German-based ingredients firm Nutrinova has announced a
double-digit price hike for its sorbate range of additives, used
increasingly by global food developers to preserve food products
such as confectionery and baked goods.
Patchi, a London-based company producing popular Middle Eastern
confectioneries such as baklava and mamoul, is keen to spread its
gospel of quality to the rest of Europe. But while France is its
first export destination, the company...
In just two years, the UK's Glisten group has garnered a
substantial share of the confectionery market by supplying most of
the country's leading retailers with an increasing range of niche
products, from chocolate buttons...
Switzerland's Barry Callebaut group has made no secret of its
desire to move into the added-value segment of the confectionery
market, reducing its reliance on the volatile commodity segment
through a number of acquisitions....
Northern Foods is facing the possibility of a rapid decline in its
biscuit profit margins as its main customers - the British
supermarket groups - seek to cut costs. The company must now decide
whether to invest in new products, or...
Zahor, Spain's biggest own label confectionery producer, is hoping
for strong growth this year following its merger with cocoa
processor Natra Cacao. Access to cheaper raw materials and more
R&D capacity following the deal...
Thorntons, the UK confectioner, has retuned to profit growth for
the first time in five years in fiscal 2004, but warned that
further measures to improve the company's finances would entail
more costs in the coming year, reports...
Swedish oils and fats firm Karlshamns, which saw its profits slip
at the end of 2003, has acquired UK flaked fats company Kelanco,
and with it a drive into value-added speciality fats for the
booming UK convenience food market.
First half sales at Aarhus United fell 3 per cent, eroded by price
competition in bulk oils, but improved volumes, particularly in
Mexico, and reduced costs helped it generate solid operating
profits.
Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Sprüngli has revealed strong results that
put organic growth in double figures and gave it its first ever
year with no first-half operating loss. The company said the
results had been particularly...
Leading Polish confectionery company Mieszko says it is
currently in negotiations to acquire a company within the
confectionery sector in the course of this year. The company added
that at the present moment it is negotiating with...
Building on a stronger start to the year, Germany's third largest
chemicals group reports continued growth into the second quarter
with an increase in demand pushing up sales and earnings for the
period but the firm warned that...
The films business of the Belgium-based UCB Group is to be bought
for €320 million by a consortium led by the former managing
director of Hays Chemical Distribution and Candover Partners.
Leading chocolate ingredients supplier Barry Callebaut is targeting
the European chocolate and cappuccino vending mix business with the
acquisition of cappuccino mix company AM Foods from Nordic dairy
firm Arla Foods.
Confirmation that food marketers will continue to roll out food
products targeted at children is evident in a new study that
reports British kids aged between 7 to 14 years old receive a
massive £1.5 billion in pocket money and financial...
The less than sparkling, but stable, full year results for Danish
ingredients giant Danisco mirror the current state of play for
ingredients companies in today's market marked by squeezed margins,
higher raw material prices and...
Number one global xanthan gum supplier CP Kelco is on the auction
block as majority stakeholder merchant bank Lehman Brothers opts to
sell its slice in the leading hydrocolloid company, reports
Lindsey Partos.
Israeli flavours and ingredients group Frutarom benefited from the
recent merger with Swiss counterpart Flachsmann to post a 55 per
cent increase in first quarter sales. Growth in the functional
foods sector also contributed to the...
US colours and flavours group Sensient continues to feel the impact
of soft markets in North American food and beverage segments,
particularly synthetic colours, posting a further drop in income
for the first quarter of 2004. Pressure...
Number one flavours and fragrance firm Givaudan ambles along in the
first quarter with higher sales in flavours offsetting a drop in
the fragrance division, suggesting that strategies to boost profit
announced back in January this...
Global chocolate supplier Barry Callebaut said that recent
acquisitions had boosted its six month figures, with net profit
showing double-digit growth. But low cocoa prices affected
activities at the processing arm of the company.
Days after EU ministers at the Agriculture Council huddled together
to chew over impending changes to the sugar regime, leading
sweeteners group Tate & Lyle tells the market that no surprises
are in store for 2005.
Exports of sugar confectionery from Switzerland rose by more than
10 per cent last year, offsetting a mediocre performance on the
home market. But with imports taking a lesser share of sales this
year, the industry hopes that focusing...
Mirroring the state of play for ingredients companies operating
into today's climate, price pressures put the squeeze on third
quarter margins for ingredients giant Danisco.
The largest sugar producer in Europe Südzucker has divested all
shares in the Spanish food group Ebro Puleva through the group's
subsidiary Saint Louis Sucre, providing it with breathing space to
concentrate on speciality ingredients.
The Romanian chocolate sector looks set to become increasingly
competitive as the third largest player, Kandia, prepares to
finalise a merger with Excelent - a move that will create the
leading producer on the market.
Despite higher raw material prices Corn Products International, a
US maker of corn syrups sweeteners, saw profits and sales rise for
the year, citing sales in North America and a better price-product
mix as key factors responsible...
Last year was not one of the best for sales of chocolate, with
political instability in the Middle East, a weak global economy,
lower tourist numbers in the Far East as a result of SARS and the
hottest European summer in decades all...
Cloetta Fazer has reported signing a new long-term distribution
agreement with Brynild Salg for the continued sale of Cloetta
Fazer's products in Norway and the Nordic region as a whole.
Last summer's hot weather had a major impact on sales at Thorntons,
the British confectionery retailer and manufacturer, but the
company had a lot more to be happy about when it came to Christmas.
The private equity arm of the bank Lehman Brothers has emerged as
the latest challenger to bid for Thorntons, the high street
chocolate retailer and manufacturer.
Investment fund Russia Partners II has acquired the Moscow-based
Ice-Fili ice cream producer and confectionery group Zvezdny,
according to a report in the Vedomosti newspaper.
In response to an increasing worldwide demand for pectin, Danish
ingredients company Danisco is to expand its Czech production
capacity by 40 per cent to accommodate an expected growth rate of
5-6 per cent on the world market.
After getting off to a slow start at the beginning of the year,
Romanian confectionery manufacturer Heidi Chocolats Suisse has said
it is now estimating a 15 per cent increase in sales this year.
Danish oils and fats company Aarhus United saw third quarter profit
falling by over 50 per cent as reduced margins, lower exchange
rates, a decline in bulk oil sales and heightened competition, ate
into the bottom line.
Danone is on the verge of buying the Chocks & Roll business of
Spain's Chupa Chups, one of its last remaining foreign units.
Evidence that Danone is still determined to pursue its expansion in
Russia despite failing to buy...
Barry Callebaut, the world's leading manufacturer of cocoa and
chocolate products, increased its sales revenue, operating profit
(EBIT) and net profit.
Europe's largest sugar producer, Südzucker, has closed a five-year
convertible bond of €250 million, the proceeds from which will be
used to lift its stake in two subsidiaries.
The PFM Group has announced the take over of SPS Packaging, the
Italy-based packager specialising in the design and production of
automatic wrapping systems for snacks, biscuits and confectionery.
Several more potential bidders have emerged for UK-based chocolate
manufacturer and retailer Thorntons, which earlier this month
confirmed that it had begun discussions with a financial investor.
But the company will hope for a swift...
Increasing market demand has led Cerestar to expand its
isomaltproduction in Krefeld, Germany, expanding its capacity to
meet worldwide consumer needs for confectionery sugar-free
sweetener.
Niche confectionery manufacturer, Glisten, has revealed that its
turnover for the last quarter increased by 5 per cent,
strengthening its plans for further product launches later this
year.
Tough economic conditions have taken their toll on Scandinavian
confectionery group Cloetta Fazer. A contraction in the Swedish
market has resulted in a drop in profit for the third quarter of
2003, which the company has attributed...
German sugar company Suedzucker has announced that its full fiscal
year operating profits will not match last year's results due to
the decline of the global sugar market price and the weak dollar.
Australian confectionery ginger giant warns of profit plunge due to
intense pressure from rising dollar, a sharp turnaround from the
previous guidance that profits would rise in 2003.
Glisten has taken its first step towards strengthening its position
as a niche food group with the acquisition of Sunya, another
confectionery maker, for around £1m.
US confectionery giant Hershey Foods has partnered with fashion
designer Cynthia Rowley to unwrap her Candyland themed Spring 2004
collection at the Elizabeth Street Garden during New York's Fashion
Week.
