Ingredients

Nestlé’s innovation platform HENRi@Nestlé marks one year anniversary

28-Jul-2017 By Jenny Eagle

From initiating portion control advice on biscuits, alternative green packaging for Nestlé Waters and promoting Nespresso’s sustainability efforts - HENRi@Nestlé celebrates its one-year anniversary this month.

Nuts.com to expand in New Jersey creating 150 jobs

27-Jul-2017 By Jenny Eagle

Nuts.com, which produces nuts, dried fruit, snacks and pantry staples, is set to expand in New Jersey, creating 150 jobs.

Millennials prefer grain-enhanced chocolate confectionery

26-Jul-2017 By Jenny Eagle

Grains such as quinoa, and cereals including corn flakes and rice puffs, are attracting attention globally as an ingredient or flavor in chocolate confectionery but not so much in Germany.

Hershey moves forward with nutrition facts panel despite FDA’s delay

25-Jul-2017 By Douglas Yu

Hershey has decided to update its nutrition facts panel across its portfolio this fall, starting with some of the power brands including Hershey’s Kisses Milk Chocolate. 

ONS recognises “shrinkflation” as reason for smaller (but not cheaper) chocolates

25-Jul-2017 By Will Chu

Servings of confectionery, fruit juice and biscuits are getting smaller without getting any cheaper, the UK government confirm as findings appear to strengthen what many consumers have long suspected.

Nestlé launches cake-style KitKat upon renovating chocolate store in Japan

21-Jul-2017 By Douglas Yu

Nestlé will launch a KitKat Chocolatory Gateau Mignon exclusively at the KitKat Chocolatory Ginza store in Tokyo, Japan, on July 25, 2017. 

Barry Callebaut expands specialties and decorations arm with Italian purchase

21-Jul-2017 By Will Chu

Barry Callebaut has added to its European Specialties & Decorations segment with the purchase of Italian firm D’Orsogna Dolciaria for an undisclosed amount. 

Simple ingredients renovation

Next step: Mondelēz to cut sugar, salt, sat fat and artificial ingredients in power brands

21-Jul-2017 By Oliver Nieburg

Cadbury owner Mondelēz International plans to renovate its power brands with simpler ingredients and improved nutrition after meeting some of its well-being targets early.

Cocoa in the Congo: Emerging origin for organic chocolate makers

20-Jul-2017 By Oliver Nieburg

Cocoa production is thriving in the Democratic Republic of Congo, presenting an opportunity for the chocolate industry, say stakeholders working in the country.

IFT 2017

Protein yet to plateau in chocolate confectionery, says Barry Callebaut

17-Jul-2017 By Douglas Yu

Barry Callebaut has expanded its protein product portfolio by launching its FortiPro brand, a chocolate coating that contains 15% to 20% protein per serving. 

Research links NAFTA to Canada’s increasing obesity and diabetes rates

17-Jul-2017 By Douglas Yu

Research published on Canadian Medical Association Journal suggests the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is associated with a significant rise in high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) consumption in Canada. 

US demand for cocoa fibers to grow amid FDA review, says Moner Cocoa

13-Jul-2017 By Oliver Nieburg

Moner Cocoa is targeting the US cookie market for its cocoa fiber ingredient FICAO as the Food and Drug Administration reclassifies dietary fiber.

Barry Callebaut revenues grow with Mondelēz and GarudaFood deals

13-Jul-2017 By Oliver Nieburg

Barry Callebaut has grown revenues by +2.9% for the nine-months of fiscal 2016/17 driven by supply deals with Mondelēz and Indonesian biscuit maker GarudaFood.

IFT 2017

Cargill to launch new stevia sweetener for chocolate and candy

13-Jul-2017 By Douglas Yu

Cargill will launch EverSweet, a new stevia product that combines Reb M and Reb D, for US confectionery makers in 2018.

GUEST ARTICLE: Can the food industry learn from the GMO story? Five ways to earn trust in gene editing

12-Jul-2017 By Charlie Arnot, CEO, The Center for Food Integrity

If you care about GMO labeling, you only have a few more days to respond to USDA's 30 questions* about how to implement the new law. The looming deadline is both a stark reminder of the controversy around GMOs that brought the food industry to this...

Grinding in profits: European cocoa processing rises 2% in Q2

11-Jul-2017 By Oliver Nieburg

The European cocoa grind has risen in the second quarter (Q2) as it became more profitable to process cocoa.

USDA to publish draft of GMO labeling rule this fall

11-Jul-2017 By Elaine Watson

USDA will publish a draft of its proposed federal GMO labeling rule in the fall of this year (which will be subject to public comment) and says it is “working hard to meet the schedule in order to issue a final rule on the law in July 2018.”

East is eden: Middle East ripe for chocolate growth amid volume declines in the West

10-Jul-2017 By Douglas Yu

Euromonitor International suggests the Middle East offers opportunities for chocolate manufacturers seeking to drive value growth.

IFT 2017

Steviana offers bitterness-free stevia for US candy and chocolate firms, claims developer

06-Jul-2017 By Douglas Yu

Steviana Bioscience says its stevia extract produced through a patented technology contains no bitter aftertaste. 

Unknown faces: Who are the farmers behind your cocoa and palm?

05-Jul-2017 By Oliver Nieburg

Confectionery companies should collectively push suppliers to make traceability the norm rather than a premium service, as it is the only way to guarantee sustainable cocoa and palm oil, says The Forest Trust.

High cadmium levels in cocoa from Peru may impact chocolate quality

04-Jul-2017 By Oliver Nieburg

Cocoa beans from many plantations in Peru contain cadmium levels far higher than the EU’s incoming thresholds for chocolate and cocoa products, finds research backed by the USDA.

No longer niche: France’s organic chocolate market grows 21%

03-Jul-2017 By Oliver Nieburg

The French market for bio/organic chocolate tablets grew rapidly last year, according to trade body Syndicat du Chocolat.

Brain-impaired elderly subjects appear to most benefit from cocoa flavanols: Review

30-Jun-2017 By Will Chu

Flavanol-rich chocolate is well known for its beneficial effect on the brain, but a review by Italian researchers point towards its neuroprotective effects in vulnerable populations over time.

Double-digit growth prompts Sanders Candy to remodel headquarters

29-Jun-2017 By Douglas Yu

Sanders Candy has started renovating its Michigan headquarters, a process it expects to complete in early fall 2017.

Chocolate confectionery contributes most to value sales of sustainable cocoa products: Euromonitor

29-Jun-2017 By Douglas Yu

Sales of cocoa-based products featuring a sustainable trade and farming label, such as Fairtrade, is set to be valued at $8.9bn in 2017, Euromonitor said. 

Caobisco encourages deadlines for 100% certified cocoa and palm oil

28-Jun-2017 By Oliver Nieburg

EU confectionery trade body Caobisco is encouraging its members to set a date by which they will source all cocoa and palm oil from a certified sustainable source.

Sugar free and indulgent are not mutually exclusive, says Lily’s Sweets

28-Jun-2017 By Douglas Yu

Lily’s Sweets says it has no intention to launch any sugar-added chocolate products in the near future. 

Barry Callebaut-owned American Almond’s new facility opened in New Jersey

25-Jun-2017 By Douglas Yu

American Almond has opened its new facility that it moved from Brooklyn, New York, to Pennsauken, New Jersey, to expand its nut-based products portfolio. 

More child labor prevention needed as cocoa prices fall, warn UTZ and ICI

21-Jun-2017 By Douglas Yu

 A sharp decline in cocoa prices could put children at increased risk of child labor unless more is done, say the heads of UTZ and ICI.

Mondelēz signs deal with Côte d'Ivoire & Ghana deal to reduce cocoa deforestation

19-Jun-2017 By Douglas Yu

Mondelēz’s sustainability program, Cocoa Life, will collaborate with governments in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana to reduce deforestation in the cocoa supply chain.

Ferrero opens first Asian innovation centre in Singapore

14-Jun-2017 By Jenny Eagle

Ferrero has opened its first Asian Innovation Center in Singapore to develop and test new products ‘in a market of strategic importance’.

Goupie: ‘Salted confectionery still has a huge pull on the consumer’

14-Jun-2017 By Jenny Eagle

Artisan confectionery brand Goupie has won a silver award for its Salted Sticky Toffee, in the Free-From category at the Food Talk Awards 2017.

Sweets & Snacks Expo

Bazooka Candy launches sharable Baby Bottle Pop Popping Powder

12-Jun-2017 By Douglas Yu

Bazooka Candy unveiled its four-pack Baby Bottle Pop Popping Powder at the recent Sweets and Snacks Expo in Chicago. 

Nestlé comes out top in report assessing chocolate companies for their progress tackling child labor

12-Jun-2017 By Jenny Eagle

Nestlé Cocoa Plan has come out top in a report by Stop the Traffik and Baptist World Aid Australia assessing the progress made by chocolate companies and certification organizations in tackling child labor in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. 

UTZ and Rainforest Alliance merger to set cocoa sustainability standards

08-Jun-2017 By Douglas Yu

Sustainability certification organizations, UTZ and the Rainforest Alliance, are expected to merge in the fall of 2017. 

Oreo and Milka among products developed at Mondelēz Polish technical center

08-Jun-2017 By Douglas Yu

Mondelēz has started operating its latest technical center in Poland, where around 130 specialists will develop the company’s key European biscuits and chocolate products, such as Milka, Oreo, Alpen Gold and Prince Polo. 

Lampados International launches 3D stevia sweetner

08-Jun-2017 By Jenny Eagle

Lampados International’s 3D sweetener for hot drinks, Liteez, has now been launched with stevia instead of sucralose.

Global confectionery sector to grow CAGR 4.6% from 2016–2021

Manufacturers to develop confectionery with vegetables for a healthier halo

08-Jun-2017 By Jenny Eagle

An improving global economy, stronger than expected economy in developed countries and rising disposable incomes in developing countries are the main reasons why demand is growing for confectionery products, according to Global Data.

Sweets & Snacks Expo 2017

Russell Stover launches first sugar-free chocolate line sweetened with stevia extract

08-Jun-2017 By Douglas Yu

Russell Stover has unveiled a sugar-free chocolate line at the recent Sweets and Snacks Expo in Chicago. 

Divine Chocolate expands UK and global listings

07-Jun-2017 By Jenny Eagle

Divine Chocolate is expanding its export portfolio announcing new listings with existing customers Waitrose and BP Connect in the UK, and Walgreens in the US.

Sweets & Snacks Expo 2017

Mars-owned Ethel M seeking US national distribution with Amazon and mass retailers

05-Jun-2017 By Douglas Yu

Ethel M plans to talk to Amazon and mass retailers to bring its chocolate to consumers across the US, ConfectioneryNews learned at the Sweets and Snacks Expo last month in Chicago.

Ivory Coast and Ghana agree to create Sustainable Cocoa Initiative

05-Jun-2017 By Jenny Eagle

The leaders of the Ivory Coast and Ghana have agreed to set up a joint industry body called The Ghana-Cote d'Ivoire Sustainable Cocoa Initiative to get better pay for farmers, combat cross-border smuggling and encourage further collaboration between...

Pecan Deluxe hires Chamber International to improve its export efficiency following Brexit

02-Jun-2017 By Jenny Eagle

Pecan Deluxe which exports more than 75% of its bespoke cakes, biscuits, sauces and desserts to the EU, has hired overseas trade specialist, Chamber International, to offset any challenges posed by Brexit.

Ferrero opens world's first Nutella Café in Chicago

31-May-2017 By Douglas Yu

Ferrero has invested several millions of dollars in the world's first Nutella Café in the US.

Nestlé increases Milkybar’s milk content to meet sugar reduction goal

30-May-2017 By Douglas Yu

Nestlé UK has reformulated Milkybar to boost milk percentage from 26% to 37.5%.

Sweets & Snacks Expo 2017

Mars-Wrigley taps sweet heat trend for Skittles and Starburst

30-May-2017 By Douglas Yu

Mars-Wrigley has introduced spicy versions of Skittles and Starburst, while bringing its Extra gum brand into the chewy mints category.

Startup Watch

Vivra Chocolate spots gap in the US premium market for artistry

26-May-2017 By Oliver Nieburg

Startup Vivra Chocolate says it is targeting a gap the US premium chocolate market for fashionable craft chocolate after launching at the Sweets & Snacks Expo.

Sweets & Snacks Expo 2017

Ferrero to bring Tic Tac gum and Kinder Joy eggs to US in 2018

26-May-2017 By Douglas Yu

Ferrero has announced new gum products under its Tic Tac brand and Kinder Joy eggs at the recent Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago.

Be still my beating heart: Chocolate’s 'anti-fluttering' qualities highlighted

26-May-2017 By Will Chu

The link between moderate chocolate intake and lower risk of irregular heartbeat may be due to chocolate’s flavanol content, say researchers.

Sweets & Snacks Expo 2017

SmashMallow launches rice crispy treats after experiencing 'explosive' growth

25-May-2017 By Douglas Yu

CEO and founder, Jon Sebastiani, has set out a growth strategy for his marshmallow brand as its business has tripled month over month since launching seven months ago.