Cadbury Schweppes is the focus of our latest visit to the Mintel
Global New Products Database, and the last few months have
been busy ones for the UK confectionery group. Christmas products,
movie tie-ins and an increasing range of...
The vast disparity between the price consumers in the UK pay for
their chocolate and the amount West African cocoa growers are paid
for the key ingredient in the confectionery has been highlighted
again this week by the Co-op. The...
Next January will see the launch of Fruity Smarties, a new
variation on the popular Nestle chocolate confectionery brand which
contains a fruity jelly produced by Haribo. Is this the start of a
beautiful relationship between the two...
The world's leading chocolate producers have joined forces with
international labour organisations to promote ethical production
practices in West Africa, the main cocoa-growing area. Child labour
is top of the list of current...
Cargill Sweeteners North America forms marketing alliance with
sugar beet cooperative to sell and distribute its sugar products to
food and beverage manufacturers. Both companies hope the agreement
will lead to the development of...
More research to suggest that chocolate could be of benefit arrived
this week with scientists in the US suggesting that dietary
flavonols found in certain chocolates and cocoa could improve blood
vessel function.
In light of the 18th session of the Codex Committee on Fats and
Oils to be held in London, UK on 3-7 February 2003, the US
Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration said
this week that they are to sponsor a public...
Swiss chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut has reported an
increase in pre-tax profits for the 2001/02 year despite a decline
in volumes and higher raw material costs. Nwe product launches at
the premium end of the market have helped...
The UK eats more chocolate than any other nation in Europe, some
660.9 million kg to be precise. Chocolate accounts for 30 per cent
of the total confectionery market in the UK, but sugar
confectionery sales are also booming, driven...
Britain is still a nation with a sweet tooth, with chocolate
reigning supreme when compared to other European countries.
According to a new report from market analysts Datamonitor, the
popularity of chocolate and sweets continues...
Arcor, one of the success stories of South American business, has
grown rapidly from its roots as a family-run confectioner and now
has major operations throughout the Americas. But the opening of a
new international HQ in Barcelona...
The decline in the German confectionery market, and of the Yes
chocolate brand in particular, has forced Nestle to close its
Berlin plant and concentrate production on Hamburg.
The introduction of sugar-free versions of popular confectionery
products during 2001 helped revitalise an industry which had been
stagnating for some time, according to a recent study.
After months of bitter negotiations with staff at its Fontaneda
biscuit unit in Spain, Britain's United Biscuits group has agreed
to sell the company to Siro, another Spanish biscuit maker which
has agreed to maintain staff levels...
Thorntons, the UK chocolate maker and retailer, has continued to
post good like-for-like sales growth in the first four months of
the financial year, but Christmas will be the key test of its
business plan.
Halloween has become a Europe-wide phenomenon in recent years,
moving away from the English-speaking islands in the North to the
rest of the Continent, and adding a dash of US-style marketing for
good measure. And food producers across...
A federal government bail-out of the Australian sugar industry was
under threat on Tuesday after business and opposition groups, in
particular food manufacturers, objected to a three cent a kilogram
levy to fund the $120 million plan...
Mexico is rapidly emerging as one of the world's leading suppliers
of confectionery, and now seems set to usurp Chicago's position as
the world centre for confectionery production, a trend that is
being mirrored between...
Higher volume food and beverage flavour product sales to existing
customers contributed to a net increase for the third quarter for
flavours company Technology Flavors & Fragrances.
A good third quarter sales performance in Finland helped Nordic
confectionery group Cloetta Fazer to a 33 per cent increase in
pre-tax profits for the period.
In May 2002 Swedish scientists released information that
acrylamide, a potential carcinogen, had been found in a range of
foods. Food agencies across the world are monitoring the situation
very closely. An upcoming conference in the...
It is an undisputable fact that modern consumers are constantly
driving food developers to new heights - and it is nowhere more
evident than in the field of health. At SIAL, the food and drink
industry extravaganza taking place in...
A small New Zealand-based manufacturer of prepared foods has
introduced a new form of mini packaging aimed at increasing its
presence in one of the fastest growing food sectors in the world,
according to a report in the New Zealand...
Carlsberg's head of supply chain, Jette Knudsen, is to leave the
group in December after a disastrous summer season which saw the
company recall millions of cans of sour-tasting beer from the
domestic market.
Cadbury and Nestle, erstwhile partners in a bid for Hershey, are
likely to face off against each other in the auction for another US
confectionery group, Adams. But other major bidders such as PepsiCo
cannot be ruled out.
HVC Lizard Chocolate has joined up with PepsiCo subsidiary South
Beach Beverage Company to develop a range of 'good-for-you'
chocolate bars with added taurine, ginseng and guarana to boost
energy levels.
A six-week on-pack promotion linking Iced Gems with the animated
film The Ice Age is designed to help Jacob's Bakery establish the
brand as a popular lunchbox favourite.
New research from the US claims that new, high-yielding selections
of Theobroma cacao, may offer new hope to the world's cacao
growers - and to chocolate manufacturers and chocolate lovers
across the world.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said this week that it is
to establish a standard of identity for white chocolate.
The standard will provide for the use of the term `white
chocolate' as the common or usual name of...
United Biscuits' management in the UK has finally run out of
patience with staff and unions at its Fontaneda plant in Spain. If
all the parties cannot agree on terms for the relocation of staff
to other UB sites by 15 October,...
Despite the concern that it can cause TCA - the mouldy smell
attributed to bad wine - natural cork is the preferred closure for
most US winemakers, according to a survey carried out on behalf of
the Amorim cork group.
A letter to the Pennsylvania Attorney General states that the
Hershey trust will not attempt to sell its shares in Hershey Foods
without seeking court approval, a move seen by sceptics as intended
to avoid further legal action against...
Is Cadbury preparing a £3 billion bid for the US sugar
confectionery group Adams? Well, possibly, but Adams' current
owner, the drugs group Pfizer, is certainly playing down the latest
rumours.
Artificial sweeteners are less likely to lead to weight gain in
overweight people than consumption of foods containing sucrose,
according to research from the US published this week. With rates
of obesity increasing worldwide, the...
The Mentos line of mints has a new addition - Breathmakers - which
are a return to milder, fresher mints and away from the
throat-searing strong mints which have dominated the market in
recent years.
Starch ingredients company Cerestar formally launched a bio-organic
sweetener at Health Ingredients Europe in Paris this week.
CBio-Sweet is derived from bio-organic wheat and hydrolysed with
non-GMO enzymes.
Cadbury Schweppes is to buy out its partner in the Appolinaris
& Schweppes water joint venture in Germany, a move which will
allow it to distribute more of its brands there.
In a major U-turn, the Hershey Trust has decided to scrap its plans
for the sale of its stake in confectioner Hershey Foods, rejecting
all the bids which had been made. A sound business decision or an
inevitable bowing to pressure?
Barry Callebaut completes its takeover of Stollwerck with an offer
of €295 per share for the remaining 3.9 per cent. The Swiss firm
said it would welcome investment from former Stollwerck
shareholders in its ongoing business.
Despite the fact that the sale of the company has been temporarily
put on hold, Nestle and Cadbury are said to be still discussing a
joint bid for the Hershey business, although they have not yet
decided how best to structure the...
The Hershey Trust's appeal against an injunction preventing it from
selling its stake in the Hershey confectionery business was heard
by a panel of seven judges yesterday, but the court was adjourned
before a decision was made.
Purchases and new production facilities have so far marked the
healthy growth of Dutch life science company DSM in 2002. This week
the company announced further acquisitions with the purchase of the
food coatings activities of Vaessen...
The UK chocolate maker and retailer has recorded its first rise in
underlying sales for three years, but still believes there is
potential for improvement through existing operations.
The sale of the Hershey confectionery business may not yet take
place, according to the head of the Hershey Trust which controls
the business. And even if the sale does take place, he stressed,
the impact on the local community will...
Hershey will find out on Wednesday whether its appeal against a
court ruling postponing the sale of the confectionery group has
been successful. In the meantime, rumours continue to circulate of
a potential joint bid for the firm...
A new energy bar with guarana has been launched by UK confectionery
group Cadbury Schweppes, the first 'mainstream' chocolate bar to
enter the energy market. Boost Guarana is said to offer as much
extra energy as an energy...
The sale of the leading US chocolate bar maker Hershey Foods has
been put on hold in order to allow the courts to assess the likely
social and economic impact of the disposal. But will the
restrictions likely to be imposed on the...
Nestle and Cadbury, the two European confectionery giants, are
reported to be discussing a joint bid for Hershey, the US chocolate
maker. But while a joint bid is unlikely, both firms could profit
from the sale.
The Ingredient Technology Group (ITG) division of Ocean Spray this
week announced record European sales of cranberry ingredients for
the last fiscal year. With a 134 per cent increase on the previous
year's sales, Europe now...
