Ingredients

Limit trans-fats and saturated fats to reduce CVD risk - WHO

07-May-2018 By Joseph James Whitworth

The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a public consultation on draft guidelines for intake of saturated fats and trans-fats.

How will the chocolate industry approach cocoa farmer ‘living income’?

03-May-2018 By Oliver Nieburg

The president of the World Cocoa Foundation and Mondelēz’s Cocoa Life director discuss how the chocolate industry will tackle calls to guarantee cocoa farmers a living income.

Low sugar Battle Bites take on confectionery sector

02-May-2018 By Gill Hyslop

UK nutrition brand Battle Oats has launched a new high protein, low sugar snack product aimed at the impulse market looking for a chocolate fix.

Bristows of Devon rises from the ashes to relaunch confectionery line

02-May-2018 By Jenny Eagle

Bristows of Devon, formerly Crediton Confectionery, plans to relaunch its traditional products with a contemporary twist, cut and wrap fudge and toffee.

Exclusive interview

FlavaNaturals to pitch Amazon as e-commerce is good 'for healthy chocolate', says CEO

02-May-2018 By Douglas Yu

Healthy chocolate startup FlavaNaturals has been testing its reception at various retail environments for the past four years: café, specialty stories, even yoga studios etc., but the company’s CEO Alan Frost has a bigger plan in mind for the coming fall...

Windsor Fudge Kitchen creates Lemon & Elderflower fudge to celebrate Royal Wedding

24-Apr-2018 By Jenny Eagle

Windsor Fudge Kitchen has created a limited edition Lemon & Elderflower whipping cream fudge to celebrate the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on May 19.

Happy Mallows to launch £3k Kickstarter campaign to expand gourmet marshmallow business

19-Apr-2018 By Jenny Eagle

Happy Mallows family-firm, established in 2017, by entrepreneur Sam Humphrey is launching a £3k Kickstarter campaign in June to expand its gourmet marshmallow brand.

News in Brief

Mars Wrigley Confectionery launches fruit, chocolate sorbet

19-Apr-2018 By Jenny Eagle

Mars Wrigley Confectionery has launched Dove Mango Sorbet with Dark Chocolate.

Deli Star merges with confectionery-fudge producer King’s Food Products

18-Apr-2018 By Jenny Eagle

Deli Star has merged with Illinois-based King’s Food Products, which produces confectionery fudge and sauces in the US.

DeBeukelaer refereshment sticks launches Chupa Chups liquid fillings

16-Apr-2018 By Jenny Eagle

Cult lollipop brand DeBeukelaer has signed a licence agreement with Chupa Chups to fill its refreshment sticks with two liquid strawberry and apple flavors, covered in dark chocolate.

Special edition: Functional Confectionery

‘Being able to enjoy confectionery that has a health benefit, is still largely untapped’

13-Apr-2018 By Nick Hewitt

‘Concerns about processed sugar and the impending sugar tax means today’s consumers are looking for healthier and natural alternatives across all categories, including confectionery.

Startup tracker

Chewpod enters US functional gum market; founder not intimidated by declining gum sales

12-Apr-2018 By Douglas Yu

Functional gum brand Chewpod has entered the $25.1bn US gum market starting this month, primarily targeting millennials with an active lifestyle.

Gum innovation

Is Hershey’s Ice Breakers glitter gum the next unicorn Frappuccino?

12-Apr-2018 By Douglas Yu

Hershey will release its first edible glitter-sprinkled gum in the US under its Ice Breakers brand starting April 15, 2018, as it believes the sparkle trend will sweep the food industry in 2018.

News in Brief

Lenny & Larry’s launches smaller ounce size of its cookies

28-Mar-2018 By Jenny Eagle

Lenny & Larry’s has launched a smaller, 2oz size of its 4oz Complete Cookies with plant-based protein.

Goupie launches protein flavor in response to consumer demand

27-Mar-2018 By Jenny Eagle

Goupie has launched a vegan friendly, gluten-free chewy chocolate bar containing 15.7g of protein per 100g.

Nestlé reduces sugar by 30% in Milkybar with cotton candy-inspired technology

27-Mar-2018 By Douglas Yu

Nestlé will launch Milkybar Wowsomes exclusively in the UK and Ireland in the coming weeks with 30% less sugar than other chocolate products in its portfolio.

Nutella maker Ferrero discloses 116 palm oil mills

23-Mar-2018 By Douglas Yu

Ferrero has disclosed the locations of 116 palm oil mills across the globe, shortly after the publication of a report by environmental group Greenpeace.

Palm oil

Hershey responds to Greenpeace palm oil report: We’ve mapped 99.25% of our palm oil supply chain to the mills

21-Mar-2018 By Douglas Yu

Responding to a new report from Greenpeace, confectionery giant Hershey has named its palm oil suppliers, and has revealed that it has mapped almost 100% of palm oil supply chain to the mills, and approximately 14% to the plantations.

Nestlé brings back orange Smarties for Easter in UK and Ireland

16-Mar-2018 By Douglas Yu

Nestlé has relaunched orange Smarties hexatubes in the UK and Ireland for spring after its orange Smarties giant tube received ‘overwhelming consumer response’ last year.

What is chocolate’s biggest environmental impact?

15-Mar-2018 By Oliver Nieburg

Researchers have pinpointed the process that has the biggest environmental impact of chocolate production and consumption in the UK.

‘The world is not running out of cocoa farmers,’ says KIT

14-Mar-2018 By Oliver Nieburg

Cocoa remains attractive to farmers in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana despite reports its time is up, says research by the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT).

Origins

Sierra Leone cocoa market enticing craft chocolate buyers

09-Mar-2018 By Oliver Nieburg

Dandelion Chocolate will produce one of the first single origin Sierra Leonean chocolates as the country's cocoa sector looks to attract the international premium chocolate market.

Mars, Hershey and others settle heavy metal chocolate lawsuit

08-Mar-2018 By Douglas Yu

A California Superior Court judge has approved a settlement resolving claims over whether certain levels of lead and cadmium in chocolate require warning labels under California’s Prop 65 law.

'Lost forever': Wild Amazonian cocoa species face extinction

07-Mar-2018 By Oliver Nieburg

Wild cocoa varieties untapped by chocolate makers are in danger of being wiped out, says Cadbury's former head of cocoa sourcing.

Public health

Mondelēz, Ferrero and Mars to carry ‘Be treatwise’ label while Nestlé cuts sugar

07-Mar-2018 By Oliver Nieburg

Three major confectioners will carry a redesigned ‘Be treatwise’ label on certain products in the UK to encourage moderate consumption. Separately Nestlé is cutting sugar in its UK confectionery range.

Ritter Sport to get closer to origins after reaching 100% certified cocoa

05-Mar-2018 By Oliver Nieburg

Ritter Sport is now sourcing 100% certified cocoa and next eyes full traceability and improved volumes at its own plantation in Nicaragua.

Small surplus: ICCO releases first forecast for 2017/18 cocoa year

01-Mar-2018 By Oliver Nieburg

The International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) predicts a small surplus for the current cocoa season, despite a projected decline in world production.

Ruby chocolate for craft chocolatiers and chefs to launch in April

01-Mar-2018 By Oliver Nieburg

Barry Callebaut has created a version of its ruby chocolate designed for small chocolate producers and pastry chefs under its Callebaut brand.

Supermarkets to create 'fine wine' bean-to-bar chocolate aisles: Chocolat Madagascar

01-Mar-2018 By Oliver Nieburg

Supermarkets in developed nations may soon introduce aisles dedicated to craft chocolate, similar to shelves devoted to fine wine, says Chocolat Madagascar.

Barry Callebaut develops high flavanol chocolate with FlavaNaturals

22-Feb-2018 By Douglas Yu

Barry Callebaut has extended its partnership with health-focused chocolate brand FlavaNaturals throughout 2018 to develop flavanol-rich products in the US.

‘Dangerous’: Wrigley told never to show people chewing gum while playing sport in ads

21-Feb-2018 By Oliver Nieburg

UK’s ad watchdog has banned a Wrigley TV ad and told the company to avoid showing people chewing gum while playing sports in future campaigns.

Feature

What does ‘going beyond certification’ in cocoa sustainability really mean?

20-Feb-2018 By Oliver Nieburg

The chocolate industry and supply chain actors recognize buying certified cocoa alone is not enough to make the supply chain sustainable. But what more needs to be done?

Asia and Latin America cocoa origins also face ‘large-scale’ deforestation: Mighty Earth

14-Feb-2018 By Oliver Nieburg

NGO Mighty Earth is calling on chocolate makers to expand deforestation-free commitments after finding widespread forest destruction driven by cocoa in Indonesia, Peru, Ecuador and Cameroon.

Earnings results

AAK’s chocolate and confectionery fats division sees 20% sales gain in 2017

09-Feb-2018 By Douglas Yu

Swedish firm AarhusKarlshamm AB (AAK) has reported ‘record-high’ operating profit of SEK 471m ($58m) for Q4 2017, an 8% increase compared to the same period last year.

Chocoa director interview

‘We have to look beyond cocoa’: Chocolate industry should co-finance other crops to prevent another price crash

07-Feb-2018 By Oliver Nieburg

The chocolate industry must look beyond cocoa alone to avert another big drop in cocoa prices, says the organizer of chocolate festival and cocoa conference Chocoa.

What is ‘sustainable cocoa’ under the Swiss chocolate industry pledge?

05-Feb-2018 By Oliver Nieburg

The newly created Swiss Platform for Sustainable Cocoa has set three criteria to define sustainable cocoa.

Divine Chocolate: 'Higher cocoa isn't just for dark chocolate'

31-Jan-2018 By Douglas Yu

Divine Chocolate says it has spotted a trend for higher cocoa content in milk chocolate products.

The future of bars is functional

29-Jan-2018 By Josua Schwab

‘Healthy snacks, including a wide range of bars, are flying off the shelves. As a consequence of functional ingredients, snack bars are being revamped as version 2.0.

Fairtrade decertifies ‘ghost’ Peruvian cocoa cooperative

26-Jan-2018 By Oliver Nieburg

Fairtrade auditing body FLOCERT has decertified Peruvian cocoa cooperative COPASA, which was accused of being a ghost organization of major trader Ecom.

Swiss chocolate industry pledges at least 80% sustainable cocoa by 2025

26-Jan-2018 By Oliver Nieburg

Swizterland has become the third country to set a target on sustainable cocoa sourcing.

Startup Watch

Africa-made craft chocolate entrant MIA targets Europe

25-Jan-2018 By Oliver Nieburg

Newcomer MIA has its sights on Europe with a selection of premium dark chocolate tablets produced in Madagascar, which use fine flavor cocoa from the country.

Q1 results

Low cocoa prices dent strong Q1 for Barry Callebaut

24-Jan-2018 By Oliver Nieburg

Barry Callebaut has reported sales volume growth above the global chocolate market in the first three months of fiscal 2017/18, but lower cocoa prices saw its revenues slightly decline.

Yogurt chocolate leaves can premiumize snacks and breakfast cereals: Herza

22-Jan-2018 By Oliver Nieburg

German supplier Herza Schokolade has developed two leaf-shaped yogurt chocolate inclusions, which it claims could prove popular in Western Europe where yogurt’s reputation is rising.

Haribo uses dextrin in new fruit gummy to reduce sugar by 30%

18-Jan-2018 By Douglas Yu

German confectioner Haribo has launched three lines of sugar-reduced gummies – Fruitilicious, Sea Friends, and Fruity Penguins – in select European countries, including Germany, Belgium, Netherlands and France.

Mars: We have no agenda to create chocolate health halo with cocoa flavanol studies

17-Jan-2018 By Oliver Nieburg

Mars Wrigley Confectionery has defended accusations it is fueling an unjust association between chocolate and health by funding cocoa flavanol research and says chocolate ‘should not be considered a health food’.

European cocoa processing up 3% in 2017 amid low bean prices

15-Jan-2018 By Oliver Nieburg

Europe’s cocoa grind has increased for the full year 2017 and fourth quarter as low cocoa prices made it more profitable to process.

Rousselot launches gelatin-based tech to produce gummies faster and chewier

15-Jan-2018 By Douglas Yu

Rousselot has developed a gelatin-based technology, called SiMoGel, for confectioners to produce gummies in a starchless environment.

Innovative Bites appoints non-exec chairman as part of continued growth

09-Jan-2018 By Jenny Eagle

Innovative Bites (IB) has appointed former Booker Group chairman, Richard Rose as a non-executive chairman of IB Group.

Chocolate will not go 'extinct', but climate change is real, says scientist

04-Jan-2018 By Douglas Yu

A scientist at the Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI) said chocolate would not go extinct as reported by multiple media outlets recently, even though global warming could shrink the cultivatable areas for cocoa trees.

Kids to swap chocolate with healthier snacks under new Public Health England guidelines

03-Jan-2018 By Douglas Yu

Public Health England (PHE) has launched ‘Change4Life’ Campaign to urge children to take a maximum of two 100-calorie snacks per day.