolate confectionery hit, report

Brands such as Kit Kat and Wispa are performing well but new data shows the UK chocolate confectionery market appears to be taking a hit from the economic downturn

Food industry attacks weak Copenhagen climate change deal

Industry and NGOs alike have expressed disappointment and anger at the failure of the Copenhagen climate summit to produce a substantive deal.

DSM launches new natural beta-carotene colour

A new, natural-source beta-carotene formulation for colouring and fortifying food and beverages has been launched by DSM Nutritional Products.

Packaging at forefront of Cadbury strategy

Streamlining of its packaging purchasing is one of the ways that confectionery giant Cadbury hopes to tighten margins in its strategy to stave off a take over from Kraft.

Baker Perkins looks to new markets with lollipop maker

Developing regions are seeing the greatest growth potential in the global confectionery market and this is driving equipment manufacture in the sector, according to Baker Perkins, which is introducing new technology at a Cologne trade show in the New Year.

Nestlé and Kraft probe palm oil sources after sustainability claims

The globe’s two biggest food firms, Nestlé and Kraft, have launched internal investigations after a Greenpeace report claimed both purchase palm oil from Indonesian company PT Smart whose parent group Sinar Mas allegedly engages in widespread illegal deforestation and peatland clearance in Indonesia.

News in brief

Mars takes on political heavyweight, report

Confectionery giant Mars has appointed a new sustainability and science communications director who up until now has been serving as a special advisor to the UK’s Foreign Secretary David Miliband, according to media reports.

Kraft questions Cadbury’s long-term targets

Kraft has dismissed the raised long-term growth targets published by Cadbury on Monday, saying the UK confectioner’s prospects are subject to significant risk and uncertainty.

EU clears Amcor takeover of Alcan

Amcor’s takeover of Alcan has been cleared by the European Commission after the Australian company agreed to sell off two pharmaceutical and food packaging plants in Spain.

Multisensoric trend key to confectionery packaging, claims German group

Appealing to consumers’ five senses through innovative packaging techniques can result in increased brand loyalty and greater impact at point of sale, and it is a key driver in confectionery packaging, according to the organisers of the 2010 Pro Sweets trade show.

Unilever acts over Greenpeace’s palm oil claims

Unilever has halted all purchases of palm oil from Indonesian company PT SMART after a Greenpeace report alleged that its parent group Sinar Mas is engaged in widespread illegal deforestation and peatland clearance in Indonesia.

Weekly comment

Bisphenol A becomes test of leadership for FDA

Each day the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) dithers in delivering its verdict on the safety of bisphenol A (BPA), its authority is diminished and its credibility wanes.

Cadbury's 'aggressive' stance could keep it independent - analyst

Cadbury’s updated statement on revenue growth for the next four years should incentivise its shareholders to hold out for a higher offer than the bid from Kraft Foods or remain independent, according to market research firm Sanford C Bernstein.

Cadbury’s union moves to block Kraft takeover

British and Irish workers at Cadbury have announced a campaign to resist Kraft’s hostile ₤9.8bn ($16.3bn) takeover bid by appealing to shareholders and politicians to block the deal.

News in brief

SCP roundtable gets critical mass

The Sustainable Consumption and Production round table has seen its membership swell in the 6 months since its launch, with nine new-comers announced this week.

Mars loses Maltesers appeal case

Mars US has lost an appeal against a trademark infringement in an Australian federal court involving a rival to its well known Maltesers brand, an outcome which could impact other established brand marks.

Colarome’s plant-derived colors come to the States

Canadian natural ingredients company Colarome has joined with Food Ingredients Solutions for distribution of its Vivapigments natural color range in the United States.

New CartonBag aimed at premium choc differentation

A Cartonbag format for loose or wrapped confectionery is a lighter weight replacement for the plastic bag in carton box, claims its design team, which is seeking out chocolate makers to trial products with the new packaging concept.

Restricting sugar could cause overeating: Study

Restricting sugary foods could lead to overeating, according to a new rat study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Imperial Sugar still suffering from refinery rebuild costs

Imperial Sugar is still feeling the financial impact of the explosion at its Port Wentworth, Georgia refinery nearly two years ago, as it reported a $23.8m loss for fiscal 2009.

International auditors rate Ghana cocoa plant highly, claims Cargill

A Cargill cocoa butter and powder plant in Ghana has obtained recognition by an international food audit group AIB International, which the ingredients giant claims is a validation that the facility is operating to the highest standards.

News in brief

Kraft’s Cadbury bid review deadline delayed

European regulators have pushed back the deadline for their review of Kraft’s $16.1bn bid for Cadbury after the American company offered concessions, they said on Wednesday.

Cocoa prices hit record highs

Confectionery manufacturers are facing increasing cost pressures as cocoa futures prices hit their highest levels for 25 years on supply fears.

Kit Kat's move to Fairtrade will have knock on effect, says NGO

Kit Kat’s decision to go Fairtrade will bring the critical mass that is needed to tip the balance of trade in favour of disadvantaged cocoa farmers, claims the Fairtrade foundation.

Weekly comment

Counting the human cost of recession

Return to profitability. It’s a phrase that businesses have been yearning for, but as more of them are starting to use it, it’s time to ask: At what cost?

News in brief

Cadbury set to issue formal response to Kraft

Confectionery giant Cadbury said today that it would post a formal response to Kraft’s takeover offer of $16.3bn (£9.8bn) on 14 December.

Special edition: Cranberries

Supply: Cranberries, from bog to cereal bar

In the second part of our special on cranberries, FoodNavigator looks at the supply for the berry, and asks ‘what issues are bogging down cranberry supply?’

Dark chocolate may protect DNA from damage: Study

Consumption of polyphenol-rich dark chocolate may protect DNA from oxidative damage, preventing artery hardening and heart disease, says a new study.

Chocolate fat detector meets ISO standards

A tool to detect the correct levels of vegetable fat levels in milk chocolate has been rubber stamped by an international standards body, and benefits all stakeholders in the industry, claims the developers at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre

Call for Ghana cocoa to be removed from US child labor list

Retention of Ghana produced cocoa on the US Department of Labor’s list of goods produced by child or forced labour could hinder efforts to eliminate the practice, claims a senior politician of the major cocoa supplying country.

Matrix system can benefit sweet packaging and flavours, says Beneo

A new tool will facilitate the development of innovative sugar-free confectionery products, claims Germany based developer Beneo-Palatinit.

Low SAFA fat filling is boost for 'better for you' choc bars, says Fuji Oil

A new range of filling and cream fats have a similar texture compared to traditional hard fats but with very low saturated fatty acids levels to appeal to the confectionery segment keen on improving its health profile, claims Fuji Oils Europe.

Kraft still most likely to win Cadbury deal, says analyst

Kraft has mismanaged its Cadbury takeover attempt but is still the favorite to get the deal done, according to Andrew Wood, senior research analyst at Sanford Bernstein.

Barry Callebaut still aims to exit consumer business

Barry Callebaut still aims to dispose of its consumer chocolate business in 2010 following the failure of an attempt to sell to Spanish food group Natra earlier this year, the Swiss chocolate company's chief executive said in an interview in a Swiss newspaper.