Ingredients

DouxMatok inks first commercial partnership outside of Israel for Incredo Sugar

14-Sep-2021 By Flora Southey

DouxMatok has partnered with Italian ingredients company Hi-Food to commercialise its sugar-reduction offering Incredo Sugar. FoodNavigator hears from the start-up’s CEO and CTO to learn more about its B2B strategy.

Child labour spikes during COVID-19 lockdown in Côte d’Ivoire, finds International Cocoa Initiative

02-Jul-2020 By Flora Southey

During the partial COVID-19 lockdown in Côte d’Ivoire, a sharp rise in child labour was observed. Yet according to the International Cocoa Initiative, it is too early to attribute the increase to the pandemic alone.

Rainforest Alliance unveils new certification standard: ‘We need new approaches that move beyond a simple pass-fail system’

01-Jul-2020 By Flora Southey

From September this year, Rainforest Alliance will start rolling out the 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard worldwide. How does this newly enhanced standard set itself apart in the field? FoodNavigator speaks with the NGO’s director of standards and...

Coronavirus

Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls ramps up production of its Throat And Chest and Herbal Cough lozenges during coronavirus

25-Mar-2020 By Jenny Eagle

Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls has shifted production to its Throat And Chest and Herbal Cough lozenges to help people suffering from the effects of coronavirus.

SnackSafely launches campaign to help consumers with food allergies while self-isolating from coronavirus

23-Mar-2020 By Jenny Eagle

SnackSafely is launching an online campaign called #SnackSafelyAtHome to help consumers with food allergies while they are confined to their homes due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Kitkat to launch birthday-inspired cake flavored chocolate

19-Mar-2020 By Jenny Eagle

Kitkat will launch a Birthday-inspired limited-edition cake bar with sprinkles, available next month.

Consumers increasingly looking for confectionery that has value-added health & indulgence

19-Mar-2020 By Jenny Eagle

Consumers are increasingly looking for ‘healthy added value’ in their food and beverages – a trend also seen in confectionery for products that combine health and indulgence.

Colors & Flavors Special

Sensient Flavors to meet demand for unusual and unexpected flavor combinations

19-Mar-2020 By Jenny Eagle

Sensient Flavors has launched a Bakery Toolbox of tasting samples featuring four miniature cakes, dedicated to different seasons.to demonstrate the company’s expertise in flavour, texture and color in the bakery, confectionery, dairy and beverage sectors....

International Women’s Day: Who are the women making a difference in the snacks industry?

09-Mar-2020 By Jenny Eagle

From the first plant-based, all-in-one snack bowl to healthy, on-the-go snacking and 100% safe-to-eat cookie dough, we celebrate the women making a difference in the snacks industry.

Alter Eco to debut Grass Fed Milk Chocolate Collection

28-Feb-2020 By Jenny Eagle

Alter Eco will showcase the first Grass Fed Milk Chocolate Collection at the 2020 Natural Products Expo West (March 3-7, California).

NPD

Nestlé launches its first Quality Street product in almost 85 years

24-Feb-2020 By Jenny Eagle

Nestlé has launched its first Quality Street product in almost 85 years, called Intrigue, a range of truffles inspired by classic Quality Street flavours, available in UK stores.

Taza Chocolate ‘pushing the envelope’ with its stone ground chocolate

19-Feb-2020 By Jenny Eagle

Taza Chocolate claims to be ‘pushing the envelope’ with its stone ground chocolate bars, expanding its Almond Milk Chocolate line with three flavors: Classic, Cashew Crunch, and Crispy Quinoa.

The Sweet Consultant lands consultancy role to develop cannabis chewing gum

18-Feb-2020 By Jenny Eagle

Confectionery expert Andy Baxendale, known as The Sweet Consultant, has been recruited by a US firm to develop a range of cannabis chewing gum, in response to demand for CBD products.

Investment

Little Moons gourmet dessert to open £3.5m factory, creating 150 jobs

17-Feb-2020 By Jenny Eagle

Little Moons gourmet dessert is expanding, opening a £3.5m mochi making factory in the UK, creating more lines for gluten free and vegan.

How chocolates for Valentine’s Day have changed over the years

10-Feb-2020 By Jenny Eagle

Chocolatier, Paul A Young, has fused together romantic movies through the decades with chocolate to create a 12-piece collection for Valentine’s Day, claiming he has seen a reduction in consumers buying chocolate hearts for the occasion on February 14.

Healy leverages cocoa shells for natural sugar reduction

06-Feb-2020 By Katy Askew

Healy Group, the Ireland-based ingredient supplier, has developed a process to turn cocoa shells – an otherwise under-utilised by-product of cocoa production – into a micronised cocoa fibre that can help with sugar reduction in chocolate.

NPD

Nestlé launches Aero Caramel made with responsibly sourced cocoa

06-Feb-2020 By Jenny Eagle

Nestlé has launched its latest addition to the Aero family with the introduction of Aero Caramel, made with responsibly sourced cocoa under the Nestlé Cocoa Plan.

Organic

Theo Chocolate expands its range of organic, Fairtrade chocolate bars

05-Feb-2020 By Jenny Eagle

Theo Chocolate has launched two products to expand its organic, Fairtrade chocolate bars and candies.

Gato & Co launch ‘Cookies N Cream’ cookie sandwiches

28-Jan-2020 By Jenny Eagle

Gato & Co plant-based start-up has launched a 'Cookies N Cream' range as a modern twist on classic cookie sandwiches, available in Boots retail shops in the UK, with more stockists to follow from Spring 2020.

ProSweets/ISM 2020

Fudge Kitchen to launch ‘London Slider’ range at ISM 2020

23-Jan-2020 By Jenny Eagle

Fudge Kitchen will celebrate all things British launching a ‘I love London’ line at ISM 2020, as well as revealing exciting plans for Christmas this year.

ProSweets/ISM 2020

ProSweets/ISM to promote less plastic, renewable raw materials, lower packing weight & recyclability

23-Jan-2020 By Jenny Eagle

Less plastic, more renewable raw materials, lower packing weight and recyclability – these are the themes to be discussed at this year’s ProSweets/ISM show.

Nestlé adds latest edition to its confectionery brand with KitKat Gold

15-Jan-2020 By Jenny Eagle

Nestlé will launch KitKat Gold in the UK next month thanks to the success of KitKat Green Tea Matcha and KitKat Ruby.

Endangered Species Chocolate taps into ‘oat milk trend’ in latest product line

15-Jan-2020 By Jenny Eagle

Endangered Species Chocolate (ESC), premium natural chocolate brand, has modernized its milk chocolate bar by replacing dairy milk with oat milk in its new product line.

Flower & White to expand its bars and bites range, as it celebrates its 10th anniversary

28-Nov-2019 By Jenny Eagle

Flower & White, manufacturer of specialist snack and bakery products, is expanding its bars and bites range in July, as it celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.

Functional Jellies Special Report

Matcha Bears pack energy and antioxidants in gummy form

21-Nov-2019 By Kristine Sherred

Three New York City entrepreneurs have developed gluten-free gummies infused with premium grade matcha that walk the line between functional and fun, reaching those who drink tea and those who just want a boost of energy at any time of day.

Functional Jellies Special Report

Interview: SmartSweets primps the gummy category for future with ‘kick sugar’ ethos

21-Nov-2019 By Kristine Sherred

At the ripe age of 21, Tara Bosch wanted to cut her connection with sugary gummy worms. The result: a line of a favorite gummies made with stevia, coconut oil, tapioca and chicory root fiber, now available – in bright, bold packaging – online and in thousands...

Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls secures first order in Japan

20-Nov-2019 By Jenny Eagle

Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls is celebrating its first major order from Japan, to meet the country’s demand for quality British products.

Valrhona’s chef competition previews pastry and chocolate trends

14-Nov-2019 By Kristine Sherred

StarChefs and the French chocolate maker – a chef favorite – challenged pastry professionals to create a plated dessert and petits fours recipe using its 46% milk chocolate from the Dominican Republic.

Sustainability

Big chocolate makers still falter in holistic sustainability, says Green America in annual chocolate scorecard

10-Nov-2019 By Kristine Sherred

Nestlé, Mars, Hershey and Lindt earned C-level ratings in the organization’s chocolate scorecard, while Mondelēz and Godiva fared worse. Smaller players including Alter Eco, Endangered Species, Theo and Tony’s Chocolonely again received top marks in the...

Ghanaian government to receive $600m to expand cocoa sector

07-Nov-2019 By Kristine Sherred

If approved by parliament, Ghana’s COCOBOD will receive funding to nearly double its cocoa production to 1.5m tons.

Godiva launches baking chocolate range for bakers and consumers to customize desserts

29-Oct-2019 By Jenny Eagle

Godiva has launched a range of baking chocolates, to allow bakers to elevate their family favorite desserts and invite consumers into the world of baking.

Legislation

Court blocks change to US-Mexico sugar trade, intended to address price issues

24-Oct-2019 By Kristine Sherred

The US International Trade Court sided with CSC Sugar, a refiner, in a case regarding a 2017 amendment to the purity of sugar traded between the US and Mexico.

Clean label

Sugarpova gummies add natural flair in four flavors to clean-label candy brand

10-Oct-2019 By Kristine Sherred

The tennis star Maria Sharapova teased the lip-shaped gummies at Sweets and Snacks in May, but they officially hit shelves this autumn in stand-up pouches of tangy and sour flavors.

Environment

Yowie joins Amazon firefight with $20k donation to Rainforest Alliance

30-Sep-2019 By Kristine Sherred

The educational chocolate brand for kids regularly supports the environmental group, but the recent wave of deforestation prompted Yowie to offer more.

White chocolate controversy: Nestlé sued for alleged misrepresentation of white morsels

30-Sep-2019 By Kristine Sherred

A lawsuit filed in California claims the confectioner knowingly mislabels its ‘Premier White’ morsels, despite producing other Toll House chips that contain real chocolate.

Candy

American Licorice Co. gets ‘Made Simple’ in packaging and product, cuts plastic waste

26-Sep-2019 By Kristine Sherred

The 105-year-old confectioner revamped its image earlier this year to capitalize on key natural trends, transitioning to recyclable plastic for its iconic licorice jar and joining two sustainability initiatives.

Sustainability

Fairtrade label trusted by half of US consumers, as price no longer a barrier

24-Sep-2019 By Kristine Sherred

The certification program found that consumers consider Fairtrade products worthwhile – and worth the cost, an internal survey found.

sugar reduction

Tate & Lyle's new allulose, an important ingredient in cutting calories and sugar in chocolate and candy

18-Sep-2019 By Kristine Sherred

We spoke with the Chicago-based ingredient company at IBIE 2019 about how its non-digestible, essentially calorie-free ‘rare sugar’ can change the better-for-you and functional side of chocolate and candy.

YAAR sees demand rise for on-the-go dairy snacks

11-Sep-2019 By Jenny Eagle

YAAR has seen demand rise for its on-the-go dairy snacks with a listing in Ocado, four months after launching in Sainsbury’s and Whole Foods Market, in the UK.

Smith & Sinclair alcoholic cocktail gummies to launch in the US

05-Sep-2019 By Jenny Eagle

Smith & Sinclair, manufacturer of alcoholic cocktail gummies is expanding in Europe and the US, opening an office in New York.

Fact-checking site counters pro-Brexit claim on cocoa tariffs

04-Sep-2019 By Kristine Sherred

World for Brexit (W4B) specifically calls out cocoa tariffs on its homepage, but FullFact.org – and World Trade Organization data – refutes the alleged 30% duty.

CBD

‘Just the beginning’: bright future ahead for edible cannabinoids

30-Aug-2019 By Kristine Sherred

With legalization, THC and CBD products will land in previously out-of-reach retail channels – and the opportunities are unprecedented, says IRI and BDS Analytics, a cannabinoid research firm.

Health

To save children’s teeth, UK dentists urge schools to police sugar intake

27-Aug-2019 By Kristine Sherred

The Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons is lobbying for ‘sugar-free schools’ and a recommitment to previously established nutrition standards.

Cocoa pricing

Latin America eyes price floor akin to West Africa’s stymied attempt

26-Aug-2019 By Kristine Sherred

Producers from cocoa-growing regions in South America and the Caribbean are considering a proposal from Peru’s trade group at a conference this week in Colombia.

Environment

World Bank and Ghana join forces to combat carbon emissions

23-Aug-2019 By Kristine Sherred

The world’s second-largest cocoa producing nation became the third country to sign a deal that aims to address the effects of deforestation and forest degradation.

Health & Functionality

Québec wants to ban the sale of cannabis candies and cookies

13-Aug-2019 By Kristine Sherred

The health department of the second-largest Canadian province sees the move as essential to mitigating risks of accidental ingestion – especially for children.

Sustainability

Ferrero shares list of 2018 palm oil suppliers in transparency commitment

09-Aug-2019 By Kristine Sherred

The Italian confectioner first published its sources in the second half of 2017 and believes it can – and will – do so twice a year in the future.

Germany’s Nordzucker set to scoop Australia’s second-largest sugar co-op

07-Aug-2019 By Kristine Sherred

Three-quarters of shareholders at Mackay Sugar Limited voted to accept a majority takeover, after the German conglomerate agreed to the move in February.

Expansion

Barry Callebaut cements Asia Pacific investment with new India factory

24-Jul-2019 By Kristine Sherred

Expected to open in mid-2020, the supplier broke ground this week on the Baramati facility, which will produce 30k tons of chocolate and compound annually.

Premium

Reishi mushrooms and herbs meet chocolate in Los Angeles

23-Jul-2019 By Kristine Sherred

Nude Chocolate enters functional chocolate niche with launch of premium bars infused with ‘super blends’ of herbs and Reishi, a medicinal mushroom in Asian culture.