Manufacturers including Unilever, Mondelēz and Alpro are using claims of ‘new, improved recipe’ to hide ingredient "downgrading", according to a German consumer group.
Nestlé has sold its US candy business ($924m in 2016 sales), which includes Butterfinger, Baby Ruth and Raisinets, to Nutella maker Ferrero for $2.8bn in cash.
While Mars is currently the market leader in China’s chocolate confectionery space, Ferrero has been growing over the past five years with increased shares year-over-year, the latest Euromonitor data shows.
Ferrero has been accused of secretly changing the recipe of Nutella to replace expensive cocoa with cheaper milk powder, but it says it has merely "fine-tuned" the recipe.
A district court judge in Frankfurt has ordered Ferrero to label the number of individually wrapped chocolates on its Raffaello’s packaging after a local consumer complained that the product only showed its total weight.
Traceability from farm to first purchase, common definitions of protected areas and paying farmers a living income are three ways stakeholders say can help end cocoa-driven deforestation in West Africa, which is threatening endangered species.
Ferrero will introduce a new flavor variant of Tic Tac Mixers, Hello Kitty and Hot Wheels-branded Kinder Surprise eggs, and will bring biscuit brand Nutella B-Ready to the UK market.
A survey conducted by YouGov Australia shows that Cadbury is Asia Pacific’s (APAC) favorite chocolate brand, chosen by 25% of the respondents in the region.
Ferrero says it is on course to trace its entire cocoa supply to farm gate by next year, which it says will support its commitment to zero deforestation.
