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...
Researchers in the UK claim to have devised a new method of
selectively oxidising terpenes to produce compounds of particular
interest to the perfumery, flavour and pharmaceutical industries.
Scientists at Oxford have developed a...
Swiss food group Nestle on Friday declined to comment on market
talk it might want to buy US confectionery maker Hershey, but said
it would be keen on regaining its top-selling Kit Kat brand in the
United States.
"We have seven production plants on five continents," Ted
Nixon, CEO of US caramel colour company DD Williamson, told
FoodNavigator.com. Based in Kentucky, the company started producing
caramel colours in 1865. Today, it...
Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) yesterday warned that technical
problems at one of its food flavour plants in Holland would wipe
£10m (€15.83m) off second-half profits, reports The Guardian.
Four new herbal confectionery products have been launched by
Canadian company Kitsune Foods which are designed to help give
athletes an extra energy boost.
Danish food ingredients company Danisco is to launch the first of
two new probiotic bacteria cultures developed by Australasian
companies Fonterra Research Centre (NZDRI) and NZMP Ltd.
Conglomorate Sime Darby of Malaysia has entered into a joint
venture agreement with Singapore-based Petra Food to manufacture
and trade finished chocolate confectionery products.
In the US, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory has won the National
Paperbox Association's Gold Award for its new line of gift
packaging designed for franchised Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
retail stores.
US gum manufacturer Adams is seen as a 'must-have' acquisition for
Cadbury Schweppes if it wants to truly become a global player. But
it faces strong opposition from rival players.
DSM Food Specialties is highlighting a new range of SavorKey yeast
extract-based flavours offering a boiled beef and boiled chicken
taste at this week's IFIA exhibition in Tokyo, Japan.
Danisco announced its acquisition of Belgian-based flavouring
company Perlarom, boosting its position in Europe to the sixth
largest flavourings manufacturer. It said its flavour sales
worldwide will amount to around €240 million...
A chocolate maker that was the first foreign-owned company in China
to be declared bankrupt has been sold to a state-owned firm, the
auction house that handled the sale said.
The global confectionery market reached 12.7 billion tonnes in
2000, increasing by 8.5 per cent globally from 1996-2000, and
proving resistant to the much-hyped rise of health-conscious
eating, according to a report from market analysts...
Barry Callebaut, the world's top manufacturer of cocoa and
chocolate products, has confirmed that it will buy German chocolate
firm Stollwerck from Imhoff Industrie-Holding in a CHF256 million
(€174.9m) deal.
Bread, biscuits, crisps and french fries, foods frequently eaten by
millions of people around the world, contain alarmingly high
quantities of a cancer-causing chemical, according to Swedish
research released this week. The research...
British confectionery and drinks group Cadbury Schweppes Plc is set
to make a £350 million pound ($507 million) takeover of privately
held Danish chewing gum firm Dandy, the Sunday Telegraph reported.
UK confectionery and drinks group Cadbury Schweppes is preparing a
$2 billion (€2.27bn) bid for the chewing gum and cough drops arm of
Pfizer, the world's largest drugs company, a British Sunday
newspaper reported.
Cadbury Schweppes announced that it has agreed to acquire a 51 per
cent equity interest in Kent, the leading sugar confectionery
manufacturer in Turkey, in addition to a majority equity interest
in its distribution arm, Birlik.
Australian confectionery manufacturer Snack Foods announced this
week that it is to release new products in coming months, including
a range of biscuits called Cookies Plus, as it hopes to continue
double-digit profit growth, IndustrySearch...
UK drinks and confectionery group Cadbury Schweppes this week
announced a strong financial performance for 2001.Sales rose 21 per
cent to reach £5,519m (€9.02m), up from £4,575 m in 2000 and
underlying profit (before tax) was up 18...
Neither a price hike nor the added strain of life in the United
States since the terror attacks of Sept 11 have deterred some
chocolate buyers from getting their dose of sweets, say industry
watchers.
