UPFs are not the devil to clean-label’s angel
Are ultra-processed foods really the enemy?
Processing & packaging
Scientists crack cocoa’s consistency conundrum
A breakthrough in cocoa fermentation could finally deliver consistent, high-quality flavour every time
Top 5 functional confectionery ingredients
Functional confectionery is booming. Find out which ingredients are driving the trend
Artificial sweeteners still bitter? Natural fix shows promise
Scientists discover possible solution to ‘bitter’ taste in artificial sweeteners
UPF linked to rising cancer rates in latest study
New research links high UPF consumption to a 41% increase in lung cancer risk, independent of smoking
Do consumers really want less sugar? The sweet debate unwrapped
As sugar reduction reshapes sweets and snacks, are brands keeping pace with what consumers want?
Big Food to reveal how much of its sales are healthy - and not
Reformulation is back on the agenda, with all big food businesses in the UK coming clean on their healthy vs unhealthy sales splits
Why non-vegan sweets still matter in a plant-based world
Plant-based treats are rising fast, but indulgence, tradition, and texture keep non-vegan sweets in the mix. Here’s how brands are balancing both
What Ring Pop’s super-fast factory opening tells us about how the US candy sector can tackle tariff traumas
Hard candy brand’s rapid rebound highlights how food manufacturers can respond to supply chain disruption and Trump-era tariff uncertainty
Can combining detection technologies prevent confectionery recalls?
Advancing systems are making their way into the confectionery production environment.
3 packaging innovations taking confectionery beyond the wrapper
Packaging manufacturers are pushing the packaging envelope to appeal to environment-conscious consumerism
In search of the most sustainable form of food packaging
The debate still rages as to which food packaging is best for the planet
The race to replace red no 3: Is your brand ready?
Colour manufacturers advise confectioners on top considerations when replacing soon-to-be-banned synthetic food dye
Latest Nestlé news
Up to the minute updates from the Swiss food and beverage giant
Push for biodegradable packaging is not without problems
Packaging consultancy firm Towards Packaging unveils the latest insights into the captive but challenging biodegradable paper and plastic packaging market
How AI is transforming packaging design practices
From accelerating label design to generating 4D visuals on the fly, how is AI influencing packaging design?
Meet the top technology trends shaping confectionery in 2025
Take a glimpse at the anticipated tech innovations and evolutions for the year ahead
Caramel comes under fire as confectioners seek natural brown alternatives
How natural brown colourants are offering confectioners safe, stable alternatives that have clean-label appeal
Five EU packaging rules confectioners need to know
As the EU gives the green light to the packaging and packaging waste regulation, we’ve got the top need-to-knows for confectionery creators
How the confectionery space is avoiding the impact of plastic on the environment
PFAS and their impact on public health remain a key issue as the industry swaps plastic for paper.
Sustainable packaging
Will flexible packaging revolutionise confectionery casing?
Or perhaps it already is?
Five ways robotics tech is revolutionising confectionery
How Hershey, Nestle, Mars and Nutresa México are ramping up and re-imagining their production using robots
Scientists develop better-for-you chocolate, and it’s better for the planet
Healthier and more sustainable chocolate? While it sounds almost too good to be true, that’s exactly what scientists have created in Switzerland.
How is Ferrero balancing M&A growth with packaging sustainability?
A strong acquisition strategy is fuelling growth at Ferrero. But inevitably, with that growth comes more packaging. How is the confectionery major working to decouple the two?
The top 4 packaging trends in confectionery in 2024
With packaging as diverse and innovative as the sweet treats it houses, 2024 sees brands accelerate their environmental, visual and technological know-how
How Fazer makes confectionery with upcycled ingredients
Finnish food group Fazer is experimenting with side streams to make confectionery production more sustainable.
The top five sustainability trends in confectionery
As consumers’ ethical values become ever more baked into their confectionery choices, from Hershey to Mondelez and Nestle, we explore the ways brands are pivoting to more sustainable practises
Packaging
British chocolate brand introduces new paper flow wrap for bars
Independent chocolatiers Cox & Co has developed new paper flow wrap chocolate packaging, allowing it to phase out all plastics on its production line and give consumers curbside recyclable wrapping.
News
69% of Brits say Easter egg packaging is excessive
While Britain is a nation of chocolate lovers, two thirds of consumers believe chocolate eggs comprise too much packaging – yet despite concerns over sustainability and inflation, we’ll still be dipping into our pockets for the sweet stuff.
Natural Products Expo West
Expo West: Clean Label Project helps brands align with ‘consumer definition of safety’
As consumer concerns rise over a variety of food ingredients and food additive bans increase, the non-profit Clean Label Project is helping brands make sense of it all, the organization’s executive director Jaclyn Bowen told FoodNavigator-USA in an...
Manufacturing
Blommer Chocolate to close its Chicago factory with the loss of 250 jobs
The company has announced it will close its Chicago factory, ending 85 years of chocolate manufacturing in the city with the loss of 250 jobs.
SOTIC 2024
NCA’s Sweet Life video candy shorts return for second season
The NCA launched the second season of its award-winning streaming series, The Sweet Life, at its State of the Industry Conference for a behind-the-scenes look at the secrets of the confectionery industry.
Special report: Dominican Republic organic cocoa
YACAO’s organic cocoa becomes first in LATAM to be ROC-certified
Swiss subsidiary with a long history of sourcing its premium organic cocoa from Dominican Republic sees demand skyrocket as suppliers look to other regions for sustainable beans.
News
OFI to open green powered cocoa bean warehouse
A new cocoa bean warehouse powered exclusively by green energy has been created by Olam Food Ingredients (OFI) at the Port of Amsterdam.
ProSweets/ISM 2024
Confectionery makers and suppliers prepare for ‘Sweet Week’ in Cologne
ProSweets Cologne and ISM have lined up a strong ‘Sweet Week’ when it opens on Sunday 28 January attracting hundreds of international exhibitors showcasing at the city’s Koelnmesse exhibition centre.
ProSweets Cologne 2024
EXBERRY to showcase plant-based colours at ProSweets Cologne
GNT, the company behind EXBERRY food colors, will demonstrate how its plant-based, sustainable portfolio can help maximize product appeal for manufacturers at ProSweets Cologne, which runs this year from 28-31 January.
ProSweets Cologne 24
ProSweets Cologne focuses on the reformulation of sweets and snacks
More than 30 ingredients specialists are set to attend ProSweets Cologne, the supplier fair that runs along side ISM sweets and snacks trade show, to offer natural and sustainable solutions that contain less sugar or carry a clean label declaration.
Free from
Vegan chocolate brand NOMO wins big at Grocer and Free From Food Awards
Vegan and free-from-chocolate brand NOMO has won Best Independent Brand for the third consecutive year at the Free From Food Awards and a big win at William Reed’s The Grocer New Product & Packaging Awards.
Futureproofing The Food System
Can third-party certification protect against greenwashing allegations? Maybe, maybe not
Increased scrutiny of environmental sustainability claims by regulators and competitors has many brands turning to third-party certifications to reassure consumers about claims’ veracity and to protect against litigation – but recent movements in the...
News
Fox’s Burton’s invests in a multi-million pound marketing campaign for Maryland cookies
The manufacturer of the cookie and mini biscuits brand is launching a 360-marketing campaign, including social and in-store campaigns and a new TV advert, as it debuts new-look packaging.
Clean label
EU consumers back call for more stringent eco-labels on confectionery and other food products
There is widespread public support for a universal eco-label to be introduced for food products, with more than two-thirds of consumers across Europe saying they would use such a tool to help them make more sustainable choices, according to a new...
Natural and clean label confectionery
Greenwashing in confectionery: EU expected to clamp down on blurring the lines between marketing and verifications
One of the major challenges facing the premium chocolate industry is the practice of ‘greenwashing’ where consumers are deceived by meaningless icons and false claims on labels purporting that the brand is committed to a responsible and transparent...
Special Edition: Natural & Clean label confectionery
What it means to eat ‘clean’
In the realm of the food and beverage industry, few terms carry as much weight and complexity as the term 'clean.
Packaging
Cocoa Canopy repackages its beads for the service sector
UK-based drinking chocolate brand, Cocoa Canopy, has announced a new format for its 900g foodservice packs across all five of its varieties, supplying the sector with a product they can display all year round.
Unilever research: Greenwashing fears thwart sustainability messaging among influencers
Research suggests influencers want to mention sustainability more in their content, but most are hesitant. Unilever wants to change this narrative.
Green packaging
New packaging innovations are addressing sustainability issues, survey finds
Recent international research has revealed that professionals in the food packaging industry are addressing demands for greater sustainability and consumer preference with innovative approaches to material choice and the processes involved in production.
Nestlé and Cargill partner to turn cocoa shells into low carbon fertiliser
The project will see Cargill supply cocoa shells to CCm Technologies, who in turn will manufacture fertiliser for two farms supplying Nestlé UK & Ireland.
Packaging
Love Cocoa unveils ‘Modern Chocolatier’ rebrand
The rebranding includes a stylish new logo and strapline - ‘The Modern Chocolatier’ - and the business has also embraced a brighter, bolder colour palette across the range while maintaining its signature gold foiling detail.
Green packaging
Moo Free upgrades packaging machinery with greener wrapper
Vegan chocolate brand Moo Free has announced a deal with leading packaging machinery manufacturer ULMA Packaging to produce more sustainable wrappers across its portfolio.
GUEST ARTICLE
The top 5 trends driving innovation in packaging science
Packaging is the shop window for your brand, the primary interface through which food and beverage manufacturers interact with consumers. Packaging innovation, therefore, cannot be taken lightly. How are R&D teams leveraging packaging science to develop...