A new £4.2m funding project will cover 50 per cent of employee training costs in the UK food and drink industry and aims to deliver flexible training courses in addition to full qualifications.
The European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA) has struck a blow to the confectionery industry by saying there is not enough evidence to support a link between cocoa flavanols and some of the often touted health benefits.
The leading traders of physical raw sugar claim that the commodity is likely to surge to a 30-year high in the coming months, with all eyes on the pending Indian sugar crop output which is hoped will ease supply pressures.
Crop processing giant ADM Cocoa is running a series of workshops to show chocolate makers how to get “optimal results” from their formulations, with health trumping new product development.
Cargill’s sweetener experts have further enhanced its reduced calorie chocolate prototype that was shown at FIE in November 2009, with the commercial product set to hit the market at the end of 2011, said the company.
Beneo claims that new equipment at its laboratory in Germany will enable small and medium sized sweet manufacturers test its sugar replacer, Isomalt, in chewing gum.
Formulating reduced fat chocolate using defatted cocoa powder may indeed by the ‘best compromise’ for confectionery producers, says a new study from Nestlé Product Technology.
UK supermarket chain, Marks & Spencer, said its entire Swiss chocolate range will now feature a corn starch-based Plantic tray to hold the chocolates, while the outer-box, it added, is made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified cardboard.
Flagship brand Kit Kat has increased market shares for Nestle in the UK and Ireland, according to last week’s third quarter results that reveal a 4.1 per cent sales increase for the global food giant.
Roshen increased its sales for the first three quarters of 2010 by 32 per cent at $675m. The confectioner also recorded an output of 285,000 tonnes in 2010, up 11 per cent on the same period last year.
Mars, a private company once famed for its secrecy, is cranking up efforts to engage with external collaborators via the launch of a new open innovation website, in which it will invite potential partners to help it solve its research and development...
The UK Takeover Panel, in a move that follows the controversial acquisition of Cadbury by US food group Kraft in February this year, has proposed changes to reduce the tactical advantage in hostile takeover bids.
Concern around stock levels of commodities such as sugar, wheat and corn, is claimed by ingredients group Jungbunzlauer as the rationale behind its 10 per cent hike in the price of its xanthan gum, erythritol and citric acid products.
JBT FoodTech said the development of its latex based ceramic insulation system – an IPA innovation award winner this week - was informed by insights gained from space shuttle engineering.
FoodProductionDaily.com caught up with Patrick Dowling of SPX Flow Technology at IPA 2010 to talk about the company’s strategies for acquisition and sector growth.
A new quality control method for honey facilitates faster trace element analysis while reducing operational costs, claims its developer Thermo Fisher Scientific.
There is enough volume of Fairtrade cocoa available to supply more large brands switching product lines to Fairtrade, according to the Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO).
Arla Foods Ingredients has developed a whey protein isolate to replace egg whites in nougat for a Chinese customer facing problems with inconsistent egg quality.
A Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Squares advert won the 2010 gold award for Long Term Effectiveness at the bi-annual IAPI Advertising Effectiveness awards (ADFX) last week.
Danish firm Jemo-Pharm has lodged an article 13.5 health claim dossier linking a reduction in halitosis with consumption of a zinc iron-based supplement.
A new flexible single portion sachet made from high barrier laminates is said to adhere to consumer demand for easy opening packs and eliminate residual food from the packaging.
Somewhere, in some time, there exists a land of beauty and promise for nutricosmetics products, where beauty supplements, foods and drinks can frolic, happy in the knowledge of their justifiable claims.The problem is that getting to this promised land...
A hike in US$50 in the Fairtrade premium per metric tonne (MT) of cocoa should encourage investment in sustainable cocoa initiatives and better farming practices, claims the group behind the standard, which expects ongoing growth in Fairtrade products.
Consumers’ perception of starch texture is shaped by individual variations in the amount and activity of salivary amylase, according to new research from the Monell Center.
EFSA has agreed with JECFA that 10 of the latest 22 flavouring substances to undergo re-evaluation pose no safety concern at estimated intake levels, but more info is required to complete assessment on the remaining 12.
Two more senior Cadbury executives have left Kraft Foods, joining the other senior management figures who have resigned since the confectioner's takeover by the US food group in February, claim media reports.
A scheme based on a computer-aided process simulation tool can optimise the cocoa manufacturing process in Malaysia and double output, claims new research.
The Indian confectionery market witnessed the launch of over 200 products in various categories last year, thus ranked, according to Datamonitor, in the top 20 in terms of global new product launches in 2009.
Publically listed confectionery company Lindt & Sprüngli remains the most interesting acquisition target in terms of its premium portfolio and its post-recession weakened state, with Asian conglomerate Lotte a potential frontrunner, argues a market...
Seasonal and chocolate box sales are projected to increase by 12.9 per cent between 2010 and 2015, growing to an estimated £4.1bn by 2015, according to a Mintel report.
Bosch has unveiled plans to build a new €4m packaging machinery plant in India to meet burgeoning demand growth from the country’s food, beverage and pharmaceutical sectors.
A stevia-based chocolate incorporating a blend of dietary fibres has been developed by Barry Callebaut for Belgian confectioner Cavalier for a tablet product to be launched next month.
A new tagging system is said to provide enhanced levels of quality control and transparency in a leading cocoa supplier’s production chain to provide assurance to chocolate product manufacturers about the quality and origin of the bean.
Convergence in the confectionery market has slowed since the acquisition of UK confectionery group Cadbury by Kraft Foods in February this year, according to a market analyst.
To BPA or not to BPA? While the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) backed the continued use of bisphenol A last week, the real question is whether the verdict was a full-blown reprieve for the controversial chemical or merely a stay of execution.
Kraft said its new innovation centre in Switzerland, inaugurated today, will ensure innovations in chewing gum and sugar confectionery have regional appeal.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has approved a health claim for xylitol, sorbitol and mannitol-based sugar-free chewing gum that it reduces the risk of tooth decay.
Greater hygiene, improved consistency of operation and greater productivity are all key advantages to be realised from using robotics in meat processing and packaging, said the German Institute of Food Technologies (DIL).
UK based confectionery company Bon Bon Buddies (BBB) has announced its plans to expand further in Europe through the development of its production facilities and the current relaunch of its premium chocolate brand Kshocolât.
The Carbon Trust hopes industrial scale trials evaluating the drying of gums and jellies using technologies such as microwave based curing will help move the UK confectionery industry towards less energy intensive processes than the conventional stoving...
Dutch-Swedish confectioner Leaf Holland is to increase capacity by 13 per cent at its Slovakian plant with the transfer of its Malaco brand powder line from its facility in south Denmark.
In the third part of our special edition on robotics in the food industry we explore how robots are becoming a more common sight in the dairy and beverage sectors.
