Colombia’s Cordillera Chocolates is a world pioneer in cocoa development. Established almost 60 years ago it has been training cocoa growers in various areas of agricultural practices, sustainability issues, disease control and productivity – and the...
The brand celebrated its entry into the US market with a successful showing at the Sweets & Snacks Expo 2022 in Chicago. We talk to Eliza G Jahn, Head of Marketing at Katjes USA, to pick over some of the highlights of the event.
First created by the family-run Terry’s Chocolate factory in York in 1932, the popular orange-flavoured ball was a Christmas treat for many families in the UK – but the brand lives on and is now produced by Carambar in France.
A definite trend at this year’s Sweets & Snacks Expo was plant-based, with free-from products popping up at booths all over the floorspace. But what other trends are here to stay, and which will go away? Marcia Mogelonsky, Director of Insight Mintel...
John Downs, National Confectioners Association (NCA) President and CEO, reflects on 25 years of Sweets & Snacks as the Expo successfully returns to Chicago with renewed energy and looks forward to a bright future.
Peru is the world's ninth largest cocoa producer (roughly 71,175 tons a year) and the world’s largest organic cocoa producer, and it is now on a mission to develop a deforestation-free supply chain by 2025, making it ready for new European market...
Olam food ingredients (ofi) is one of the world’s largest cocoa bean suppliers with a leading presence in 10 key producing countries across Africa, Asia and South America. It has published its 2021 Cocoa & Forests Initiative (CFI) Report to share...
The company has published its ‘Chocolate Foodprint’ for 2021-22, which leads the way for artisan brands in transparency and regeneration in the cocoa sector. We talk to Philipp Kauffmann, the company’s founder.
ConfectioneryNews talked to Jose Puyana, ProColombia's Regional Director for Europe, ahead of a Trade Mission to the UK (31 March to 3 April) to attend the London Coffee Festival, where cocoa producers will be also in attendance.
MIA, short for Made in Africa, is branching out from its base in Madagascar to work with cocoa farmers in West Africa. Co-founder Brett Beach tells ConfectioneryNews the reasons behind the move – and also provides an update on the situation on the island...
The recent global weather events has highlighted the real threat of climate change. In a special podcast Michael Gidney, CEO of the Fairtrade Foundation, tells consumers about the impact of the climate crisis on its network of farmers and what they can...
Olam Food Ingredients (ofi) has revealed five top trends for the confectionery sector this year, with planetary health a key focus, along with amplified taste experiences and premiumization all set to dominate.
Belinda Borck, Impact Editor at Tony's Chocolonely, talks to CN on the company’s latest impact report and why it is not driven by profit but by creating a fair price for the cocoa farmer and a transparent supply chain.
I am a cocoa farmer: Bismark Botwe, Central Region, Ghana
In the fifth article in her occasional 'I am a cocoa farmer series', cocoa scholar Kristy Leissle talks to Bismark Botwe, about the struggle to make a decent living income from farming cocoa – and why he is now saving the ‘sweatings’ from the...
The Salon du Chocolat attracted over 60,000 visitors when it returned as a live event to the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles earlier this month - and this year, its 26th edition, more space was given to young start-up companies.
Organisers said more than 60,000 visitors attended Salon du Chocolat 2021 over the October holiday weekend in France. The gathering of gourmets brought together 120 exhibitors from cocoa producing countries, master chocolatiers, pastry chefs and ‘young...
Stefan Reidy is the founder and CEO of Arviem, a Swiss-based provider of multi-modal, in-transit supply chain visibility. He explains how best to protect valuable cocoa beans during their journey from West African ports to Europe and North America.
As the industry prepares for Halloween, National Confectioners Association President and CEO John Downs outlines the significance of confectionery in relation to the nation’s wealth in terms of job creation and spending power.
Earlier this year, The International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) launched a new study to analyse data from various stakeholders’ Child Labour Monitoring and Remediation Systems (CLMRS), with the aim of guiding improvements in their effectiveness at identifying,...
I am a cocoa farmer: Ama Ampomaa, Central Region, Ghana
In the fourth article in her occasional 'I am a cocoa farmer series', cocoa scholar Kristy Leissle talks to Ama Ampomaa, whose family has owned a cocoa farm for more than a century and today she and her siblings control around one hundred plots...
Pacha de Cacao is a 100% natural and nutritious cacao juice made from the fresh pulp of the cacao fruit. Marika van Santvoort founded the company in 2020 and she explains how she was introduced to this most nutritious by-product - and how, as an entrepreneur,...
In our latest podcast interview, we talked to Freek van der Knaap, Van Houten’s Vice-President Vending & Beverages EMEA, about the launch of ruby as a chocolate drink powder, which is aimed at professionals working in the catering and confectionery...
While the pandemic has raised interest in healthier eating to support overall health, this has also been mirrored by a growth in interest in comfort indulgence to ward of anxiety and stress. We look at current trends in our next webinar, on 1 June, and...
Over the past three decades, the rate of deforestation around the world has noticeably declined. This comes against an ever-increasing societal pressure from consumers and governments for more sustainable food products, which applies to everything from...
With a small-batch release of 60DAYS Chocolate, Puratos Grand-Place Vietnam proves that reinventing the supply chain is the key ingredient to a superior product.
The Rowntree Society has said it has uncovered links to slavery and historic racial abuse in the brand's supply chain in light of the Black Lives Matter movement. The Rowntree chocolate factory in York was founded in 1862 and is the home of the KitKat...
In an exclusive article for ConfectioneryNews, NCA president and CEO John Downs follows his opening address at this year’s virtual State of the Industry Conference, with a look back on a tumultuous year and presents a positive outlook for 2021 as life...
Memorandum of Understanding signed by Dutch Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa, Belgium’s Beyond Chocolate, the German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa and the Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa agreeing to closer collaboration, Chocoa21 delegates told.
Following recent news that The European Union will contribute €25m to boost the sustainability of cocoa production in Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Cameroon, the first session at this year’s Chocoa21 conference, held online from Amsterdam, could turn...
UPL, a global leader in sustainable agriculture products and solutions, announced it has joined the European Cocoa Association (ECA) as an associate member. We talk to Florent Clair, UPL’s Sustainability Co-Ordinator, about the company's long history...
With Veganuary in full swing and more popular than ever, Paul Morris, Luker Chocolate’s UK sales manager, chats to ConfectioneryNews about the 123-year-old family run company and its single origin Cacao Fino de Aroma.
From the WCF and Tony’s Chocolonely hosting fantastic events online, Barry Callebaut launching ground-breaking 3D-printing and the NCA’s John Downs steadying the ship in Florida as the coronavirus begins to swirl around the confectionery industry, we...
Given the unprecedented upheaval of this year, predicting ingredients trends for 2021 might seem a risky business, writes Wouter Stomph, North America Head of Product Development & Innovation, Olam Cocoa, as he explains why the whole won’t be greater...
I am a cocoa farmer: Daniel Aboagye, Western Region, Ghana
In the third of her occasional 'I am a cocoa farmer series', cocoa scholar Kristy Leissle talks to Daniel Aboagye, who is not only a farmer but a recorder, or purchasing clerk, for the Kuapa Kokoo licensed cocoa buying company (LBC), so he has...
From Advent calendars to edible snowmen and cannabis creations … it is the most chocolately time of year and we look at some of the best from UK makers.
A star-studded list of ‘serious friends’, including rapper Pharrell Williams and actor Idris Elba, joined the Dutch ethical chocolate brand at a virtual fairground meeting full of razzmatazz and meaning, watched by choco fans around the globe.
‘Fighting Child Labor in Cocoa: Building Partnerships & Scaling Up Action’ was an important session of the first day of the WCF’s 2020 Partnership Meeting, where the ICI’s Nick Weatherill and other panel members attempted to put into context the vexing...
This year’s World Cocoa Foundation Partnership Meeting kicked off online earlier today with a keynote opening address from its President, Richard Scobey.
A wide-ranging career in the food service industry has more than adequately prepared Tracey Hughes for her current role as managing director of UK ingredients distributor Henley Bridge. In our latest podcast, she talks about the business challenges imposed...
WCF’s Partnership Meeting will be the only global conference dedicated to cocoa sustainability in 2020 when it convenes online on Wednesday 18 November.
The global consumption of confectionery is growing steadily, especially during the coronavirus pandemic, and for manufacturers of chocolate, sweets, chewing gum and other confectionery, this means making their production facilities fast, flexible, economical...
Three of the top international cocoa companies - Barry-Callebaut, Ritter Sport and Valrhona - have been awarded a sustainability ‘Oscar’ at the Hallbars’ recent ceremony in Sweden.
Following on from the Group’s groundbreaking ceremony in Ecuador for a new state-of-the-art cocoa facility, Barry Callebaut is ramping up its presence in the world’s third largest cocoa-growing country with a wider introduction of its Cocoa Horizons programme....
It has been five months since the article ‘Freshly pressed - Why Freebird Cacao Juice could be a game-changer’ was published by ConfectioneryNews, and a lot has happened since then.
As we enter the crucial four-week run-up to Halloween, no one will be looking closer at how this year’s event will unfold than John Downs, President and CEO of the National Confectioners Association. In an exclusive interview with ConfectioneryNews, we...
